May God Have Mercy on AbdelKebir Khatibi: The Passing of a Great Moroccan Intellectual

I know that I am late with this news, but it still touched me and I wanted to acknowledge the passing of AbdelKebir Khatibi more than a week ago in Morocco.
I first read his book, Love in Two Languages, more than ten years ago while living in Rabat.

Here are a few links to the news about his life and death. This one is about the royal condolence Khatibi's family received from the king of Morocco.

The following is from the Maghreb Arab Presse, the official Moroccan news agency:


Abdelkebir Khatibi dies at 71

Rabat - Moroccan writer, sociologist, and university scholar, Abdelkebir Khatibi, died early Monday at the age of 71 from heart complications in a Rabat hospital.

Born in the Atlantic city of el-Jadida in 1938, Khatibi studied sociology in Sorbonne University, France.

He held a number of academic positions including professor in the University of Mohammed V, Rabat, director of the former “sociology institute of Rabat”, and director of the University Institute of Scientific Research.

Khatibi was also a novelist and poet, with special focus on Maghreban literature. He wrote a number of books, notably "La Mémoire tatouée",1971 (Tattooed Memory), "L'Art calligraphique arabe", 1976 (The Arab Calligraphic Art) and "Le Roman maghrébin", 1979 (Maghreban Novel).

Late Khatibi was awarded several international prizes, including the "Grand Printemps" by the l'Association française "hommes de letters", and the award of literature by the second Lazio Festival for Europe and the Mediterranean.

Morocco Therapy - the Cure for the Economy's Effect on Tourism

First, I must just say that this website is hilarious:

http://moroccotherapy.com/site.php#/en/home/

Second, if you want to read about how the site is part of a plan by the Moroccan government to recover slacking tourist dollars, read this article that appeared in the Times Online:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/destinations/morocco/article5928626.ece

March 18, 2009
Travel crisis 2009: Morocco launches late deals website
The North African country is the first to respond to the downturn in travel with deals and offers in a new campaign
This picture was taken on holiday in Morocco in September of this year
Steve Keenan

Morocco has become the first country to face up to the collapse in travel bookings and launch a website aimed at reviving its tourism economy.

The country's tourism bosses have collected deals and offers from 30 holiday companies and will launch its new website www.moroccotherapy.com later today.

It is a mix of discounts and offers, including free spa treatments, transfers and hotel nights. But headline offers include a week in Agadir for £419, or three nights in a five-star hotel in Marrakesh for £359.

The move comes after Morocco reported a decline of 15 per cent in British travellers in January over the same month last year.

While bad, the figure is less significant than Spain, which reported a drop of 20 per cent - or 148,000 - British travellers in the same month.

It is a story being repeated throughout the Mediterranean as Britons save their money or resist booking a summer holiday until much closer their departure date.

This week the CAA reported that the number of Britons taking flights fell last year for the first time since 1991 - a trend that sharply accelerated in the last three months of 2008.

This year is set to be even worse for overseas travel, prompting the move by Morocco - an initiative sure to be followed by other countries in the next few weeks.

The Moroccan Tourist Board is spending £2m on an advertising campaign in Britain as well as launching the website. "No-one can tell what the future is looking like - it is very hard to predict," said Aziz Mnii, deputy director of the UK office.

"This is a crisis campaign - we want to put Morocco upfront of people thinking of which destination to visit."

Morocco will be boosted by the launch next month of a new airline operating flights from Gatwick, Times Online can reveal. Air Arabia Morocco will start five flights a week to Casablanca, with plans to operate to Marrekesh later this year.

The country's state airline, Royal Air Maroc, will also create a new premium economy class on its flights from Gatwick to Marrakesh next month.

The need for new air services is imperative after the sale of GB Airways to easyJet last year, and a subsequent scaling back of flights.

The crisis is hightened further by the planned opening of a series of new top-end resorts in Morocco in 2009, the first of which open on the Med coast and south of Casablanca in June.

Ali El Kasmi, director of the UK tourist office, said Morocco hoped to pick up British tourists who might otherwise head for long-haul destinations such as the Caribbean or Indian Ocean.

"We will change the offers and deals every week," he told Times Online. "We will start with 15 tour operators but can put up to 300 deals on the website. We plan the site to run for six months but can also extend it if necessary."

The initiative won support from Doug Mathieson, who runs the Morocco programme for Cadogan Holidays, a long-time supporter of the country. "Morocco is leading the way - it would be good for others to respond in the same vein, particularly the Spanish islands."

Morocco and Iran, Politics and Sunni/Shia Tug of Faith

There seems to be a lot of chatter out there about the recent political developments between Morocco and Iran. The following is an article by Reuters Africa, it seems as if an underlying issue to the political war of words is the reality of Iranian backed Shi'ite proselytization in Morocco. I don't understand why this would bother the Moroccan government so much when it is virtually silent about Christian proselytization in the country which is certainly more intense.

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Morocco cuts ties with Iran over Bahrain

By Lamine Ghanmi

RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco has cut diplomatic links with Iran, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said Friday, after an outcry in the Sunni Muslim world over a statement by an Iranian official questioning Sunni-ruled Bahrain's sovereignty.

Rabat also criticized Iran for its efforts to spread its Shi'ite brand of Islam in Morocco, a move the ministry said it saw as threat to the North African country's moderate Sunni religious identity.

"The Kingdom of Morocco has decided to break its diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran beginning this Friday," the ministry said.

Sunni scholars in Morocco and elsewhere have denounced what they see as Iran's efforts to convert Sunni Muslims to Shi'ism, arguing the drive would create strife similar to the often bloody Shi'ite-Sunni divides in Iraq and Pakistan.

According to media reports, Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri, an adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said last month Shi'ite Iran had sovereignty over Bahrain.

In response Morocco's King Mohammed sent the Bahraini monarch, King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa, a message of support, calling the Iranian remarks "absurd" and a contradiction of international law.

Iran says its relations with Bahrain are based on mutual respect and denies having claims over the island, which has a sizeable Shi'ite population.

On February 25, Rabat recalled its envoy to Iran to protest what Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri said was "inappropriate language" directed against Morocco in a communique reported by the Iranian news agency IRNA.

Morocco had asked Tehran for an explanation as to why it had singled out Rabat in the statement but Iran ignored the request made one week ago, the ministry added in a statement.

The foreign ministry said this was "unacceptable" and accused Iranian representatives in Morocco of seeking to alter "the kingdom's religious fundamentals," it said in reference to Iran's alleged state-backed drive to expand Shi'ism in Morocco.

SUNNI MOROCCO FELT UNDER THREAT

Religion is a highly sensitive issue in Morocco because King Mohamed is the only Islamic leader who jointly holds the title of Amir al Mouminine (Commander of the Faithful) and head of the state.

The ministry said efforts by Iran to spread Shi'ite Islam threatened Morocco's Islamic unity and its identity built from the foundations of the moderate Sunni Malekite faith.

"This kind of organised and sustained actions constitute an intolerable interference in the kingdom's domestic affairs and are contrary to the rules and ethics of diplomatic action," the ministry said.

Morocco, which enjoyed warm ties with Iran under the Shah until he was deposed in 1979, only normalised its relations with Iran by exchanging envoys in the late 1990s.

The government has always been concerned over Iran's role in the Sunni world since its Shi'ite Islamic revolution toppled the monarchy in Tehran.

Religious figures have warned of what they call the menace against the country's spiritual security by Shi'ite conversion among Morocco's 30 million people.

Political sources in Morocco say Shi'ite activists numbered several hundreds but they were making steady progress because of the popularity of radical Islamic groups backed by Iran like Hizbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

(Editing by Dominic Evans)

Sufism as Youth Culture in Morocco

This is an interesting commentary on Sufism amongst Moroccan youth from The Washington Post/Newsweek On Faith Blog, I think that it may go a little to far in trying to make everything seem so "peaceful" and " progressive." As in Sufi = Good Muslim and non-Sufi = Better watch out. But it is a good read none the less.
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Mokhtar Ghambou

Sufism as Youth Culture in Morocco

Morocco owes its image of a modern Muslim nation to Sufism, a spiritual and tolerant Islamic tradition that goes back to the first generations of Muslims and has sustained the religious, social and cultural cohesion of Moroccan society for centuries. Sufism provides answers to some of the most complex issues in the contemporary Muslim world, where youth comprise the majority of the population.

Most Moroccans, young or old, practice one form of Sufism or another. As a deep component of the Moroccan identity, Sufism absorbs all members of society, regardless of age, gender, social status or political orientation.

Moroccan youth are increasingly drawn to Sufism because of its tolerance, its fluid interpretation of the Qur'an, its rejection of fanaticism and its embrace of modernity. Young men and women find in the Sufi principles of "beauty" and "humanity" a balanced lifestyle that allows them to enjoy arts, music and love without having to abandon their spiritual and religious obligations.

Sufi orders exist throughout Morocco. They organize regular gatherings to pray, chant and debate timely topics of social and political importance, ranging from the protection of the environment and social charity to the war on drugs and the threat of terrorism.

Moreover, Sufi gatherings inspire young people to engage in interfaith dialogue, highlighting the universal values Islam shares with Christianity and Judaism - such as the pursuit of happiness, love of one's family, tolerance of racial and religious differences, and the promotion of peace.

Combined, Sufi seminars, chants and trances provide millions of Moroccans with a social medium where the fusion of the sacred and the secular, the soul and the body, and the local and the universal is both possible and enjoyable.

I recently asked Ahmed Kostas, an expert on Sufism and director at the Moroccan Ministry of Religious Affairs in Rabat, why this old spiritual tradition is so popular among modern youth.

"Progress and change," he noted, "are basic tenets of Sufi philosophy."

Sufis distance themselves from fundamentalists, whose vision of Islam is a strict and Utopian emulation of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions, by placing great emphasis on the community's adaptation to the concerns and priorities of modern times. Sufis neither condemn unveiled women nor censure modern means of entertainment. For them, the difference between virtue and vice is determined on the basis of intent, not appearances.

Sufism is so diffuse in Moroccan culture that its role cannot be properly understood if reduced to a sect or shrine; it pervades even those musical trends labeled as "modern" or "Western." Rai, as well as Moroccan versions of hip hop and rap, may seem too earthly or too sensual to be associated with Sufism, yet they draw on Sufi poetry to sing the primordial essence of the human body, the virtues of simplicity, and the healing gifts of Sufi saints, such as Sidi Abderrahman Majdub, Sidi Ahmed Tijani, and Sidi Boumediene-spiritual masters revered by their peers and disciples for having attained spiritual union with God during their earthly lives.

The impact of Sufism on youth culture is more explicit in the lyrics of the urban band Nass Al Ghiwan and the Saharan Gnawa musicians. These two groups have profoundly shaped Moroccan popular music since the 1970s. Ghiwan songs, informed by the hippie style of bands like the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd, inspire many listeners to a physical response called shatha, a Sufi word that Moroccans use for modern dance.

Gnawa musicians, the descendants of African slaves brought to Morocco between the 12th and 17th centuries, produce a similar effect. Their music is a mix of religious lyrics deeply rooted in the oral tradition of sub-Saharan Africa and melancholic melodies reminiscent of American jazz and blues. The Gnawa performance centers on a spinning body and a high-pitched voice, rhyming poetic verses with Sufi chants in Arabic such as "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his Messenger." These same words are terrifying when they come from the mouth of the terrorist, but lift the soul when they are sung by pious Muslims, Gnawa and other Sufi-inspired musicians.

Even Fnaire, the most recent hip hop band from Marrakech, identifies itself as a blend of Moroccan Sufi tradition and American rap.

In addition to Moroccans, thousands of young men and women from Europe, America and Africa flock to sacred music festivals organized every summer by Sufi movements throughout Morocco, to sing and celebrate their enthusiasm for life and their commitment to the universal values of peace. The scene at these festivals completely refutes the kind of image that extremists seek to convey to Muslim youth.

It is this fusion of Sufism and modernity that produces a unique aesthetic experience, which is attractive to Moroccan youth who reject extremism and uphold values of a shared humanity.

Mokhtar Ghambou is professor of Postcolonial Studies at Yale University. He is also the founder and president of the American Moroccan Institute (AMI). This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Posted by Mokhtar Ghambou on March 3, 2009 12:05 PM

Overeducated and Underemployed in Morocco

Anyone familiar with Morocco , has heard stories such as those in this BBC article entitled, "Moroccan Graduates Face Bleak Prospects" about the epidemic problem of highly educated but unemployed people whose lives seem to have been put on hold.

Moroccan graduates face bleak prospects

By James Copnall BBC News, Rabat Morocco has an unusual problem - the more educated you are, the harder it seems to be to get a job. The overall unemployment rate is officially less than 10% - but the rate for graduates soars above this, and has sometimes been double. Every day frustrated and highly educated young people gather outside parliament in the capital Rabat to shout out their frustration. "I'm 35, I have a PhD in physics, and I can't get a job," complains Ali. "I'm very old, I'm not married, I don't have my own house, I don't have anything. "I'm thinking of leaving this country, because here I am nothing." Entrepreneurs Sometimes the protestors are chased away by riot police wielding truncheons. The government is worried about the problem, and has set up a number of schemes to help graduates to find work. Life in Morocco is very hard. There is no light here, no light Ali, physics graduate One of them, known as moukawalati, aims to give government-backed loans to budding young entrepreneurs. There are success stories. Merieme, a 25-year-old woman, is the owner of a printing business. Several gleaming new machines hum in the background as she explains how the scheme helped her to develop her business plan and convinced the bank to lend her money. But Merieme's experience is far from universal. Initially the target was to help 30,000 business people, and create 90,000 jobs. Yet so far only 1,400 loans have been given out, and the government has had to scale back its targets. Mistakes The head of the state body that runs the scheme, Kamal Hafid, admitted to the BBC mistakes had been made. But he said one of the main problems - with consequences stretching far beyond moukawalati - is that Morocco's school system is out of sync with today's job market. Kamal Hafid says Morocco's schools are out of sync with the job market "The educational system must get better - that's obvious to everyone today," he said. "But it will take time, there is a lot of work to be done. "And we need to develop entrepreneurial spirit here in Morocco too." Many of the unemployed graduates marching up and down outside parliament have turned down work in the private sector. They want the security of a state job. But as Mr Hafid points out, the state can only hope to create 15,000 new jobs a year, while in good times the private sector can produce up to 300,000. Illegal migration Nevertheless, the private sector often feels Moroccan graduates are poorly suited to the modern economy. There are fears too about how the international financial crisis may affect Morocco. There is a serious concern that young people here are an easy prey for extremists Professor Lahcen Haddad All this is having serious effects. "There is a concern about illegal migration among young people, and about drugs," says university professor Lahcen Haddad. "There is also a very serious concern about a lot of people being easy prey for extremists." In 2003 11 young men blew themselves up in the economic capital Casablanca, killing themselves and 34 others. Moroccans were also among those who carried out the Madrid bombings, and hundreds have fought in Iraq. Typically these people have less formal education than the graduates demonstrating outside parliament. Double-edged sword Roughly half of Moroccans are illiterate - a shocking state of affairs in a country that is one of the most developed in Africa. Morocco has a demographic problem too. It is estimated that more than a quarter of a million young people will come onto the job market every year - and there is little chance all of them will find work. "It is a double-edged sword," according to Mr Haddad. Ali, 35, has a PhD in physics yet can't get a job "Either Morocco can tap into that, use it as an opportunity and then the Moroccan economy will take off, because you are using that human capital to be more productive. "Or it can be socially very costly, because here you have all these people of working age, but many of them are unemployed, with all the social consequences this brings." The government is certainly aware of the potential risks, and says it is doing all it can. But the unemployed graduates protesting outside parliament see this as just one more empty promise. "I'm a pessimist now," says Ali. "Life in Morocco is very hard. There is no light here, no light."

Moroccan Toads , Moroccan Tide - Environmentalists working in Morocco

I've come across these two rather interesting sites both dealing with an environmental matter in Morocco. One is concerned with studying an endangered toad and the other about the use of the clothing detergent Tide in Morocco and how this must be affecting the groundwater.

Below is a short portion of the Tide article, click on the link above for the full version :
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On the 30^th May 2008, almost 10 months ago, colleague and good friend of mine decided to write to Alan G. Lafley, Chairman of Procter & Gamble .

My friend had just returned from Morocco where he had been shocked by the overwhelming presence of Tide washing products in most of the rural areas he had visited. He shared one observation that is rather common place in the Maghreb: many inhabitants wash clothing directly in the streams of the back country.

With Tide washing powder available everywhere in nearby markets, the obvious question that sprung to his mind was whether the products had been adapted to the local environment. In fact, Moroccans use the word "Tide" in a generic manner to describe a "detergent". This is telling of the product's importance the country.

Morocco suffers from water scarcity and overall poor water quality. The Government has a very informative website that depicts a comprehensive portrait of the country's water resources (in French and Arabic) .

Yet, many Moroccans are using one of Procter & Gamble's leading brands: "Tide". They do so directly in the streams. An estimated 90 percent of wastewater in developing countries similar to Morocco is still discharged directly into rivers and streams without any waste treatment processing[1].

Many streams in Morocco show very little quantities of dissolved oxygen, especially when of industrial or agricultural origin. Authorities also report that water quality in many lakes, basins, and reservoirs show increasing signs of eutrophication . It is proven that this situation usually originates from inputs of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from human activities such as farming, washing, and industrial processes.

Upcoming Fez Festival of Sufi Culture

From the French language Moroccan newspaper, Le Matin, an article about the upcoming 3rd annual Fez Festival on Sufi Culture

Below is a short summary in English provided by the folks at Sufi News and Sufism World Report .
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3rd Fez Festival of Sufi Culture, on April 18th-April 25th 2009

"Sufism is a culture extremely present and rich in Morocco. Due to its diversity generating great emotion, it has always accompanied us in our traditions and customs, enabling a true perception of Islam", said Faouzi Skali, President of the Festival.

The theme of this third edition allows us to ask questions about the role of Sufism in the contemporary world, including:

"How to link spirituality with business, environmental, social action?"

"How spirituality and Sufism can become actors of human development?"

The festival will try to answer these questions by highlighting the artistic richness that Sufism inspires in painting, calligraphy, singing, music, films, books, exhibitions ...

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Tijani Zawiya in Fes and its Many West African Visitors

Here is an article from the BBC about the Zawiya of Shaykh Tijani in Fes. It is one of the many oases of peace one can take a meditative rest while in the bustling Fes medina.

Moroccan shrine unites Africans

By James Copnall BBC News, Fez

Muslims from across West Africa worship at the tomb of Sheikh Tijani

The 12-centuries-old city of Fez is known as Morocco's spiritual capital, but it also has huge relevance for millions of West Africans.

They come in droves - from Senegal, Mali, Niger and Nigeria - to worship at the tomb of a North African holy man, Sheikh Ahmed Tijani.

Senegalese men in flowing twilight blue Boubous mingle with Moroccans in hooded Djellabas at the impressive gate of the Zaouia, or religious centre for the Tijani brotherhood, in the narrow and winding streets of Fez's old town.

Sheikh Tijani, who was born in Ain Madhi in what is now Algeria, is reputed to have learnt the Koran by heart by the age of seven, and given his first fatwa (religious instruction) at 15.

He founded the Sufi brotherhood at the end of the 18th Century - using the Gregorian calendar - or towards the start of the 13th Islamic century.

Muslims flocked to hear the teachings of the holy man, who had spent long periods meditating in the Sahara Desert.

The Moroccan sultan of the time, Moulay Slimane, supported Sheikh Tijani, aiding his rise.

All sorts

Tijani disciples from neighbouring countries spread the word and now there are millions of his followers in West Africa.

Zoubir Tijani says the shrine attracts more than 12 nationalities

"I have visited many African countries, and there are villages and towns where you don't expect to find even a sign of civilisation, but you find a Koranic school and other buildings put up by the Tijanis," says Zoubir Tijani, a descendent of Sheikh Tijani, who looks after his mausoleum.

"Secondly, our brotherhood sticks very closely to the Koran.

"Sheikh Tijani said if you hear me say something which contradicts what the prophet says, you must ignore it.

"This message appeals to people, so if you go into the Zaouia now you will find more than 12 nationalities.

"In this brotherhood you find all sorts - ordinary people and ministers."

The former Senegalese Prime Minister, Moustapha Niasse, comes from a famous Tijani family, and Hissen Habre, the former dictator of Chad, is a Tijani.

Zoubir Tijani brushed away suggestions that Mr Habre, who is accused of numerous human rights abuses, had clearly found it difficult to follow the Tijani message of peace.

Senegalese community

Tijanis, both well known and anonymous, come to Fez to pray at Sheikh Tijani's tomb, often on their way to Mecca, explains Abdellatif Begdouri Achkari, a Tijani, and a senior member of Morocco's Islamic affairs ministry.

Abdellatif Begdouri Achkari says the links are spiritual, not political

"Islam came to West Africa from Morocco, so it's normal there is such a strong spiritual relationship," he said.

"Sheikh Ahmed Tijani is a great figure in Morocco, and the links we have with people from other countries are not political, they are spiritual."

Round the corner from the Zaouia, Sheikh Tijani's last resting place, a small community of Senegalese people live.

Samba Thiam moved here nine years ago, thanks to his faith.

He rents a room in a traditional two-storey Fez house, and helps other Tijanis who come to pray at the grave of the Sheikh.

"I came here because of the Zaouia of Sheikh Tijani," he says in halting French mixed with words of Wolof and exuberant English.

"I live here near the Zaouia to welcome and help the disciples. They come from all countries in the world, and there are lots of them - sometimes we have as many as 30 in a week."

'Big advantage'

Later he and other Senegalese, two of whom have come from France, sit down for lunch in the Senegalese style, using their hands to eat from a common dish.

Moroccans respect us because we are disciples of Sheikh Tijani Habib Diallo, Senegalese student

Many of these pilgrims contribute to the upkeep of the Zaouia.

"Disciples of the Tijani brotherhood provide everything that is necessary here - they pay for water and electricity, carpets, everything that is needed," explains Zoubir Tijani.

"They aren't obliged to, but they do it to make everyone feel at ease."

Habib Diallo, a Senegalese student in Fez, is a regular visitor to the Zaouia.

He and other Senegalese meet on Thursday evenings to chant Allah's name, to prepare themselves for the Friday prayer.

He says the fact so many Senegalese are Tijanis has contributed to the close relationship his country has with Morocco.

"The Moroccans respect us because we are disciples of Sheikh Ahmed Tijani," he says. "It's a very big advantage.

"Everyone knows there is a very nice relationship between Senegal and Morocco, and Sheikh Ahmed Tijani is at the centre of that."

Thieves Target 14th Century World Heritage Site Madrasa in Fez

It is alarming how casual this theft was taken, but I suppose that people feel as if there are more pressing problems than the preservation of medieval buildings. Here is the link, http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article.asp?id=16941

The Art Newspaper: Thieves target 14th-century Islamic building

February 13, 2009 – 8:26 am

Experts express concern at the lack of action by Moroccan authorities

By Lucian Harris | From Conservation | Posted: 11.2.09

LONDON. Last August, thieves broke into the 14th-century Sbaiyin madrassa in the Moroccan city of Fez, stealing a decorated marble fountain plaque and carved wooden beams. The removal of the beams, which were sawn off, caused the collapse of the building’s upper gallery. The Sbaiyin madrassa and the adjoining Sahrij madrassa had already been listed by the World Monuments Fund (WMF) as one of the world’s 100 most endangered buildings. A few days later, in broad daylight, the thieves returned in a brazen attempt to steal the slender marble columns that they had already removed and cut into portable sections when they were disturbed by neighbours and fled.

Although the theft was reported to the police and the ministry of culture, three months passed before the ministry of Islamic affairs—the owner of the complex—or Bonnie Kaplan, an American scholar and structural engineer who has spent eight years trying to launch a restoration project, were informed of the robbery.

“It was only in October when I returned from the United States to check on the condition of the complex and learned of the theft, that it has been possible to determine what was taken,” says Ms Kaplan, who has subsequently appealed in the press for help in locating the stolen fragments. “I can’t understand why Interpol can’t get involved”, she says. “Rabat is a well known transit point for looted antiquities, but so far we have no leads.”

The Sbaiyin and Sahrij madrassas, built in 1321 and 1323, are among the finest of the Muslim seminaries founded by the Merinids, a Berber dynasty who ruled much of the Maghreb (North Africa and Southern Spain) from the 13th century to the 15th century. In 1271 they made Fez their capital and built a new administrative centre.

The distinctive Hispano-Moorish style of Islamic architecture that evolved under Merinid patronage reached its apogee in the madrassas of Fez and the Sbaiyin, and Sahrij madrassas are among six built between 1321 and 1357, securing the city’s status as an important centre of Islamic learning. The Merinid city, known today as Fez el-Jdid, is distinct from the earlier medina, known as Fez el-Bali, which was made a Unesco world heritage site in 1981.

Ms Kaplan is clearly frustrated at the bureaucratic hurdles and apathy with which she has had to contend in her efforts to get the project off the ground. After eight years, the emergency structural intervention has not yet been carried out and she is still waiting to get the project fully validated by the Moroccan authorities.

“When I arrived in Fez in 2000 I discovered the madrassa in a poor state of repair, with the last restoration work having been carried out around 1915 when they were listed as important monuments by the French protectorate,” says Ms Kaplan. “My first agenda was to raise international awareness and luckily I managed to get the complex listed on the 2004 WMF list.”

“We received $75,000 from American Express as well as a grant from the Getty Foundation. In total we raised $150,000 for emergency structural intervention and a feasibility study to show the Moroccan government how we would restore and manage the building in the future,” said Ms Kaplan. “However the ten month study ended up taking 27 months and was only finished last year.”

“The Getty Foundation and WMF money can only be managed by a non-profit organisation, which in this case was Icomos Morocco [an international organisation dedicated to the conservation of historic monuments and sites],” says Ms Kaplan. She soon discovered that the stipulations did little to create a dynamic basis for overcoming the already labyrinthine bureaucracy in Morocco. “The recipient is supposed to show commitment to the project by not accepting any funding from the donor so there is no financial incentive to facilitate the project,” she said.

Another point of contention has been whether the Sahrij madrassa should continue to be used by students. “I have been told that I should get them out of there, but the unoccupied Sbaiyin madrassa has fallen into far greater disrepair so I believe that the best solution is to educate the students to look after the building,” says Ms Kaplan.

In recent years there have been a number of initiatives to restore Fez’s historical buildings, with some structures sponsored by the Moroccan government, which, for a time, encouraged a large influx of foreigners to buy old properties in the medina. Ms Kaplan says, however, that the conservation of historic buildings remains a low priority. “Morocco still has hardly any cultural education,” she says. “The architecture school in Rabat only has one module on Moroccan architecture.”