While this is really in no way related to Morocco, it’s the best US Ramadan story I have yet.

Yesterday, I was in a shoe store about an hour before lftour. In front of me in line was a black girl wearing hijab, carrying two copies of the Qur’an (one in English, one in Arabic) and buying a backpack. Suddenly, a man that can only be described as a “pimp” walks into the store - white suit, head to toe, white fedora, and gold teeth. I’m not kidding. He actually had a grill.

Then, the aforementioned Muslimah sees him, squeals and says hello! A conversation ensues. He asks if she’s going to [fill in event name here]. She says yes. He invites her to go along with him. She says no, but says she’ll follow three steps behind him.  Maybe it’s the grill?

But the best part? The salesgirl in the shoe store was Chinese, and as the Muslimah paid for her shoes, she started chatting up the salesgirl…in Chinese.

I think I love Boston.

Apparently I stirred up some poo (hey, I have a professional job now) over at Global Voices
when I shared some of ya’all’s blog posts (okay, and my own, I couldn’t resist) about M6 being a bit too rich.

“Long live the king!” says one of my commenters.

What do you think?

As I just said over at Global Voices, Moroccan bloggers have little to say about the actual election results, preferring to talk about the low voter turnout (estimated to be between 37 and 41%) instead.  So I’ll do the same, briefly - basically, that’s not bad for a country with so little democracy, if we’re talking in comparison to the U.S., say.  What’s the percentage of voters there?  Anyone know?  Take a guess (preferably without looking it up!)

In other news, I bought a jar of “Moroccan pitted olives” at Trader Joe’s today for $1.99.  I daresay they’re actually cheaper there than at Frenchy Label ‘Vie.

I’m pretty happy, I must say, with the preliminary results of the Moroccan elections, but that’s all I’ll say for now…don’t want to invoke the evil eye.

Apologies for my lack of posts of late - in the middle of a move/starting a new job/no home internet, but will be back on my proverbial feet within a few weeks.

…Will you be blogging?

Former Moroccan Interior Minister Driss Basri (better known as “Butcher Basri”), died in Paris after a long illness.  He had been under self-imposed exile from Morocco for the past eight years, since being relieved of his position by King Mohammed VI, who ascended to the throne in 1999.

Basri, who was head of security and intelligence forces, was responsible for the torture and deaths of many during the reign of Hassan II and a period known as the “Years of Lead.”

Basri is survived by his wife, three sons, and a daughter.

For more reading on Basri or the “Years of Lead:”

Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir, with Michele Fitoussi
Tazmamart: Cellule 10 by Ahmed Marzouki
Cette aveuglante absence de lumière (This Blinding Absence of Light) by Tahar Ben Jelloun

The Meknes would-be suicide bomber has been identified, according to several sources.  Hicham Doukkali is a 30 year old engineer with no “extremist precedents,” Jordan’s Al-Bawaba quoted from a Moroccan source.

Now he’s a 30 year old one-armed engineer.

What is their issue?  Now that I’m halfway around the world, I find this even more shocking than before (while in Morocco, I seem to be able to find ways to justify bad behavior - both my own and that of the Moroccan government/powers that be).

As the story has already been told, both by Eatbees and myself for Global Voices, I’ll spare you the details (even then probably unnecessary, since it appears to be all over the news), but let it be known that I am becoming more liberal by the day, particularly on the issue of censorship (I don’t know if that’s even possible, considering I don’t agree with the concept at all).

Praise to Benchemsi, however, who actually had the cajones to speak out.

This is by far one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.  It’s a Java applet for building your own zellij (Islamic tiles common to homes, mosques, and apparently elevators, at least in Meknes).

I suppose it’s about time I tell you all, since I keep mentioning it in passing.

On August 1, Hamza and I are moving to the States, specifically Boston (look for some form of a Boston blog coming soon).  The Morocco Report will keep going, but perhaps less frequently.  I may even require contributors at some point.  I will also still be writing for Global Voices (yikes, but hopefully not three times per week like I am now!).

Wish us luck!