Morocco
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Water shortage in the Maghreb
Morocco's thirst revolution and the luxury of watermelons
When residents of Zagora in southern Morocco protested in 2017, demanding the right to safe drinking water, the authorities arrested twenty-three of them in what became known as the "thirst revolution". The residents of Zagora and its environs, however, continue to suffer from a water shortage. By Ilhalm Al-Talbi
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A filthy occupation: leather-tanning in Morocco
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A filthy occupation: leather-tanning in Morocco
Those looking to visit a leather factory In Morocco should visit the tanners' quarter in the town of Fez. For tourists the ancient craft may be fascinating, for the workers, however, it is extremely exhausting. By Stefanie Hoppner
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Album review: Bab L'Bluz's "Nayda"
Rocking the gateway to the desert
The Franco-Moroccan band Bab L'Bluz has named their debut CD "Nayda!" after the musical youth movement. Stefan Franzen introduces the unique music combo
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Discourse and our terms of reference
Politics and religion in Islam – one world or two?
A heated debate is raging in the Islamic world about whether the religious and political spheres in Islam are one and the same. Before this matter can be settled, the terms "religion" and "state" have to be clarified, says Syrian writer Morris Ayek. This, he says, is the only way to avoid misunderstandings
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Obituary: Tunisian author Albert Memmi
Adieu, Albert!
Albert Memmi, Tunisian author and pioneer of a sociology of de-colonisation, died on 22 May 2020 in Paris. He was nearly 100 years old. He was the last of a generation of Maghreb novelists writing in French. A personal obituary by Regina Keil-Sagawe
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Non-fiction: Ulrike Freitag's "A History of Jeddah"
The legacy of Jeddah's migration history lives on
Jeddah is very different from other cities on the Arabian Peninsula, says Ulrike Freitag, historian of the Modern Middle East. In her book "A History of Jeddah", she explores the turbulent history of this former Ottoman port city, which has been uniquely shaped by trade and pilgrimage. Jannis Hagmann spoke to her about the city and the book
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COVID-19 in the Maghreb
Coronavirus and Morocco's "peak national solidarity"
The fact that the people of Morocco have responded with such maturity and responsibility to the protective measures imposed by the government to contain the coronavirus pandemic is a historic moment for the country, says Moroccan political scientist Mohamed Taifouri
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COVID-19 pandemic
Coronavirus takes no account of Ramadan
According to the latest Reuters tally, more than 2.54 million people are now reported to have been infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 177,004 have died. As Muslims prepare for a very different Ramadan this year, here are the latest developments from across the region
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Politics, inequality and a lack of transparency
Coronavirus and the Middle East's ongoing state of emergency
Plagued by troubled state-citizen relationships on the one hand and conflict on the other, states in the Middle East could discover new uses for COVID-19 lockdown measures. By Abdalhadi Alijla
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Digitalisation and the coronavirus in Morocco
From care to control?
With a series of digital measures introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Morocco is creating a trade-off between ways to provide rapid support and the parallel development of digital control. By Anja Hoffmann and Bauke Baumann
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Coronavirus pandemic in the Islamic world
Doubling down on containment efforts
Around the Islamic world, lockdowns and curfews are being extended and religious ceremonies are being cancelled outright in the hope of slowing the spread of COVID-19. Here’s the latest from across the region