Impressions of Morocco
The dominant visual impression in Morocco, on foot or from a bus, is walls. Everywhere. Walls to keep enemies out. Walls to keep women in, away from the gaze of men. Thus the vernacular architecture of the kasbah, the mountain village, and the medina exhibits a common denominator, either to keep strangers out or to decide who comes in. Yet on every occasion we got to enter a door, we were met with warmth, food, and generous hospitality.
The most memorable aural impression, dawn and dusk call to prayers, admittedly answered by only the most devout, symbolized the calming effect that the Moroccan version of Islam (Sunni, Malaki order) seems to provide. What a mind-opening opportunity to experience this remarkable country, people, and religion.
But….. why are so many of the brightest young people planning to leave? Our conversation with students from Mohammed Vth University unsettled me a bit. The issue that had most interested me as we prepared for our trip was Moroccan emigration to Europe. But I had noticed only the illiterate and the poorest of the poor, including sub-Saharan Africans using Morocco as an embarkation point. That a substantial number of the most educated believe they must leave, despite a general hopefulness about their progressive, development-savvy King Mohammed VI, raises troubling questions about Morocco’s future.
- Gary Williams, Department of History
2 comments:
Morocco is a really fascinating country full of magic and mystic. Its Islamic traditions and customs may seem us very strange.
On the other hand, Morocco is an attractive tourist destination thanks to its mesmerizing cultural heritage and distinctive natural beauty, from snow-capped mountains to fascinating beaches to the desert’s huge golden sand dunes, as well as a hot climate all year round.Morocco is one of the most friendly countries in the Arab world, a country where the watchwords are hospitality and gentleness, not violence and danger.
I really glad that Morocco is improving touristic relationship. Also many people are interested in investing money in property in Morocco.
I came across this blog and it was a surprise to see myself in the picture which brought me back to the years I spent at Mohammed Vth university in Rabat. In CCCL, we met with some American professors and we discussed immigration with the presence of our beloved professor Dr. Said Graiouid.
Ismail
Post a Comment