Morocco

Tiles in Bahia Palace, Marrakesh Introduction This series seeks to map shifting levels of language dominance in Moroccan history in order to investigate contemporary developments in government policy. The debate over language policy is closely connected to Moroccan history. Language represents an important site of contestation in most modern states, and especially in post-colonial nations. In Morocco, the nationalist project failed to represent Imazighen (Berbers). As Amazigh (Berber) activists grew more vocal, the Moroccan government has begun developing new national language policies.

Image from here I just finished listening to a beautiful interview by Krista Tippett with Kate DiCamillo on the On Being Podcast. It was a poignant and honest exploration of the power of stories to increase our capacity for life and the fullness of experiencing wonder and joy amidst the suffering and seeming chaos of the world around us. Image from Unsplash The stories most specifically discussed were Kate DiCamillo’s books, but as someone who is both bookish AND friends with people/cultures that don’t do reading for fun, I feel the need to expand the meaning of “story” here.

*Using gender to define the core of what makes us human creates huge contradictions: it requires us to define men and women as fundamentally different from each other and yet also as full human beings. – *Johnson, The Gender Knot, 58 Juha and Donkey Just as women appear in limited and occasional historical events universally, so the popular Arab folktales of Juha the trickster portray his wife in a supporting and marginal role.

I am delighted to announce my latest Special Project, developing the first English anthology of Moroccan Malhun poetry, building on my PhD dissertation and fieldwork and time spent in Morocco on and off, over more than a decade. Mbarek Sryfi, poet and professor at The University of Pennsylvania, is co-translator. Growing up in Morocco, he is a long-term fan of Malhun. The NEA is helping to fund our work (details here).

Photo of Thomas Tew from Wikipedia I write this from Rhode Island, which lays claim to numerous historical pirates such as Thomas Tew. Piracy was part of the historical international economy that was powered by sea transport. Yet it came to color stereotypes of particular nations. Such misperceptions and their effects are long-lived. This post offers a quick look at how piracy became a key element of American perceptions of North Africa.

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. – William Shakespeare Flowers in Morocco This past year, like the quote above, made the whole world kin in terms of our common experience of hardship. In the United States, the pandemic period has included movement toward and away from inclusivity of diversity. As the number of vaccines increases and public locations begin opening again, I revisit two examples of spring festivals in the MENA region.

Here is my latest list of book recommendations for children and young adults, whether for libraries, schools, or homes. These focus on Arabic language and culture (my specialty), but I’ve included bonus Spanish selections at the end. I have read all these books and hope you will enjoy them too! Kids: Salma the Syrian Chef, Yaffa and Fatima, The Sandwich Swap Salma the Syrian Chef by Danny Ramadan – A Syrian girl figures out how to help her mother and herself feel more at home in Vancouver, Canada.

Mhani Alaoui is a rising star in literature from Morocco. See below for reviews of her two novels. Thanks to Interlink for providing access to interesting voices and perspectives! Dreams of Maryam Tair Cover Dreams of Maryam Tair: Blue Boots and Orange Blossoms by Mhani Alaoui Dreams of Maryam Tair is a tour de force, the most powerful novel I have yet to read in English about contemporary Morocco. I think that prior to reading this book, I would have recommended Leila Abouzeid’s Year of the Elephant for a novel about modern Morocco and women’s experiences.

What’s fun to read if you’re learning Arabic? (And if you like shopping during the winter holiday season, you can think of these for a friend who is learning Arabic)… The following are my personal favorites and go-to reads for Arabic learners and those interested in the Arab region: Non-Fiction Dreams of Trepass by Fatema Mernissi* *(first published 1994) *Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood *by Fatema Mernissi (1940-2015)

Al-Buraq (ِِالبراق) is a supernatural creature in Islamic tradition that travels extremely rapidly. It appears in the context of the Prophet Muhammad’s miraculous night journey (Arabic Isra’ إسراء) from Mecca to Jerusalem, followed by the ascension (Ar. Mi‘raj معراج). This journey occurred on the 27th of Rajab in the Islamic calendar, and is remembered among Muslims every year. The journey is mentioned in the Quran only briefly (Quran 17:1). Al-Buraq and other details regarding the journey are given in Hadith (Traditions).