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His Royal Highness
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I believe Morocco should be allowed to join the EU. And it seems many agree with me, below are just a few of the many articles detailing this:
BBC~ "Morroco's Quest To Be European
Link~ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/699760.stm
By Morocco correspondent Nick Pelham
King Hassan of Morocco once said that Morocco was a tree with its roots in Africa and its branches in Europe.
Perched on the fringes of Africa, Europe and the Arab world, Morocco sits half-in, half-out of them all.
After the acceptance of the Turkish candidature, EU membership for Morocco is no longer taboo
King's spokesman Hassan Aourid
It is an Arab state, but half its population speak either Berber or French as their mother tongue.
It is African, but is estranged from the Organisation for African Unity.
And for much of the last century, its policies were decided not in Rabat, but in Paris and Madrid.
Renewed Europe campaign
Morocco has been renewing its bid lately for membership of the European Union.
During his state visit to France on 20 March, Morocco's new king, Mohammed VI - known to Moroccans as M6 - called for a new relationship between EU and its southern neighbours.
King Mohammed VI has been seeking France's help for EU membership
"After the acceptance of the Turkish candidature, EU membership for Morocco is no longer taboo," said the king's spokesman, Hassan Aourid.
There has been little enthusiasm from Europe.
Many Europeans look askance at a Muslim entry into what remains "a Christian club".
The EU ambassador in Morocco, Lucio Guerrato, said "an evolution to integration was possible", but was careful not to commit himself to a time frame.
European politicians often see Morocco as a source of illegal migration, hashish and cheap labour.
France made little response to the new king's appeal for support for its EU application.
But from Morocco, the division of the world into separate blocs - Africa and Europe - looks artificial.
Trade links
Separated from Europe by the Straits of Gibraltar a mere 14 km wide, its economic and strategic interests are firmly rooted in states to the north.
Over 60% of Morocco's exports go to EU markets, Europe provides most of Morocco's tourists, remittances and loans.
Ex-King Hassan's plan for a bridge across the Straits never materialised
Morocco is also the biggest recipient of EU development aid.
Morocco broke new ground earlier this year, when it became the second North African state (after Tunisia) to start implementing an EU Association accord.
It paves the way for tariff-free trade between the kingdom and the EU by 2012.
Scores of European textile companies have already relocated to Morocco to take advantage of cheap labour ahead of a common market which could soon stretch from Lapland to the Sahara.
But Morocco would like to see the remit of the accord go far further: it believes a free movement of labour should accompany the free movement in goods.
Historical connections
From the Romans onwards, Morocco's history has also been interwoven with Europe.
In the 12th and 13th century Spain was ruled from Marakesh.
And another sign of its European proximity: its food is the least spicy in North Africa.
But while hankering after European association, Morocco is also playing up its African credentials.
Its bid to become the first African state to host the World Cup in 2006 is facing fierce competition from South Africa.
So how likely is Morocco to enter Europe?
A hint might lie in the fate of the bridge planned to span the Straits of Gibraltar.
Announcing the project in 1988, the late King Hassan undertook to complete it before 2000. Work has yet to begin.
Newsweek/The Daily Beast~ Sunny, Modern, Morocco
Link~ http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2006/10/08/sunny-modern-morocco.html
Leila Ahlaloum, 25, is the very image of a modern European career woman. She works as a manager in a chic hotel, goes clubbing most weekends and, like many singletons, is on the prowl for Mr. Right. With her designer clothes and hip sunglasses, you'd never suspect she's a mainstream Muslim in an Islamic North African country. But as much as Leila represents a Western archetype, she's also the personification of modern Morocco. "Of course we love our own culture," says Leila, who lives in the cultural capital of Marrakech. "But ours is now a European way of life."
What a transformation. It's been 50 years since Morocco declared independence from France, yet the country has never been more European. The change can be seen in the sleek nightclubs opening in Marrakech and glossy tourist resorts springing up along Morocco's sunny Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. But it shows far more powerfully in the widespread adoption of European political, judicial and financial reforms, which are reshaping Morocco's record on everything from immigration to press freedom and women's rights. "Without a doubt, the country is the freest it has been in its history," says Theodore Ahlers, the World Bank's Morocco country director. "It's completely integrating with the rest of the world."
Morocco's metamorphosis owes much to its dream of one day joining the European Union. Former King Hassan II made this explicit 20 years ago, though at the time the ambition seemed almost laughable. This had less to do with the fact that Morocco lies in Africa, not Europe, and more to do with its record on human rights and lack of democracy. Today, no formal request for Moroccan membership sits in Brussels, but Prime Minister Driss Jettou tells NEWSWEEK: "We want to be the southern rib of Europe." For the European Union's part, says Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU commissioner for external relations, "We already have a very, very close relationship with Morocco, and we're studying giving them even more advanced status."
Signs of Morocco's European-style openness are everywhere. The current government is the most democratic in the country's history. Next year's elections are expected to produce a popularly elected prime minister for the first time--previously, leaders of government were appointed by the king--and Morocco's notoriously poor human-rights record is getting a makeover. Cases of torture and arbitrary arrest are down dramatically; there are fewer political prisoners. "We see Morocco as a mixed picture--which is a very favorable comment," says Joe Stork, a deputy director of Human Rights Watch. Earlier this year King Mohammed VI won praise after his groundbreaking Equity and Reconciliation Commission criticized the torture and brutality that were commonplace under his father's 44-year rule. "We are all committed to never, ever again," says Jettou, though it should be noted that the commission declined to name names.
Women's rights are now among the most progressive in the Arab world, with recent reforms to the Sharia-based family law giving women equality within marriage, the right to file for divorce and the ability to pass their citizenship onto their children. The press has unprecedented freedom, with magazines publishing once-censored accounts of the royal family's finances and internationally respected film festivals freely screening controversial work. Attesting to the practical reality of these sweeping changes, prominent Moroccan writer and political dissident Abdelmoumen Diouri returned home after 35 years in European exile last month.
Diouri's homecoming from France is a metaphor for Morocco's renewed relationship with Europe as a whole. Ties between the two date back millennia to a time when North African Moorish rulers controlled Morocco and Spain alike. But the gap between Morocco and Europe--a mere 14 kilometers at its closest across the Strait of Gibraltar--later turned into a schism reflecting historical Catholic-Islamic clashes. Tensions soared through the first half of the 20th century, with France and Spain colonizing Morocco and exploiting its natural mineral resources. (Morocco has the world's largest phosphate reserves.) When Morocco gained independence in 1956, King Hassan II took pains to assert the country's separateness from Europe.
His son Mohammed VI, a popular 43-year-old who once interned at the European Commission, has reversed that course. Since he took power in 1999--a popularly elected government followed in 2002--Morocco and Europe have grown increasingly close. This year has seen a breakthrough. The EU's open-skies agreement with Morocco, Europe's first ever outside its borders, came into force this summer. Europe and Morocco recently announced plans to extend their Free Trade Agreement to cover not only goods, as it does now, but also all agriculture and services by 2010, giving the country almost the same deal with Europe as member states have with each other. Foreign direct investment into Morocco doubled last year to €1.7 billion (not including capital investment in property), with the majority coming from Europeans. Trade between the two was up 35 percent last year, and the value of Moroccan exports to Europe--including more high-value manufactured items like automobile parts, electrical cables and software than ever before--doubled to €16 billion.
Turkish Weekly~ "Morroco Expects To Join EU after Turkey"
Link~
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/1352/morocco-expects-to-join-eu-after-turkey.html
NEWS IMPRESSION: Cumali Onal, Zaman, Morocco
Morocco Expects to Join EU after Turkey
Have you ever thought about the question of which might be the next Muslim country to join the European Union (EU) after Turkey? There is only one answer to this question: Morocco.
Spain's southern neighbor has already officially applied to the European Union (EU) for membership. It's application was turned down in 1987, but the country is under the influence of French culture and still takes its prospects for EU membership very seriously. The EU rejected Morocco's candidacy as it is not included in the European continent, but Morocco thinks that it will join the privileged club. Morocco is a country where predictions have little to do with reality. The name Morocco has many connotations for us of a country covered by deserts, backward, with old buildings, dirty narrow streets, whereas, in reality it is not like that. How wrong this idea is can be understood on the journey from Mohammad the Fifth Airport to Casablanca. With immaculate wide avenues, lush green plants and fresh air like in Turkey, Casablanca, on the Atlantic Ocean, is as the romantic location of the Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman film from 1942, even though it was not shot there. The city, with an unofficial population of eight million, is the focus of attention of Western tourists as well as Muslims who coming from all parts of the world. The Hasan II Mosque is the second largest holy place after the Kaaba and the pearl of the Atlantic Ocean with its magnificent lightening system and characteristics representing Moroccan architecture. They love Turks very much Morocco holds great respect for Turks, which dates back to the Ottoman Empire's help to Moroccan Muslims against Spanish and Portuguese before. It is one of the few countries that does not require visas for Turks, and has schools established by Turkish entrepreneurs to build the relationship between the two countries. Education in schools in Morocco is both in Arabic and French. Though the literacy level is low, there is a high level of French spoken by the educated Moroccans and Spanish is common among the elderly in the north. The daily spoken language is Arabic, but highly influenced by French and many Arabic words are pronounced as if they are French.
One of the most obvious characteristics of Morocco is the peace and harmony in the society. Women with or without headscarves work alongside men everywhere, even in state buildings. The western influenced state does not interfere in people's beliefs. Rabat, a city established by France that has been the capital since 1912, does not differ from any European cities with its avenues, architecture, cleanness, and order. Even though Cairo has overtaken Rabat as the pioneer city in the Arab that it was in King Hasan II's time, Rabat is trying again to regain its importance for the world and the Arabic countries with closer relations established with the US recently. The US chose this city to explain its Greater Middle East Project (GMEP) to the Arab world at the beginning of last year and the Future Forum that was held December 10th and 11th, is one of the last initiatives of US Secretary of State Colin Powell although it did not please the Arab world.
Morocco, with coasts on both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, is like Turkey a point where different cultures, civilizations, and geographies meet. Besides it African-Arab-Berberi identity, Morocco is well integrated with Europe and the West in general. As the second country outside of Europe to officially apply for EU membership, Morocco has a major number of workers in Europe. What Turks are to Germany, Moroccans and Algerians mean for France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The immense Sahara Desert contributes to the mystery of Morocco and has attracted the attention of Hollywood. Specifically the city of Urzazat hosts a big movie set and films like Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, the Jewel of the Nile, the Living Daylights, and Black Hawk Down were all made in Morocco's various regions.
Just as Casablanca and Rabat are commercial and political capitals, the cultural capitals of Morocco are Fes, Meknes and Marrakech. Only Turks call this country "Fas". This name originally came to our language from the Moroccan city of Fes. According to some historians, although the Ottomans reached at this city, they withdrew after a short time. Old Fes is under protection by UNESCO right now and perhaps it is the most protected historical heritage of Arabs.
Kayravin Madrasah in the city is considered as the first university. The mosque in the madrasah is the oldest mosque of Morocco.
Morocco was first called Magrib ul Aksa (far West) and now called only Magrib (far) by Arabs. Morocco is ruled by King Muhammad VI who comes from a family that has been governing the country for nearly 350 years.
In official records, the royal family is descended from Fatima the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Fights for succession are prevented by a law that says the heir to the throne cannot marry unless his father dies or abdicates.
Morocco has a population of 32 million officially though it is thought to exceed 40 million, with many of them very young. There is no industry and agriculture is widespread, with phosphate deposits forming the biggest income resource, though French companies operate these. A big proportion of phosphate reserves of the world are in the Western Sahara, which contribute to the problems in the region and territorial disputes with Algeria.
'After Turkey it is our turn'
Another problem of Morocco is with Spain, which occupies Septe and Melilla on the coast of Mediterranean. Spain claimed these two cites as a reprisal for the British occupation of Gibraltar, but does not give citizenship rights to Muslims who form the majority in the two cities. On the other side, there are more than two millions Moroccans in European Union (EU) countries. Turkish membership of the EU is a great blow for the clash of civilizations thesis of why Morocco would be excluded, and they will also supply fresh labor force to the EU. Morocco, though geographically in Africa, does not differ much from Europe. Indeed, the European passion of Moroccans is subconsciously closely related to the EU adventure of Turkey: After Turkey's access to the EU, it will be their turn. Marrakech is The Base for Desert Adventurers Marrakech was founded in the 11th century by Muravids who gave their name to the country and state, and some Muslim countries call Morocco 'Marrakech'. Kutubiye Mosque constructed in the 12th century presents a unique architecture and beauty, which can be seen, all over the city. The city seems to be planned around the mosque. Menara Gardens, several hundred meters from the mosque are one of the most visited places. The Cemaa el Fena square near the mosque is a top tourist attraction. In the evening veiled fortunetellers and musicians sing Moroccan traditional songs, henna sellers, snake charmers, acrobats, punters and charlatans and dippers appear. This city which has been the gate to the desert for centuries is now the base of adventurers who want to breath its mystical atmosphere.
Motorcycles and bicycles are used widely and preferred mostly by women in Marrakech and this is a strange sight for foreigners who come to the city for the first time. Furthermore, the long cloaks prevalent in this city have different shapes for women and men and can also be worn in both summer and winter.
In Morocco each City has a Symbolic Color Every important city of Morocco is represented by a separate color. Casablanca is white, Fes yellow and red is for Marrakech. Taxis of each city are in their local colors. Casablanca means "White House" in Spanish and is covered mostly by white buildings, and called "Dar'ul Beyda", which means the same in Arabic.
Marrakech built on a plateau near the mountains is famous for its red buildings.
Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW)~ Morocco getting EU 'membership light': WSRW urges EU to think again
Link~ http://www.wsrw.org/a128x785
The EU is about to grant a so-called ‘advanced status’ for Morocco . The move will be made now under the French presidency. “No one seems to mind that Morocco is an illegal occupying power violating the most fundamental human rights”, said WSRW international coordinator.
Despite the current grave human rights situation in occupied Western Sahara, the EU is in July planning to further deepen their relationship with Morocco , by giving the regime a so-called “advanced status”.
“It is far too early for the EU to give Morocco any such kind of green light. If EU wants to maintain the image as a credible defender of international law and human rights, it cannot invite an illegal occupying power into their home in this manner”, international coordinator of Western Sahara Resource Watch, Javier García Lachica stated.
Morocco has requested ‘advanced status’ from the EU since 2005. They first signed an Association Agreement with the EU in 2000 and it was one of the first countries to sign a Neighbourhood Action Plan in July 2005 as part of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
Although the EU repeatedly states its commitment to upholding the principles of human rights in all areas of its external policy, earlier this year, Benita Fererro-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations announced that the agreement to grant Morocco advanced status could be finalized under the French presidency of the European Union.
Whilst the terms of this status are still being agreed, it would certainly serve to deepen the EU’s relationship with Morocco, in stark contradiction to the EU’s emphasis on human rights.
The agreement could also de facto lead to a strengthening of Morocco's foothold in Western Sahara through further Moroccan investments in Western Sahara.
“Before any advanced statues can be given to Morocco, a full human rights investigation must be undertaken by the EU. Furthermore, Morocco must clearly show their readiness to stop violating human rights against Saharawis, and show a will to end the illegal occupation of the neighbouring country”, García Lachica stated.
“There is no place in the EU for occupying powers”, stated García Lachica.
The View From Fez~ Morocco's dream of EU membership
Link~ http://riadzany.blogspot.com/2006/10/moroccos-dream-of-eu-membership.html
Morocco's metamorphosis in recent years owes much to its dream of one day joining the European Union. Former King Hassan II made this explicit 20 years ago, though at the time the ambition seemed almost laughable. This had less to do with the fact that Morocco lies in Africa, not Europe, and more to do with its record on human rights and lack of democracy. Today, no formal request for Moroccan membership sits in Brussels, but Prime Minister Driss Jettou is quoted in an interesting article in Newsweek as saying: "We want to be the southern rib of Europe."
For the European Union's part, says Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU commissioner for external relations, "We already have a very, very close relationship with Morocco, and we're studying giving them even more advanced status."
Signs of Morocco's European-style openness are everywhere. The current government is the most democratic in the country's history. Next year's elections are expected to produce a popularly elected prime minister for the first time—previously, leaders of government were appointed by the king—and Morocco's notoriously poor human-rights record is getting a makeover. Cases of torture and arbitrary arrest are down dramatically; there are fewer political prisoners. "We see Morocco as a mixed picture—which is a very favorable comment," says Joe Stork, a deputy director of Human Rights Watch. Earlier this year King Mohammed VI won praise after his groundbreaking Equity and Reconciliation Commission criticized the torture and brutality that were commonplace under his father's 44-year rule. "We are all committed to never, ever again," says Jettou, though it should be noted that the commission declined to name names.
Women's rights are now among the most progressive in the Arab world, with recent reforms to the Sharia-based family law giving women equality within marriage, the right to file for divorce and the ability to pass their citizenship onto their children. The press has unprecedented freedom, with magazines publishing once-censored accounts of the royal family's finances and internationally respected film festivals freely screening controversial work. Attesting to the practical reality of these sweeping changes, prominent Moroccan writer and political dissident Abdelmoumen Diouri returned home after 35 years in European exile last month.
Yesterday, in THE VIEW FROM FEZ, we examined the impacts of mass tourism. The Newsweek article quoted above also has something to say on this.
Not everyone welcomes the influx. Budget airlines such as Europe's RyanAir and Jet4You offer dozens of flights for as little as £60, and recently there's been talk of a Eurostar-like train linking southern Spain to Tangier via a tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar. But critics worry that Morocco will become a touristic North Africa Disneyland, with its own culture submerged in Marbella-style oases and loud British bachelor parties. "I'm worried that Marrakech will be flooded by package groups," says Dyer, who runs a guest house in the city's Kasbah.
Still, the biggest challenges Morocco faces are homegrown. Foremost among them is jobs, says the World Bank's Ahlers. Although unemployment has dropped significantly in recent years, it's still disproportionately high among Morocco's educated urban young. Thirty-five percent of university graduates are jobless—prompting many to seek work abroad. Poverty and social marginalization come next on Ahlers's list. Fifteen percent of the population, some 4.5 million people, lives below the poverty line. Successfully tackling these two problems, says Ahlers, is the only way to improve the quality of life in Morocco, curb illegal immigration and stem the appeal of Islamic extremism.
Even if those problems were indeed resolved, would Europe let Morocco into its club? It's more a pipe dream than a possibility, most experts agree. "Some people would simply find the idea too alien," says a senior Moroccan diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous because of his position. Nevertheless, a decade ago few could imagine Romania and Bulgaria being invited in—yet last week they were. The EU's official consideration of Turkey proves that Morocco's Islamic identity is not an unassailable hurdle either.
Prime Minister Jettou fantasizes about a future where Morocco is a de facto member of the EU, whether or not it wins bona fide membership. "In 10 years, we will be a full-fledged partner in the EU family," he predicts. "When Romano Prodi [the former president of the European Commission] proposed his European Neighborhood Policy in 2001, he meant that we should benefit from all the advantages of the EU—just without the institutions." Thanks to the free-trade agreements now being negotiated in Brussels and Rabat, Morocco will soon take a big step in that direction. According to EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner, Europe also aims to bring Morocco increasingly into the fold on major political discussions too, including immigration, social issues, foreign affairs and terrorism.
This "deepening relationship," as European diplomats put it, is proving to be something of a regional model by illustrating what other North African and Arab countries can hope to gain through EU cooperation. Many of the countries that signed up to the Euro-Med Partnership in Barcelona in 1995—like Algeria, Jordan and Syria—have slowed intended liberalizations and remained outside the new European "neighborhood." Part of the reason, says Erwan Lannon, a member of the Euro-Mediterranean Study Commission in Brussels, is because Europe expected them to reform economically and socially—but without the "golden carrot" of possible EU membership. Morocco's booming economy and improved living standards show that even without the "member" title, there are palpable benefits to linking up with Europe.
It is hoped it will be a two-way street. Moroccan influences are already being felt in European fashion, for instance, with clothing designers discovering kaftans and traditional tribal textiles. "Europeans are fascinated by our culture," says property developer Wafaa Snibla. "Their houses are more Moroccan than mine."
BBC~ "Morroco's Quest To Be European
Link~ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/699760.stm
By Morocco correspondent Nick Pelham
King Hassan of Morocco once said that Morocco was a tree with its roots in Africa and its branches in Europe.
Perched on the fringes of Africa, Europe and the Arab world, Morocco sits half-in, half-out of them all.
After the acceptance of the Turkish candidature, EU membership for Morocco is no longer taboo
King's spokesman Hassan Aourid
It is an Arab state, but half its population speak either Berber or French as their mother tongue.
It is African, but is estranged from the Organisation for African Unity.
And for much of the last century, its policies were decided not in Rabat, but in Paris and Madrid.
Renewed Europe campaign
Morocco has been renewing its bid lately for membership of the European Union.
During his state visit to France on 20 March, Morocco's new king, Mohammed VI - known to Moroccans as M6 - called for a new relationship between EU and its southern neighbours.
King Mohammed VI has been seeking France's help for EU membership
"After the acceptance of the Turkish candidature, EU membership for Morocco is no longer taboo," said the king's spokesman, Hassan Aourid.
There has been little enthusiasm from Europe.
Many Europeans look askance at a Muslim entry into what remains "a Christian club".
The EU ambassador in Morocco, Lucio Guerrato, said "an evolution to integration was possible", but was careful not to commit himself to a time frame.
European politicians often see Morocco as a source of illegal migration, hashish and cheap labour.
France made little response to the new king's appeal for support for its EU application.
But from Morocco, the division of the world into separate blocs - Africa and Europe - looks artificial.
Trade links
Separated from Europe by the Straits of Gibraltar a mere 14 km wide, its economic and strategic interests are firmly rooted in states to the north.
Over 60% of Morocco's exports go to EU markets, Europe provides most of Morocco's tourists, remittances and loans.
Ex-King Hassan's plan for a bridge across the Straits never materialised
Morocco is also the biggest recipient of EU development aid.
Morocco broke new ground earlier this year, when it became the second North African state (after Tunisia) to start implementing an EU Association accord.
It paves the way for tariff-free trade between the kingdom and the EU by 2012.
Scores of European textile companies have already relocated to Morocco to take advantage of cheap labour ahead of a common market which could soon stretch from Lapland to the Sahara.
But Morocco would like to see the remit of the accord go far further: it believes a free movement of labour should accompany the free movement in goods.
Historical connections
From the Romans onwards, Morocco's history has also been interwoven with Europe.
In the 12th and 13th century Spain was ruled from Marakesh.
And another sign of its European proximity: its food is the least spicy in North Africa.
But while hankering after European association, Morocco is also playing up its African credentials.
Its bid to become the first African state to host the World Cup in 2006 is facing fierce competition from South Africa.
So how likely is Morocco to enter Europe?
A hint might lie in the fate of the bridge planned to span the Straits of Gibraltar.
Announcing the project in 1988, the late King Hassan undertook to complete it before 2000. Work has yet to begin.
Newsweek/The Daily Beast~ Sunny, Modern, Morocco
Link~ http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2006/10/08/sunny-modern-morocco.html
Leila Ahlaloum, 25, is the very image of a modern European career woman. She works as a manager in a chic hotel, goes clubbing most weekends and, like many singletons, is on the prowl for Mr. Right. With her designer clothes and hip sunglasses, you'd never suspect she's a mainstream Muslim in an Islamic North African country. But as much as Leila represents a Western archetype, she's also the personification of modern Morocco. "Of course we love our own culture," says Leila, who lives in the cultural capital of Marrakech. "But ours is now a European way of life."
What a transformation. It's been 50 years since Morocco declared independence from France, yet the country has never been more European. The change can be seen in the sleek nightclubs opening in Marrakech and glossy tourist resorts springing up along Morocco's sunny Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. But it shows far more powerfully in the widespread adoption of European political, judicial and financial reforms, which are reshaping Morocco's record on everything from immigration to press freedom and women's rights. "Without a doubt, the country is the freest it has been in its history," says Theodore Ahlers, the World Bank's Morocco country director. "It's completely integrating with the rest of the world."
Morocco's metamorphosis owes much to its dream of one day joining the European Union. Former King Hassan II made this explicit 20 years ago, though at the time the ambition seemed almost laughable. This had less to do with the fact that Morocco lies in Africa, not Europe, and more to do with its record on human rights and lack of democracy. Today, no formal request for Moroccan membership sits in Brussels, but Prime Minister Driss Jettou tells NEWSWEEK: "We want to be the southern rib of Europe." For the European Union's part, says Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU commissioner for external relations, "We already have a very, very close relationship with Morocco, and we're studying giving them even more advanced status."
Signs of Morocco's European-style openness are everywhere. The current government is the most democratic in the country's history. Next year's elections are expected to produce a popularly elected prime minister for the first time--previously, leaders of government were appointed by the king--and Morocco's notoriously poor human-rights record is getting a makeover. Cases of torture and arbitrary arrest are down dramatically; there are fewer political prisoners. "We see Morocco as a mixed picture--which is a very favorable comment," says Joe Stork, a deputy director of Human Rights Watch. Earlier this year King Mohammed VI won praise after his groundbreaking Equity and Reconciliation Commission criticized the torture and brutality that were commonplace under his father's 44-year rule. "We are all committed to never, ever again," says Jettou, though it should be noted that the commission declined to name names.
Women's rights are now among the most progressive in the Arab world, with recent reforms to the Sharia-based family law giving women equality within marriage, the right to file for divorce and the ability to pass their citizenship onto their children. The press has unprecedented freedom, with magazines publishing once-censored accounts of the royal family's finances and internationally respected film festivals freely screening controversial work. Attesting to the practical reality of these sweeping changes, prominent Moroccan writer and political dissident Abdelmoumen Diouri returned home after 35 years in European exile last month.
Diouri's homecoming from France is a metaphor for Morocco's renewed relationship with Europe as a whole. Ties between the two date back millennia to a time when North African Moorish rulers controlled Morocco and Spain alike. But the gap between Morocco and Europe--a mere 14 kilometers at its closest across the Strait of Gibraltar--later turned into a schism reflecting historical Catholic-Islamic clashes. Tensions soared through the first half of the 20th century, with France and Spain colonizing Morocco and exploiting its natural mineral resources. (Morocco has the world's largest phosphate reserves.) When Morocco gained independence in 1956, King Hassan II took pains to assert the country's separateness from Europe.
His son Mohammed VI, a popular 43-year-old who once interned at the European Commission, has reversed that course. Since he took power in 1999--a popularly elected government followed in 2002--Morocco and Europe have grown increasingly close. This year has seen a breakthrough. The EU's open-skies agreement with Morocco, Europe's first ever outside its borders, came into force this summer. Europe and Morocco recently announced plans to extend their Free Trade Agreement to cover not only goods, as it does now, but also all agriculture and services by 2010, giving the country almost the same deal with Europe as member states have with each other. Foreign direct investment into Morocco doubled last year to €1.7 billion (not including capital investment in property), with the majority coming from Europeans. Trade between the two was up 35 percent last year, and the value of Moroccan exports to Europe--including more high-value manufactured items like automobile parts, electrical cables and software than ever before--doubled to €16 billion.
Turkish Weekly~ "Morroco Expects To Join EU after Turkey"
Link~
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/1352/morocco-expects-to-join-eu-after-turkey.html
NEWS IMPRESSION: Cumali Onal, Zaman, Morocco
Morocco Expects to Join EU after Turkey
Have you ever thought about the question of which might be the next Muslim country to join the European Union (EU) after Turkey? There is only one answer to this question: Morocco.
Spain's southern neighbor has already officially applied to the European Union (EU) for membership. It's application was turned down in 1987, but the country is under the influence of French culture and still takes its prospects for EU membership very seriously. The EU rejected Morocco's candidacy as it is not included in the European continent, but Morocco thinks that it will join the privileged club. Morocco is a country where predictions have little to do with reality. The name Morocco has many connotations for us of a country covered by deserts, backward, with old buildings, dirty narrow streets, whereas, in reality it is not like that. How wrong this idea is can be understood on the journey from Mohammad the Fifth Airport to Casablanca. With immaculate wide avenues, lush green plants and fresh air like in Turkey, Casablanca, on the Atlantic Ocean, is as the romantic location of the Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman film from 1942, even though it was not shot there. The city, with an unofficial population of eight million, is the focus of attention of Western tourists as well as Muslims who coming from all parts of the world. The Hasan II Mosque is the second largest holy place after the Kaaba and the pearl of the Atlantic Ocean with its magnificent lightening system and characteristics representing Moroccan architecture. They love Turks very much Morocco holds great respect for Turks, which dates back to the Ottoman Empire's help to Moroccan Muslims against Spanish and Portuguese before. It is one of the few countries that does not require visas for Turks, and has schools established by Turkish entrepreneurs to build the relationship between the two countries. Education in schools in Morocco is both in Arabic and French. Though the literacy level is low, there is a high level of French spoken by the educated Moroccans and Spanish is common among the elderly in the north. The daily spoken language is Arabic, but highly influenced by French and many Arabic words are pronounced as if they are French.
One of the most obvious characteristics of Morocco is the peace and harmony in the society. Women with or without headscarves work alongside men everywhere, even in state buildings. The western influenced state does not interfere in people's beliefs. Rabat, a city established by France that has been the capital since 1912, does not differ from any European cities with its avenues, architecture, cleanness, and order. Even though Cairo has overtaken Rabat as the pioneer city in the Arab that it was in King Hasan II's time, Rabat is trying again to regain its importance for the world and the Arabic countries with closer relations established with the US recently. The US chose this city to explain its Greater Middle East Project (GMEP) to the Arab world at the beginning of last year and the Future Forum that was held December 10th and 11th, is one of the last initiatives of US Secretary of State Colin Powell although it did not please the Arab world.
Morocco, with coasts on both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, is like Turkey a point where different cultures, civilizations, and geographies meet. Besides it African-Arab-Berberi identity, Morocco is well integrated with Europe and the West in general. As the second country outside of Europe to officially apply for EU membership, Morocco has a major number of workers in Europe. What Turks are to Germany, Moroccans and Algerians mean for France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The immense Sahara Desert contributes to the mystery of Morocco and has attracted the attention of Hollywood. Specifically the city of Urzazat hosts a big movie set and films like Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, the Jewel of the Nile, the Living Daylights, and Black Hawk Down were all made in Morocco's various regions.
Just as Casablanca and Rabat are commercial and political capitals, the cultural capitals of Morocco are Fes, Meknes and Marrakech. Only Turks call this country "Fas". This name originally came to our language from the Moroccan city of Fes. According to some historians, although the Ottomans reached at this city, they withdrew after a short time. Old Fes is under protection by UNESCO right now and perhaps it is the most protected historical heritage of Arabs.
Kayravin Madrasah in the city is considered as the first university. The mosque in the madrasah is the oldest mosque of Morocco.
Morocco was first called Magrib ul Aksa (far West) and now called only Magrib (far) by Arabs. Morocco is ruled by King Muhammad VI who comes from a family that has been governing the country for nearly 350 years.
In official records, the royal family is descended from Fatima the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Fights for succession are prevented by a law that says the heir to the throne cannot marry unless his father dies or abdicates.
Morocco has a population of 32 million officially though it is thought to exceed 40 million, with many of them very young. There is no industry and agriculture is widespread, with phosphate deposits forming the biggest income resource, though French companies operate these. A big proportion of phosphate reserves of the world are in the Western Sahara, which contribute to the problems in the region and territorial disputes with Algeria.
'After Turkey it is our turn'
Another problem of Morocco is with Spain, which occupies Septe and Melilla on the coast of Mediterranean. Spain claimed these two cites as a reprisal for the British occupation of Gibraltar, but does not give citizenship rights to Muslims who form the majority in the two cities. On the other side, there are more than two millions Moroccans in European Union (EU) countries. Turkish membership of the EU is a great blow for the clash of civilizations thesis of why Morocco would be excluded, and they will also supply fresh labor force to the EU. Morocco, though geographically in Africa, does not differ much from Europe. Indeed, the European passion of Moroccans is subconsciously closely related to the EU adventure of Turkey: After Turkey's access to the EU, it will be their turn. Marrakech is The Base for Desert Adventurers Marrakech was founded in the 11th century by Muravids who gave their name to the country and state, and some Muslim countries call Morocco 'Marrakech'. Kutubiye Mosque constructed in the 12th century presents a unique architecture and beauty, which can be seen, all over the city. The city seems to be planned around the mosque. Menara Gardens, several hundred meters from the mosque are one of the most visited places. The Cemaa el Fena square near the mosque is a top tourist attraction. In the evening veiled fortunetellers and musicians sing Moroccan traditional songs, henna sellers, snake charmers, acrobats, punters and charlatans and dippers appear. This city which has been the gate to the desert for centuries is now the base of adventurers who want to breath its mystical atmosphere.
Motorcycles and bicycles are used widely and preferred mostly by women in Marrakech and this is a strange sight for foreigners who come to the city for the first time. Furthermore, the long cloaks prevalent in this city have different shapes for women and men and can also be worn in both summer and winter.
In Morocco each City has a Symbolic Color Every important city of Morocco is represented by a separate color. Casablanca is white, Fes yellow and red is for Marrakech. Taxis of each city are in their local colors. Casablanca means "White House" in Spanish and is covered mostly by white buildings, and called "Dar'ul Beyda", which means the same in Arabic.
Marrakech built on a plateau near the mountains is famous for its red buildings.
Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW)~ Morocco getting EU 'membership light': WSRW urges EU to think again
Link~ http://www.wsrw.org/a128x785
The EU is about to grant a so-called ‘advanced status’ for Morocco . The move will be made now under the French presidency. “No one seems to mind that Morocco is an illegal occupying power violating the most fundamental human rights”, said WSRW international coordinator.
Despite the current grave human rights situation in occupied Western Sahara, the EU is in July planning to further deepen their relationship with Morocco , by giving the regime a so-called “advanced status”.
“It is far too early for the EU to give Morocco any such kind of green light. If EU wants to maintain the image as a credible defender of international law and human rights, it cannot invite an illegal occupying power into their home in this manner”, international coordinator of Western Sahara Resource Watch, Javier García Lachica stated.
Morocco has requested ‘advanced status’ from the EU since 2005. They first signed an Association Agreement with the EU in 2000 and it was one of the first countries to sign a Neighbourhood Action Plan in July 2005 as part of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
Although the EU repeatedly states its commitment to upholding the principles of human rights in all areas of its external policy, earlier this year, Benita Fererro-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations announced that the agreement to grant Morocco advanced status could be finalized under the French presidency of the European Union.
Whilst the terms of this status are still being agreed, it would certainly serve to deepen the EU’s relationship with Morocco, in stark contradiction to the EU’s emphasis on human rights.
The agreement could also de facto lead to a strengthening of Morocco's foothold in Western Sahara through further Moroccan investments in Western Sahara.
“Before any advanced statues can be given to Morocco, a full human rights investigation must be undertaken by the EU. Furthermore, Morocco must clearly show their readiness to stop violating human rights against Saharawis, and show a will to end the illegal occupation of the neighbouring country”, García Lachica stated.
“There is no place in the EU for occupying powers”, stated García Lachica.
The View From Fez~ Morocco's dream of EU membership
Link~ http://riadzany.blogspot.com/2006/10/moroccos-dream-of-eu-membership.html
Morocco's metamorphosis in recent years owes much to its dream of one day joining the European Union. Former King Hassan II made this explicit 20 years ago, though at the time the ambition seemed almost laughable. This had less to do with the fact that Morocco lies in Africa, not Europe, and more to do with its record on human rights and lack of democracy. Today, no formal request for Moroccan membership sits in Brussels, but Prime Minister Driss Jettou is quoted in an interesting article in Newsweek as saying: "We want to be the southern rib of Europe."
For the European Union's part, says Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU commissioner for external relations, "We already have a very, very close relationship with Morocco, and we're studying giving them even more advanced status."
Signs of Morocco's European-style openness are everywhere. The current government is the most democratic in the country's history. Next year's elections are expected to produce a popularly elected prime minister for the first time—previously, leaders of government were appointed by the king—and Morocco's notoriously poor human-rights record is getting a makeover. Cases of torture and arbitrary arrest are down dramatically; there are fewer political prisoners. "We see Morocco as a mixed picture—which is a very favorable comment," says Joe Stork, a deputy director of Human Rights Watch. Earlier this year King Mohammed VI won praise after his groundbreaking Equity and Reconciliation Commission criticized the torture and brutality that were commonplace under his father's 44-year rule. "We are all committed to never, ever again," says Jettou, though it should be noted that the commission declined to name names.
Women's rights are now among the most progressive in the Arab world, with recent reforms to the Sharia-based family law giving women equality within marriage, the right to file for divorce and the ability to pass their citizenship onto their children. The press has unprecedented freedom, with magazines publishing once-censored accounts of the royal family's finances and internationally respected film festivals freely screening controversial work. Attesting to the practical reality of these sweeping changes, prominent Moroccan writer and political dissident Abdelmoumen Diouri returned home after 35 years in European exile last month.
Yesterday, in THE VIEW FROM FEZ, we examined the impacts of mass tourism. The Newsweek article quoted above also has something to say on this.
Not everyone welcomes the influx. Budget airlines such as Europe's RyanAir and Jet4You offer dozens of flights for as little as £60, and recently there's been talk of a Eurostar-like train linking southern Spain to Tangier via a tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar. But critics worry that Morocco will become a touristic North Africa Disneyland, with its own culture submerged in Marbella-style oases and loud British bachelor parties. "I'm worried that Marrakech will be flooded by package groups," says Dyer, who runs a guest house in the city's Kasbah.
Still, the biggest challenges Morocco faces are homegrown. Foremost among them is jobs, says the World Bank's Ahlers. Although unemployment has dropped significantly in recent years, it's still disproportionately high among Morocco's educated urban young. Thirty-five percent of university graduates are jobless—prompting many to seek work abroad. Poverty and social marginalization come next on Ahlers's list. Fifteen percent of the population, some 4.5 million people, lives below the poverty line. Successfully tackling these two problems, says Ahlers, is the only way to improve the quality of life in Morocco, curb illegal immigration and stem the appeal of Islamic extremism.
Even if those problems were indeed resolved, would Europe let Morocco into its club? It's more a pipe dream than a possibility, most experts agree. "Some people would simply find the idea too alien," says a senior Moroccan diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous because of his position. Nevertheless, a decade ago few could imagine Romania and Bulgaria being invited in—yet last week they were. The EU's official consideration of Turkey proves that Morocco's Islamic identity is not an unassailable hurdle either.
Prime Minister Jettou fantasizes about a future where Morocco is a de facto member of the EU, whether or not it wins bona fide membership. "In 10 years, we will be a full-fledged partner in the EU family," he predicts. "When Romano Prodi [the former president of the European Commission] proposed his European Neighborhood Policy in 2001, he meant that we should benefit from all the advantages of the EU—just without the institutions." Thanks to the free-trade agreements now being negotiated in Brussels and Rabat, Morocco will soon take a big step in that direction. According to EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner, Europe also aims to bring Morocco increasingly into the fold on major political discussions too, including immigration, social issues, foreign affairs and terrorism.
This "deepening relationship," as European diplomats put it, is proving to be something of a regional model by illustrating what other North African and Arab countries can hope to gain through EU cooperation. Many of the countries that signed up to the Euro-Med Partnership in Barcelona in 1995—like Algeria, Jordan and Syria—have slowed intended liberalizations and remained outside the new European "neighborhood." Part of the reason, says Erwan Lannon, a member of the Euro-Mediterranean Study Commission in Brussels, is because Europe expected them to reform economically and socially—but without the "golden carrot" of possible EU membership. Morocco's booming economy and improved living standards show that even without the "member" title, there are palpable benefits to linking up with Europe.
It is hoped it will be a two-way street. Moroccan influences are already being felt in European fashion, for instance, with clothing designers discovering kaftans and traditional tribal textiles. "Europeans are fascinated by our culture," says property developer Wafaa Snibla. "Their houses are more Moroccan than mine."