This is a true problem that I’ve been seeing all over the world, and the main reason behind it is, unfortunately, Globalization. I’m no anti-globalization activist or anything. In fact, I’m totally for globalization, economically and industrially speaking, but we can’t neglect the negative effects it has on culture and society.

In this globalized world, cities are becoming clones of each other, and people are converging into fake stereotypes; gone are the unique cities that carry so much history and culture in every corner. Lost are the enriching cultural differences and specificities that make a society uniquely what it is. Morocco looks like Spain.

London looks like Paris, which looks like Madrid. Restaurants serving this or that country’s traditional food are drowned out by the huge fast food chains. Beautiful traditional clothing is lost between the new bulk-made looks created by the big brands, people look alike, eat alike and dress alike whether they’re in New York, New Delhi or MOROCCO.

We’re losing one of the things that count the most: our identity, the uniqueness in us, which makes us special and allows us to stand out from the crowd. They say that one has to be affiliated to some culture or else one is lost no matter how good or bad it is. I want to be judged by my origin.

Again, I’m all for cultural exchange and value it dearly, and I, more than anyone else, treasure the notion of a global citizen. But still that doesn’t mean letting go of our unique cultures to adopt a unified fake money-driven one.

Sooner or later, someone pops the question "why aren't you married" or "how come you haven't found someone" or "why are you so picky?" Every time someone gets married, you get to hear; “Now it’s your turn”. It may not be these versions of the question. Instead, you may hear:

"What's a great girl/guy like you doing single?"

I'm surprised no one has snapped you up yet!"

Don’t take the question or the person seriously, as it’s not a sincere question but rather one designed to make you uncomfortable

These questions are often followed by creative problem solving, such as:

"I should introduce you to my neighbor's daughter's boyfriend's cousin, who just got off parole."

No matter which unwanted questions or solutions you hear, your reaction is likely to be the same: The awkward smile and you always invent a diplomatic answer.

Unless you’re prepared to level the person and start a fight, evade the question, and offer a breezy, even goofy answer—it deflects the hostility and you come out looking cheerful and unfazed.

“Dear Married or Otherwise Coupled Person,

Thank you for your recent interest in my love life. I know that your curiosity is only an expression of your concern for my wellbeing and future happiness, and your input is appreciated.

Since my solo operation continues to produce much contentment and even happiness, I am not compelled to expand it to a limited partnership. At this juncture, I believe that I am well positioned to fulfill my expectations of a meaningful life, and I do not wish to endanger that trend by incorporating with the wrong partner. Unfortunately, due to incredulous and dismissive feedback from my "supporters," I have discontinued communications regarding my bullish outlook on singlehood. This positivity will remain part of my paradigm, though it will not be on display until test groups reveal a shift in acceptance of my long-term singleness.”

But seriously folks, why is it a bad thing that someone hasn’t entered into a bad union? I will be the first to admit that there are more than a few singles over 30 who are “Never Beens” with good reason.

And now I turn it to you, Gentle Readers. Is it a plus or negative when you meet someone who has Never Been married? Do you immediately assume they are broken or strange? Share your thoughts below. And if you don’t mind, can you be so kind as to indicate if you are a Never Been Married, Once Was Married, Repeat Offender, or Eternally Bound?

Nabila Nali is a contributor to Morocco World News

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On February, 9, 2013, a group of ambitious fashion designers will show their stunning creations at Adam Park in Marrakech. All 12 designers were carefully selected based on their talent and designs during strict auditions. The creations were judged on originality, craftsmanship and their fusion between Western and Arabic influences. The last element is especially essential since the aim of the event is to illustrate how both worlds can be beautifully combined.

As an organization, our focus is on creating a memorable event where high fashion is presented by the designers of tomorrow in a great setting. As last year, this will happen again in collaboration with numerous professionals from the Dutch fashion scene.

Through our event, Dutch and Moroccan professionals from the fashion industry are brought together on an inspiring location to network with each other and support the talented designers. The last edition already resulted in different rewarding collaborations for different involved people.

Furthermore, we also emphasize on contributing to the local economy of Marrakech by involving several local businesses and professionals in our event. So overall, through the efforts of these dedicated professionals from the fashion industry and through our solid marketing strategy we have been able to position DFMM as a solid and innovative concept. Due to the large success of the first edition of DFMM, a second edition is going to take place from Feb. 7 through 10, which will be even bigger.

Friday – Feb. 8

The designers will have a master class in the morning by inspiring designers. Meanwhile the models and make up/hairstylists will be doing the makeup and hair and getting of the models in order to prepare them for the photo shoots of that day. These will be held in the outfits of the designers at several unique locations in Marrakech. After these photo shoots, the models will receive a catwalk training held by an expert in this field.

Official pre party DFMM 2013

On Friday DFMM will hold an exclusive pre-party which is only accessible for designers, models, fashion professionals and other invited guests. The pre-party will be organized at a very exclusive location in Marrakesh where the guests can celebrate the beginning of DFMM in style. There will be several surprises during this evening for all guests attending the pre-party.

Saturday Show Case– February 9

The DFMM fashion show will be an evening full of fashion and entertainment. Under the watchful eye of celebrities, media, bloggers and other fashion lovers, the designers will show their designs during this fashion show. The fashion show will take place at Adam Park Hotel & Spa in Marrakech

It is possible for everyone to attend this spectacle in February. For reservations, send an email to info@dfmmshow.com. For more detailed information about this great event, visit the website: www.dfmmshow.com.

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New York, February 7, 2013 (AFP)

New York Fashion Week injected a bit of color and glamor into wintry Manhattan on Thursday, with the first of 300 autumn-winter collections for men and women unveiled on the runways.

The opener was Nicholas K, with BCBG Max Azria and Kenneth Cole also in the first day's line-up, before a long weekend unfolds with stars like Alexander Wang unveiling their latest designs.

Cole's return after a seven-year absence was one of the highlights. Wang's collection was also hotly anticipated now that the Big Apple favorite has been named as artistic director of Balenciaga.

Another must-see was Oscar de la Renta, especially after he made headlines by offering disgraced former Dior star John Galliano a lifeline to fashion's inner circle with a three-week stint in his New York workshop.

The week began in its main home at Lincoln Center with Christopher and Nicholas Kunz' collection of dark greys and autumnal greens, huge collars, hoods, and trousers tightened up below the knee.

The room was packed for Max and Lubov Azria of BCBG Max Azria, whose silk print dresses, magnificent furs, and over-sized jackets were full of exoticism.

The designers said they drew inspiration from "the beautiful history inlaid within the architecture of Istanbul and the eclectic style of the Gypsies of Southern Europe."

Lacoste, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Y-3, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Prabal Gurung, Nanette Lepore, Anna Sui, Tommy Hilfiger, Zac Posen, Victoria Beckham, Jason Wu, Carolina Herrera, Altuzarra, Thakoon, Helmut Lang -- there will be no shortage of action for fashionistas in the coming week.

On top of the well-known names, a host of smaller labels were fighting to get their break. Some critics foresaw clean, uncluttered lines in the designs, while others predicted references to punk and grunge styles.

Whatever emerges, it was to be all shown live online from Lincoln Center- a first for the long closed world of high fashion, and a welcome move for the huge numbers of fashion lovers and journalists following the action.

New York is the traditional starting point of the month-long style marathon, with shows in London, Milan and Paris to follow.

Late Wednesday, an opening gala hosted by the AIDS charity amfAR saw designers Michael Kors and Kenneth Cole, and German supermodel Heidi Klum, accompany Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the red-ribbon cutting.

The gala buzzed with models and entertainment celebrities- "Sex and the City" actress Sarah Jessica Parker donned a Maison Martin Margiela Couture dress, and A-list model Karlie Kloss was seen in Michael Kors.

With the number of shows growing ever longer, some, like young designer Tanya Taylor, jumped the gun and got their collections out early.

Taylor presented her third collection in the Museum of Modern Art ahead of the official kick-off, with outfits that she described as including "a bit of masculine attitude, some oversize pieces" and "exaggerated shoulders." The Taylor woman "still has a feminine touch, the pink fur, the leather," she said.

In a video recently uploaded to YouTube, entitled “Harlem Shake – The Muslim Version,” a group of apparently Muslim men exposed quite an exceptional response to the epidemic, pop-culture phenomenon, ‘the Harlem Shake,’ which has been speedily propagating on the net.

After ‘The Harlem Shake – Soldiers Edition’, ‘The Harlem Shake in the Sky’, the Harlem Shake Class Edition’, and a plurality of other interpretations of the peculiar dance, here comes a Muslim version of the phenomenon.

In a small room, four men look preoccupied, while the fifth man is performing the introductory, weird moves that are typical of almost all the Harlem Shake videos. Two of the five men appear to be reading from the Quran, while the other two seem to stare at a computer screen, unmindful of the fifth man, who is performing the peculiar dance, with a white paper bag on his head.

To the dismay of those who might expect the second segment of the video to be expectedly a dramatization of the weird and random moves typical of the Harlem Dance, the most exciting moment of the Harlem Shake was replaced in this Muslim version by a scene wherein all of the five men perform a collective prayer, dressed in a typical Muslim dress. Right after that, a phrase reads ‘Astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from God, in English)…Stop the Haram Shake.’

The majority of reactions to this video were positive, almost predominantly from adherents to the Muslim faith. However, harsh and unsavory responses were also noted from the side of non-Muslims, who fired abrasive and derogatory comments at the makers of the video. Moreover, they took their reactions beyond the context of the video to generate sweeping generalizations and prejudices about Islam and Muslims.

In what might look as a brave and fair response to the phenomenon of the Harlem Shake, embodied in the video described above, both the makers of the video and those who responded positively to it appear to ignore the ironic, almost ridicule fact, that they are still engaging on a ‘free unconscious advertisement’ of the pop-culture phenomenon, the Harlem Shake. The repercussions of such hasty endeavor might prove to be the anti-thesis of the very objective for which it was done.

As to those who responded vehemently to the video, shooting a series of irreverent comments, not on the video, nor on those who made it, but irrelevantly and preposterously on the religion of Islam at large, once again, I say what has Islam to do with such minute endeavor that five apparently Muslim individuals engaged on? Popular culture proves to be, one more time, as I happen to have pointed out in a previous article, “A Distorting Telescope” whereby cultures and identities dissimilar to one’s own are prejudged and essentialized in inaccurate concepts and categories.

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By Larbi Arbaoui

Morocco World News

Taroudant, Morocco, March 6, 2013

The concept of “lbaraka” (meaning blessing or prosperity) in Moroccan culture is a complex concept that may have more than one meaning. Apart from the established meaning communicated in most religious teachings, "lbaraka" is a magical power associated with some pious people that can be transmitted to their children and grandchildren naturally, or through a ritual practice like spitting in the son’s hand palm. It can be manifested in various forms: in daily meals, harvest, people, salaries, and any other human activity. “Lbaraka” can’t, I guess, be explained through a pattern of logical reasoning or by purely mathematical calculations. Therefore, it appears in certain situations, special contexts and undoubtedly for specific people.

I always have faith in science as a trustworthy tool to explain many natural, social, and cultural phenomena, but it is agreed that science, for the moment, fails in accounting for many metaphysical and spiritual occurrences. The concept of “lbaraka” is pervasive among Moroccans, who believe in its existence. They call upon God to endow them with “lbaraka,” and bless all their daily activities.

The idea of “lbaraka” can be demonstrated in objects, as it can be a human characteristic. An example of the power of this mysterious energy, which is characteristic to few people, is cherished by some doctors. Despite the same academic training doctors receive, some of them are believed to have great healing powers. “Idu fiha lbaraka” Moroccans say, meaning "his hands are blessed." This is an expression widely used for doctors whose medical skills are extraordinary. They haven't necessarily studied or practiced more than their peers, but it is generally accepted that their treatments and prescriptions are extremely successful in treating illnesses.

When I was appointed to teach English in Tazarine, a small village 332 miles south east of Marrakech, I learned the true meaning of “lbaraka." I used to think that “lbaraka” is nothing but an invocation exchanged between people to show more courtesy and respect. Later though, thanks to the close connections I made among some of the villagers, I discovered that “lbaraka” is real. Personally, I perceive it as what remains as extra value after an accurate mathematical equation.

When I was in Tazarine, I had a good friend whose name is Ali. Even though he was older than me, his sound reputation among the villagers kept me attached to him. The first time he invited me to have lunch with his family, he served a small tagine that seemingly wouldn’t even satiate me, let alone feed all five of us (him, his father, two of his younger brothers and myself). For some inexplicable reason, we all ate to satisfaction, and food remained in the earthen-ware. Honestly, I could eat that amount of food usually all on my own, but when I went to eat at my friend’s house the same amount of food managed to suffice many of us.

Another real example is that of low paid workers who manage to lead very comfortable lives; they can build their own houses, and raise and educate their children with standards similar to those of well-to-do families. Culturally speaking, such people are said to have “lbaraka” in their lives. If you consider their limited income, you may find it hard to believe how they manage to live in relative comfort.

Some people may associate “lbaraka” with strategic management, but I believe that “lbaraka” is more than organization and management. It is something supernatural that we feel, but can’t measure. It is an element we don’t take into consideration in our plans, but it gives an unexpected advantage that helps us to successfully accomplish our tasks. For you, I say may almighty bestow you with “lbaraka,” and may it be on your side in whatever good things you do.

Photo by Yassine Abouyaala

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Rabat, March 14, 2013 (MAP)

A rich and diversified program was scheduled to celebrate the International Day of Francophonie in Morocco, which will be unveiled at a press conference on Wednesday at the Information and Communication Institute (ISIC) in Rabat, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

By Rachid Khouya

Morocco World News

Smara, Morocco, March 20, 2013

The Sahara is a beautiful poem sown by the fingers of the creator, the pencil and the architecture of the wind on the dunes and the rocks and the voices, the cries and screams of animals and the chants of shepherds and nomads.

Every single element of the desert is a well-embroiled verse. The Sahara is the kingdom of beauty, inspiration, magic and spirits of poetry. People do not become poets in the Sahara. They are born so.

Its horizons are waves of changeable weather of heat and cold. They are open to all sounds, languages, meanings and interpretations.

The people of the Sahara are readers and composers of poems by nature. Their hearts dance with the sunrise and the sun shines, the rain and the drought, water and the grass, the wind and the storms, the dunes and the sand, the trees and the birds, the sheep and the goats, beauty, tea and women.

The nomads breathe poetry. They sing and talk poems of wisdom, love, warship, divinity, sophism, loneliness and nature. They dance on tunes of natural epics and their rhythms. Life for them is but a short poem that is full of signs, myths, tales, stories and songs.

The Sahrawi eyes are cameras that nomads use to depict mental pictures and images of the different natural and cosmic scenes they witness on their daily journeys in the heart of the Sahara.

The inhabitants of the Sahara live in the open space lead by freedom and the horizons. They carry their tents as their legs carry their bodies and as their necks carry their heads. They are tied to no man and to no land. The entire desert is theirs as all the skies are the stars and the moons` kingdom.

“It is the Being. For the commonplace mortal, there are four cardinal points: the earth below his feet and the sky above his head…the sky has no limits, space no frontiers. There are no doors; hearts are open,” wrote Driss Chraibi in his introduction to "Southern Moroccan Secrets."

Many writers have been inspired by the Sahara. For instance, Ahmed Abou Zid said in one of his articles that the Sahara is not just “a wide limitless desert that is empty of any signs of plants or animal life beside the scarcity of water and the heat.”

For Mr. Brahim El Haissan, the author of "The Culture of the Sahara:" "in the beautiful nights of the Sahara that are lit by the light of the divine moon, popular tales are counted and the poems of Hassani poetry on the hot sand. They are told and not written as they are preserved in the memory of the nomads.”

“These are the Sahrawi in their Sahara: natural and integrated in the nomadic time. They live inside their tents on the basis of self-esteem, dignity and courage that draw their being and continuity in the world of wind, sand and the scarce rain and longing for life," according to Mr. Brahim El Haissan, a scholar, author and artist from Tan Tan city in the south of Morocco.

In brief, The Sahara welcomes the poets with open arms like a beautiful lady that hold her beloved after a long trip. She gives warmth, love, desire and dreams. It energizes both the soul and the body. The Sahara is a womb that has always given birth to fools or the wise. Sometimes, if not most of the time, it gives life to both.

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By Larbi Arbaoui

Morocco World News

Taroudant, Morocco, March 20, 2013

For the first time in Morocco and the Arab world, the Swiss magazine Babybook, in its 5th edition, chose Marrakech to make the shooting of the pages of Babybook Spring / Summer 2013.

Accompanied by one of their parents, the 10 winners of the 2013 casting will meet with  the magazine's editorial team from 17 to 22 March, in Les Mille & Une Nuits at Med Club in Marrakech to complete the shooting and to dress the most famous brands , such as Junior Gaultier, Armani Junior, Baby Dior etc.

The photo shoot planned in Marrakech, from 17 to 22 March 2013, was planned after the last casting was done in Verbier St-Bernard on February 2.

 The management of Babybook and ten children have been chosen to become the face of Babybook magazine 2013.

The choice of Marrakech by the prestigious Swiss magazine, confirms, once again, the place that Marrakech occupies as a touristic and a luxury events destination.

The adventure began in the fall of 2012 and more than 7000 people attending the presets of the 1750 candidates.

The Swiss magazine plans to make an Arabic version of the magazine for the Maghreb, Middle East and Gulf countries.

It is noteworthy to mention that Marrakesh has been selected as the best African tourist destination for the year 2012, by the Word Travel Awards, an institution that rewards and celebrates excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.

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By Khalid El-Quzahi

Morocco World News

Fez, April 5, 2013

When writing about the old Medina of Fez, which is part of the historic city of Fez in the Kingdom of Morocco, I don’t merely reminisce about my visit to it as a place or write an autobiography about that visit; rather I try to write in a quasi-ethnographic way about that sublime literary text which historicizes the transience of time and its effects on its walls, grounds and breathtaking monuments. The unique painting that is Fez stirred my inner poetic feelings to make me sing to it and about it and aroused my curiosity to visit it repeatedly, sometimes alongside my friends but oftentimes alone.

In the stressful moments resulting from the pressure of study, alienation, and the frustrating financial conditions of a Yemeni student in Morocco, the old Medina of Fez provided me with overwhelming spirituality and solace to the extent that I felt like it was my home. The mere thought of visiting the old Medina used to make me feel like a lover whose excitement and awe increased with every date with his beloved who arrogantly pretends indifference despite her latent inner delight for the meeting.

As soon as I would arrive to the oldest of its fourteen giant gates—which is the one that used to welcome me in every visit to the old Medina, Bab Boujloud (Boujloud Gate) (at least that is how I heard my friends pronounce its name and I deliberately do not make sure of the correct way to spell it in order to keep this memory unchanged inside of me) –I would stand aghast before this giant gate whose exterior blue mosaic symbolizes the myriad of fountains and water springs in the city and whose red interior mosaic represents religion and greenness.  Standing before this gate, I felt like I was on the verge of crossing a time portal that would transport me away from the modern concrete city, its dust, smoke and polluted vehicles to the era of the thriving Islamic age at the beginning of the eighth century.

Entering that gate, you leave the disturbing manifestations of noise and modernity of which neither care about humans nor about nature. You hear but the neighs of horses, the galloping hooves of mules pulling carts and the captivating tunes sung between the lanes and alleys all of which make you rejoice in the meeting of the beloved Fez in her own backyard!

There is no trace of concrete to spoil my mood in the Old Medina; the walls are covered with neatly chosen mosaics to feast the eyes of visitors with its gorgeous installation and colors, or with simple clay that spreads the odor of hospitality and munificence. Some of the clay was apparently new and covered the concrete columns and walls. This detail amplified my love for the people of the region who are trying to preserve what distinguishes their city from other beautiful cities.

Perhaps it is not fair to mention Fez without mentioning its good people for whom I harbor special love and respect that will carry on for as long as there is life in me, but I ask their pardon to let me talk just about Fez here. In meeting or remembering Fez, I become ecstatically oblivious to the extent that I forget myself. I may blame many who forsake it and left it at the hands of those whose sole goal is to take advantage of its magical beauty and innocence for lucrative gains. Regardless of how much they may try to preserve its attractiveness, they are not its native children, especially those coming from the north and the west. The mere mention of them makes me envious hence I will not prolong my discussion on Fez’s demographics.

The Old Medina of Fez, or Fez El-Bali as its people like to call it, provided me with pleasant solitude despite its permanent congestion of lovers. With every meeting, I felt like I was looking for something I lost in those pathways, yards, galloping hooves of horses and mules carrying goods, smiling faces with or without a reason, and the multi-purpose markets. Every time I went alone I lost my way back, and my frequent visits did not teach me to remember its main entrances and exits for a simple reason: whenever I entered the old Medina, I got immersed in an intoxicating passion. I didn’t want to waste a single moment in thinking about where I was in order to not lose that ecstatic feeling of the whiff of history coming from Al-qarawiyyin University (the first university in the world, built in 859 AD), Madrasas, Sufi Zawiyas, shrines of religious leaders and Sufi sheikhs that you find hither and thither. I was also deeply surprised by the narrow lanes that permeate thousands of homes, some of which may be narrower than the lanes in Old Sanaa, yet more spacious than Mohamed V Avenue in downtown New Fez (the largest street I have ever seen).

Every time I would advise myself on making sure to remember the way back. But the places used to mesmerize me repeatedly as I wandered unaware of where I was amidst the twisted alleys which definitely puzzled the colonizers and prevented their penetration of the city, thus proving their loyalty by standing dignified and invincible with their people against the outsiders.

I would wonder around the balconies and tasbils, discovering the authenticity that is marked by the Islamic specificity and the architecture dividing the male and female space. Overlooking the street, the small tasbils, ornamented by little holes, only permit air and sunbeams to enter, to maintain the privacy of the women. I was also deeply thrilled by the smell of doors, barriers, and covers of a lot of passages carved on big wooden molds with great precision and craftsmanship. I even became totally enamored with the smell of leather in tanneries while remaining unreceptive to the smell outside of this beautiful city. The little strikes of cooper makers while working with their utensils used to gently dance in my mind.

I used to touch the antique doors with my fingers and feel as if these mere touches could carry me back in history to learn about how they were manufactured, and transported as wood from forests until they became such historic architectural masterpieces boasting about their beauty, culture and history. I didn’t view Fez just as a city to live in, or a place hosting thousands of buildings and houses, markets for shopping, cafés that offer Moroccan tea with mint with the tunes of the Andalusian music playing in the background. Rather, I saw Fez as a world of beauty and magnificence where time is zero and the old is newly born. A city where history is out of astronomical calculations, and geography maintains its luster and splendor, stopped the movement of time and makes the city amazing.

I would find myself completely stunned. It’s the stupor of awe and reverence for that scent that still emanates from the echoes of the walls of Fez straight to the barracks of my imagination until I felt that I became part of it, just like when a lover and his beloved become one. As I was preparing to leave Morocco, I realized that I am no longer the person I used to be—Fez became part of me and I became one of its indispensable elements just like its wood and minarets. The old Medina of Fez is not really old because it is more modern than any other manifestation of the tumbling postmodern era with its cities which are bereft of any identity; bags of cement and little work can make these cities, but for Fez it’s a completely different story.

Translation into English with the permission of the author by Youssef El Kaidi

Photos by Paulina Velasco for Morocco World News

Khalid El-Quzahi is a university teacher in Mahwit, Yemen and a PhD candidate in Sidi Mohammed bin Abdellah University in Fez.

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By Youssef Sourgo

Morocco World News

Casablanca, April 9, 2013

When the glamour of contemporary fashion fuses with the Moroccan Kaftan’s fascinating traditional appearance, wizardly attires effloresce. Nevertheless, few fashion designers are able to preserve the charm of tradition while injecting the air of modernity into Moroccan intricate dress.

Originally Moroccan but based in Chicago, Salima Erref is one of the few fashion designers able to skillfully perform this fusion.

Salima gave up a prosperous career in corporate finance to set up her own semi-traditional, semi-modern Kaftan brand, which she named “Sally Kaftan Design.”

Since the launching of the brand in 2012, Salima continues to astound her clients through her sophisticated, enchanting and detailed pieces.

Her meticulous and sophisticated eye is owed to her architect father, whilst her artistic creativity is inherited from her grandfather, a well-known tailor and designer. It is in his atelier where she used to help him with his work that her love relationship with design began. Salma is thus the descendent of two generations of artistic minds.

Since the Kaftan is one recognizable constituent of Moroccan culture, Salma ensures that it best represents it. Superior quality, creativity, and sophistication are all traits that “Sally Kaftan Design’’ has been matched to. Even the designer herself cannot resist the hypnosis of her own work: “I always wear kaftans designed by myself. Even when I buy a garment I always add an embellishment on it to personalize it,” said Salma.

Her choice for the Moroccan Kaftan is anything but a product of coincidence or mere strategic commercial choice. Though residing in the U.S., Salima was brought up in a pure Moroccan entourage, surrounded by all the manifestations of Moroccan culture and customs. She thus decided to share the beauty of this Moroccan divine dress with the world.

Salima Erref eyes wide horizons for her passion: “My dream is to see Sally Kaftan Designs showcasing the Moroccan Kaftan at the most important runway shows in America.”

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By Youssef Sourgo

Morocco World Nrws

Casablanca, April 11, 2013

“Many inspiring women have shown me how such a garment is created somewhere between fantasy and reality,” wrote Sonia Maria in an article of hers published on NJAL, an online fashion platform. The “garment” that Maria refers to is the Moroccan majestic dress, the Kaftan. Her description flawlessly matches the proprieties of this charming Moroccan attire. Between “fantasy” and “reality,” the Kaftan stands out as a composite amalgamation of subtle and luxurious fabrics, composite designs and shapes, and an artist’s personal perspective of women’s beauty and femininity.

To start, the Kaftan is to be distinguished from the Djellaba. The latter is traditionally recognized for featuring a hood, whereas the former does not. The Kaftan is basically a hoodless Djellaba. For it is commonly worn during special occasions, the Kaftan tends to be more elaborate and intricate in its designs than the Djellaba. This however does not undermine the uniqueness of the Moroccan Djellaba, which has also gained a new air of modernity by contemporary fashion designers. Hence both the Kaftan and the Djellaba are now almost at the same scale of sophistication and modernity.is agreeable that both Moroccan dresses might sometimes look almost selfsame in terms of form and constituents. However, Takchita distinctively comes in a double-layered design: a dress blanketed by a Kaftan-like robe. Equally, however, both Kaftan and Takchita are worn for special occasions, though Kaftan comes comparatively more composite in its colors, designs and patterns for it is also a traditional wedding dress. Nevertheless, there exist simpler and less elaborate versions of Kaftan.

A bridal garment par excellence, the Moroccan Kaftan is traditionally recognized for being a long-sleeved, front-buttoned robe, traditionally opened at the front.  Made up either of silk or cotton, alongside many other newly introduced fabrics, the Kaftan tends to be embroidered with braids at different parts of it. It comes also with detailed and coherent patterns and lustrous colors. This enchanting dress that fascinates all women around the world, as astounding as it may sound, is traditionally hand-made. This reverberates Morocco’s highly professional and unique artisans and designers.

Looking in retrospect at Kaftan’s history, we travel back into time to the epoch of the Ottoman Empire. The Kaftan in that era was reflective of the person’s hierarchical rank and position in relation to the Sultan. The Kaftan worn by those women in the entourage of the sultan was unquestionably distinct from that worn by ordinary women. The higher the rank of the wearer was, evidently, the more elaborate and embellished was her Kaftan, and vice versa.

When the Kaftan reached Morocco, however, it has gained a different air and signification. Worn both as a casual and formal attire, depending on the complexity of its design, the Moroccan Kaftan has been more symbolic of women’s delicate taste in traditional clothes. Brides have also worn it during their weddings to accentuate their beauty and femininity.

The Moroccan artisan and designer has been recognized by his impressive ability to match women’s descriptions and expectations with the final product. He even sometimes stupefies them by his personal perspective, stemming from his know-how and experience of what magnifies women’s beauty and femininity in Moroccan dresses.

After Kaftan had reached Morocco, it encapsulated the country’s cultural richness and complexity. Morocco repainted the originally Ottoman attire with colors from its mosaic of identities and cultural particularities. The Moroccan Kaftan speaks different languages and is representative of a plethora of Moroccan sub-identities, which in turn form its one and monolithic identity.

The love relationship between the Moroccan Kaftan and its wearer is beyond the banalities of price and occasion. The relationship starts at first sight, when the woman sees the design/tissue, and endures until her body meets the Kaftan’s fabric. At that very instant, the Kaftan remolds to match its wearer’s sense of femininity and beauty. It accentuates the woman’s outer beautiful traits and discloses her inner delicateness and fineness. Basically, it matches her personality and speaks her mind.

As when the Moroccan  Kaftan is worn by a non-Moroccan woman, it discovers her own femininity and adds a Moroccan breath to it. I would dare to say that it unveils the ‘Moroccan dimension’ of every non-Moroccan woman’s body. What else, then, could be more enchanting than rediscovering a new facet of what makes a woman distinctively beautiful?

When it comes to modernity, and just as I exemplified in a previous article (Salma Kaftan design), the traditional Moroccan Kaftan captivatingly immixes in the chemistry of the traditional and the modern. Salma has been one example of how only Moroccan designers have this idiosyncratic ability to preserve the traditional Kaftan’s majesty while injecting a breath of modernity and occidental topicalities.

The Moroccan Kaftan continues to be an important constituent of Morocco’s cultural identity. Kaftan is the pride of every Moroccan woman. It symbolizes her simplicity and her sophistication; her femininity and beauty; her cheeriness and delicacy; and her mesmerizingly colorful and open mind.

Women around the world are now considering the Moroccan dress more of a universal attire that matches all and every distinctive criteria of beauty and high quality worldwide. The Moroccan Kaftan stands up as sempiternal dress that gains more sumptuousity with time to endure and compete even in an age of revolutionary fashion and design.

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

By Derek Workman

Morocco World News

Marrakesh, April 13, 2012

There are two ways people buy Moroccan carpets.

The first is to carefully mull. Will the colour clash with the furnishings in the living room? Will it get too much wear in the hall? Is that orangey one better value than the greeny one?

The second is to simply have the smiling vendor throw half a dozen down on the floor, take off your shoes and squish your toes in the pile to see which feels good.

I like the second way.

And don’t think the salesman is taking the mickey when he grins and says, ‘You only pay for the front, the back is free,’ because in the High Atlas Mountains, where some of the looser pile carpets come from, the shaggy side is for winter warmth while the smoother reverse is for summer wear. And speaking of wear, some rugs actually are worn as a winter wrap or used as bed covers.

In Morocco, every carpet tells a story – quite literally, although you may not be able to decipher its meaning. Each tribe has its own repertoire of imagery which differs by village and region, but there’s no such thing as a pattern or design. Every weave and weft is learned at the feet of a mother and grandmother – and a carpet weaver is always a woman.

The designs tell of grand ceremonies and minor happenings in the village, but the essence of a carpet is the story of the weaver, the rhythm of her daily life. Her trials and tribulations, her small joys and larger happinesses are woven into her carpet, as a painter puts his emotions on canvas by the subtlety of his brush.

Wander Marrakech’s higgledy-piggledy souks and you will find carpets everywhere; piled, rolled, unfolded and folded, spread on floors or cascading from hooks and balconies, casually thrown or elegantly presented like a perfect pearl in a Bond Street jewellers. Technicolor existed in the shades and subtleties of colour in Moroccan carpets long before the idea hit the silver screen. Subtle or screamingly outrageous – they're all there.

But buying a carpet is a serious business, a special moment to be savoured, accompanied by mint tea sweetened with cardiac-arrest levels of sugar. ‘There is no need to rush, madam.’ ‘No hurry, no worry.’ ‘This price is special only to you so please don’t tell your friends.’ ‘If only I could to give you a better price, sir, but anything less and my children won’t eat today.’ ‘Do you have a credit card?’

This post was first seen on villadinari.com

By Youssef Sourgo

Morocco World News

Casablanca, May 11, 2013

Marrakech hosted May 4 the 17th edition of a key event highlighting Moroccan haute couture: the Moroccan Kaftan.

Fifteen designers took part in this year’s edition, delighting their audience with talent and creativity incarnated in their charming Kaftan designs.

The artistic director of this year's parade was the talented choreographer Malika Zaidi. She is an undisputed leader in the area of scenic and rhythmic delivery. She has also orchestrated the most prestigious international shows and has accompanied such stars as Puff Daddy, 50cts, Jermaine Jackson, Kanye West, Craig David and the Gypsy Kings.

In this year’s edition, talented Moroccan designers proved their skill and creativity in accomplishing such an intricate fusion of modern fashion and tradition, adding more elegance to the Moroccan Kaftan, astounding the diverse audience that attended the event.

While Kaftan 2012 chose the prominent and great traveler Ibn Batouta as its principal theme, this year’s edition chose “Legendary Women” as its central theme, focusing on eminent female figures who are universally recognized for fashion achievement.

The talented designers were inspired by the greatness and beauty of those legendary women. With their creative semi-traditional, semi-modern designs, the universal dimension of the Moroccan Kaftan channeled Marilyn Monroe, la Kahina, Marie Antoinette, Nefertiti, Oum Kalthoum and Coco Chanel, among many other timeless female figures in history.

The impressively coherent patterns of colors, the intricate fabric combinations, tastefully selected ornaments and elaborately designed shapes all unfolded during the event. In Kaftan 2013, the Moroccan Kaftan proved an elegant ambassador of women’s universal beauty.

While the exhibition celebrated female figures universally recognized for their elegance, originality, beauty and idiosyncratic femininity, the majesty of women in general was recognized during this year’s edition.

"These fascinating women wrote their fabulous or tragic futures in gold, and sometimes in blood,” said Khalid Bazid, director of the press group Charactères and director of the Kaftan event since 2007. “The woman is neither a complement of man, nor his half; the woman is society,” added Mr. Bazid.

Therefore, with women at its center, Kaftan 2013 sought to grant an ample scope of creativity for all its talented designers.  “It is a tribute to the idea that Kaftan 2013 chose this theme offering to fashion an exciting and inexhaustible source of inspiration," shared Mr. Bazid, affirming the significance of this year’s theme for Kaftan.

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

By Youssef El Kaidi

Morocco World News

Fez, May 16, 2013

Can Jews and Muslims coexist and live peacefully together in one nation? This may seem impossible in regard to the amount of hatred most people from both parts harbor for each other through history. The antagonism between Jews and Muslims nurtured by religious fanaticism, cultural clashes, political and sectarian wars, and misunderstanding continue to grow today, especially with the unresolved issue of Palestine.

However, Jews once lived peacefully in Morocco (and some 3000 Jews continue even today), traded with Moroccan Muslims, neighbored them, and shared a lot in common. The history of Jews in Morocco is undoubtedly a history of religious tolerance, coexistence and mutual respect; it’s a lesson to the world that peace can (and should) prevail irrespective of people’s beliefs.

Today, after the mass immigration of Jews to Palestine in the fifties and early sixties, only 3000 Jews remained in Morocco, most of whom live in Casablanca. It’s true that Morocco lost a large Jewish community? but it strengthened its efforts to keep the Moroccan Jewish heritage and its memory alive. Thanks to Morocco’s efforts, Jews across the world have succeeded in maintaining their identity and their personality and a lot of Moroccan traditions, especially those associated with celebrations and lifestyle. In addition, Morocco welcomes all efforts to help restore the Jewish heritage and preserve it.

King of Morocco Mohammed VI personally takes interest in preserving the Jewish cultural heritage, oftentimes spending from his own money on projects of conservation and restoration. Also, the Jewish legacy is considered by Moroccan people as national heritage in the first place and they take it upon themselves to protect and preserve this heritage. It may be surprising to many to know that the guardians guarding Jewish cemeteries in Morocco are Muslims.

Last February, Morocco reopened the Jewish synagogue Slat Lafassiyyin in Fez after its restoration. In a letter addressed to the participants at the opening ceremony of the Jewish Synagogue, King Mohammed VI called for the “restoration of all synagogues in other Moroccan cities so that they become not only places of worship but also spaces for cultural dialogue and for the revival of Morocco’s civilizational values.” He also stressed that “the deep-rooted civilizational traditions of Moroccans derive their spirit from the culture of coexistence, tolerance and harmony among the various constituents of the nation.”

The king’s efforts for the protection and preservation of Jewish heritage sometimes go beyond Morocco. The Times of Israel news outlet published a report entitled “Why is the Moroccan king funding the Jewish sites?” in which the writer, Canaan Liphshiz, seems surprised at the king’s deep commitment to preserving Jewish heritage in Morocco and elsewhere. The report mentions the king’s generous financial support for The Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project, which amounted to $200,000 for the years 2011-2012.

“The Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project has a board stuffed with prominent Jewish Washingtonians, but its funding comes almost entirely from one man — King Mohammed VI of Morocco. According to the group’s US tax filings, the king was the organization’s sole donor in 2011 and 2012, giving $100,000 each year,” says Canaan Liphshiz.

It’s worth noting that Morocco’s 2011 constitution recognized the Jewish cultural influence in Morocco and stated clearly that the country has, to some extent, been ‘nourished and enriched … [by] Hebraic influences.’ So, will Israel treat Morocco the same way and protect Morocco’s historical monuments like the Moroccan Quarter, the Moroccan Gate, etc in Jerusalem?

Ny Hajar Slaoui

Morocco World News

Tangier, May 28, 2013

Morocco is the first country to recognize the United States, in December 1777.Through his representative in Tangier, the Sultan of Morocco informed a number of countries "including the Americans" that they were allowed to enter Moroccan ports without payment of duties or tariff. This constituted de facto recognition of the United States, George Washington established the first diplomatic mission to Morocco in December 1797 when an American Consulate was established in Tangier with the hope of ensuring the safe passage of American shipping into the Mediterranean.

In 1821, the Moroccan ruler, Sultan Moulay Suleiman, gave the United States, a building in the old medina of Tangier, and gave the United States its first diplomatic property, the site of the American Legation. Reconstruction began in 1848, when the new US Consul arrived to find the building "almost in ruins," possibly as a result of the French bombardment of Tangier in 1844.

Today, the American Legation, which is still owned by the United States, is engaged in an active and expanding social outreach program working in partnership with a Moroccan NGO: (la Fondation Tanger Al Madina) headquartered at the Museum. Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM's) and the Moroccan foundation are dedicated to improving the lives and environment of Moroccans living in the old city. For the past eight years, TALIM's has hosted literacy classes for neighborhood women and offered a lecture series on such issues as public health, family rights legislation, and communication.

TALIM's also offers sewing and English lessons and activities for neighborhood youth. For several years, TALIM's hosted a Rotary Club micro-credit program that disbursed nearly 500 loans to medina women interested in starting their own business. Through a grant from the American Ambassador's Cultural Preservation Fund, a historic square in the medina was renovated by the Tangier medina foundation.

By Sarah Introna

 Morocco World News

New Jersey, May 29, 2013

The National Theater Mohammed V will perform in the United States for the first time in Washington D.C. on June 28 and in New York City on June 29. The event is organized by Moroccan designer Khadija Mouh.

 “In Morocco, the reputation of the theater has risen. I have worked for many years to bring them abroad and inchallah, now, it will happen,” said Mouh.

 The chance to showcase the theater in the United States took Mouh three years to accomplish, but it was only recently tat she saw a positive response from the Moroccan community as well at the Moroccan consulate in New York City. With help from Consul General Mr. Mohammed Benabdeljalil and Moroccan Minister of Culture Mohamed Amine Sbihi, she was able to invite the eleven actors and their director.

According to the 2010 Census, there are over 82,000 Moroccans living in the United States with significant populations found in New York, Washington D.C., Boston, and Florida.

"I found people to be interested because this is the first time. But, it’s a big group. New York and Washington, in those two cities I feel the immigrants are more interested in the arts and they are close to me,” the New Jersey resident said.  “My friends and my people are here and, Al-Hamduillah (thank God), I have very good friends. They are helping me and I have support.”

Named after the deceased Moroccan King Mohammed V, the national theater was established after Morocco gained independence in 1956 and has become a vibrant part of Moroccan culture.

According to the event organizers, this performance will boost the morale of Moroccans adapting to life in the United States.

"Two years, three years, some of them I know have been for fifteen years in America and they never went back,” she said. “These people also need to feel their country and see their country and I now there is the media and they see it on TV, but it is not the same when you sit and the actor or actress is in front of you. They care about that.”

Mouh immigrated to the United States in the 1980s from Sale near the capital Rabat. She settled in New York City near the luminous signs of musicals and plays on Broadway.

The designer explained, "My uncle took me to see my first movie in the cinema without my father knowing. It’s something that was cultural. Women had to be protected.”

She eventually attended a performance with her young nephew and managed to find her way to the front of a packed house. From there, she said, she could not stop laughing.

"I was laughing even when people were finished,” said Mouh. “At that time, I started putting on fashion shows to display my line of Moroccan caftans. I told myself I had to bring them to the United States for a show.”

Besides the performance by the theater of Mohammed V in both the Moroccan dialect (Darija) and Arabic, there will be a short film in memory of comedian Aziz El Alaoui who died of a heart attack in March. Another short film called Bazaar by actor, writer, and director Abderrahim Mahjoubi will play during the night followed by a fashion show of Khadija Mouh’s latest designs.

Jakarta,  June 6, 2013 (AFP)

Islamic hardliners vowed Thursday to stop the “immoral” Miss World beauty pageant taking place in Indonesia even after organizers agreed this year's contestants would not wear bikinis.

The Hizb ut-Tahrir group slammed the show as like “selling women's bodies” and threatened to hold demonstrations against it, while a group in the province where the final is due to take place also voiced strong opposition.

More than 130 women will compete in the September event, with some rounds on the resort island of Bali and the final in Bogor outside Jakarta. Bogor is in West Java province, parts of which are considered a stronghold for radicals.

Organizers confirmed on Wednesday the contestants would not wear bikinis during the beach fashion section, to be held in Bali, and would instead wear more conservative attire such as traditional sarongs.

However, the concession was not enough for hardline groups in Indonesia, where some 90 percent of the 240 million population are Muslims.

“Supporting this event is the same as supporting the selling of women's bodies,” said Ismail Yusanto, spokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia, who also warned the group may organize protests.

“Women are lowering themselves by allowing themselves to be turned into objects, to be stared at and have their bodies measured.”

Hardline group the Islam Reformist Movement (Garis), which is affiliated with prominent radicals the Islamic Defenders Front, also said the bikini ban was not enough.

“They will still wear outfits that will encourage sex and immoral acts,” said Chep Hernawan, the head of Garis which has its base in West Java province.

The organizers have insisted the decision not to have bikinis was taken when the deal was struck last year to host the show, and not after pressure from radicals.

Vocal protesters have succeeded in getting events cancelled in the past in Indonesia.

Last year, pop sensation Lady Gaga axed a concert after hardliners threatened to burn down the venue and criticized her for wearing only “a bra and panties”.

Most Indonesians practice a moderate form of Islam.

Rights group the National Commission on Violence Against Women urged people to take a more measured view of Miss World.

People should consider whether “the contest really looks at the women as humans and judges them based on their talents”, said Andi Yentriyani, a commissioner with the group.

By Hassan Abou El Fadel

Morocco World News

Inezgane, Morocco, June 20, 2013

During my visit to the Newark Senior center, I had a chance to talk to two elderly ladies, one of whom wrote poetry she said. Her name was Tangerine, her nickname rather. So I started talking to them about the origin of the word “Tangerine” and related it to Tangier, Morocco. Back in history Morocco used to import lumber from the United States and in exchange export oranges from the port of Tangier. The Americans back then related that type of oranges to the port of origin hence, the word tangerine.

That was a good discussion opener to tell them more about Morocco. Again and again, the “Casablanca” movie and the “Marrakech express” seem to be striking titles through which Americans get to ‘know’ Morocco. It seems to me that plenty of people around the world do use specific events or accomplishments to anchor certain parts of their knowledge to so as to make them easy to recall.

I remember having had a face to face chat with an American long ago before the advent of the internet, when I told him I was from Morocco; he thought for a while and said “Oh! Yes, that’s where the Ra expedition started from”. My background knowledge as a fairly good reader was of great help there. At first, I didn’t know what “Ra” was but then I came to realize that the way we Moroccans pronounced it in Arabic was “Ra3”.

Ra was the sun deity in ancient Egypt and the name given by Thor Heyerdahl to his maritime expedition. The Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl had a conviction that ancient civilization connected to each other through long sea voyages. Thor built a boat from papyrus and called it Ra. His attempts to cross the Atlantic started in 1969-1970 from the Moroccan port of Safi. What Heyerdahl wanted to prove in those attempts was that ancient North African civilizations got in touch with other peoples beyond the large oceans that separated them.

It was through that valuable piece of information that we came, my interlocutor and me, to accurately and successfully communicate to each other. Back to the senior center, the discussion which followed our chat was rather interesting and all of us learnt something about the other. I was impressed by how the Senior Center was equipped. I had a chance to have that poet lady as guide for a tour round the different parts of the center.

Again I was impressed by the different types of meeting rooms and above all by the covered swimming pool. The idea of life-long-learning is rather a bright one especially here for the elderly. Bringing visitors from different countries to share their ideas and views with the senior people and listen to their views and wisdom is quite a gratifying experience for both parties. In our own country, civic education has to earnestly tackle this issue of the elderly to sensitize people to their needs and aspirations and incite NGOs to do what is within their capacity to help make the quality of life better for Moroccan senior citizens.