Christian in Egypt are up in arms this week over a controversial book issued as a free supplement with this month’s Al-Azhar magazine, describing Christianity as a Religion of “idolatry” and claiming that the Holy Bible is a misquotation of the original one. The book was published by State-owned corporations that are financed by taxpayers, Christians as well as Muslims.
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There’s nothing “scholarly” about this publication as far as I can see, unless you count fodder for intolerance and hate a legitimate academic pursuit.
Categories: Frustrating · Scary
Reporters Without Borders managed to give a news conference yesterday in Casablanca but, in a sign of the tension in its relations with the government, was unable to hold it as scheduled in a meeting room of the Royal Al-Mansour Hotel, although communication minister Khalid Naciri had previously given it his blessing.
An improvised news conference was instead held in the hotel’s lobby in the presence of many Moroccan and foreign journalists.
Oh, PS, I was there 
(Yeah, this happened like last week though, just forgot to post it)
Categories: Life in Morocco
Don’t get me wrong or anything, things here in Casablanca are much better than they ever were in Cairo. There is one thing, though, that I have noticed and that I do not approve of- domestic violence. I have seen men beat women openly on my street twice so far (and I’ve only been living at my current apartment for three days… clearly chose the good neighborhood, huh?). The most disgusting thing about it is that no one says anything when it happens, people just continue on their merry little way as if nothing was going on.
EXCUSE ME?! There’s a man beating the lights out of a woman in the middle of the day!! How is this acceptable?! I can only imagine how much domestic violence goes on behind closed doors…
Categories: Life in Morocco
…Of Moroccan journalism and it’s upward battle of the past few months (including the confiscation of TelQuel, of course) in an open letter to Mrs. Clinton before her appearance at the Forum for the Future in Marrakesh next week from the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Yet we note with deep concern the deterioration of freedom of expression in Morocco itself. Morocco and the United States were co-hosts of the first Forum for the Future, which took place in Rabat in 2004. We hope that you will take advantage of that ongoing partnership to impress upon the Moroccan authorities that a free press is a crucial component of any free society.
Categories: Frustrating · Unjust
The president of Tunisia, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, is guaranteed to be re-elected for a fifth term in the country’s presidential election on 25 October 2009. This certain outcome both reveals the authoritarianism of this north African and Arab country and underlines how far the international community continues to accept such a reality without question.
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Interesting take on Tunisian elections by Amel Boubekeur.
Categories: Frustrating · Interesting
