Morocco
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The Maghrebʹs Moorish-Spanish legacy
Andalusia begins in northern Morocco
Any journey to southern Spain, to Al-Andalus, is akin to the start of a dream that finds its beguiling continuation beyond the Pillars of Hercules, in the Andalusian cities of northern Morocco – Tangiers, Chefchaouen, Tetouan, Fes, Meknes, Larache and Asilah. The relationship between Morocco and Spain is closer than we think. By Mourad Kusserow
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Migration from Africa
Upholding migrant human rights
How do authoritarian regimes respond to EU initiatives to stem migration? A recent publication by the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP – Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) demands that Europe adopt clear principles on funding and enforce red lines with regard to human rights. By Monika Hellstern
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Arab dictatorships in crisis
The Middle East's militia mentality
A militia mentality has gripped many Arab states. Today it seems that the regionʹs authoritarian regimes are resorting to methods more commonly associated with gangs and armed clans, says Kuwaiti analyst Shafeeq Ghabra.
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Moroccoʹs sentencing of Nasser Zefzafi
When civil liberties contract
The sentencing of a prominent opposition activist to jail long-term has shaken critics of Moroccoʹs government. Activists and analysts alike warn of ill omens for the countryʹs political trajectory. By Tom Stevenson
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Morocco's power struggle
Loyalty over competence
Well in advance of the next elections, the Moroccan authorities are attempting to ensure that parties loyal to the monarchy emerge victorious. Yet unforeseen developments, such as the successful boycott campaign by consumers, are playing into the oppositionʹs hands. By Ali Anouzla
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Moroccoʹs football star Mehdi Benatia
No defence against an own goal
Morocco made it to the final round of the World Cup for the first time in 20 years. A key figure in this success was centre back Mehdi Benatia, who ensured the squad qualified without conceding a single goal. No one could have reckoned with the crunch that was to follow. By Bachir Amroune
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Spotlight on Sahih al-Bukhari
Rocking the foundations of Islam
A Moroccan court has recently banned a book named "Sahih Al-Bukhari...The end of a legend" by Rachid Aylal, which openly criticises the famous hadith collection. Some Moroccans are outraged by the censorship, others by the content. By Safaa Shibli
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Moroccoʹs ʹaitaʹ folk music and "Cabaret al-Shaikat"
Cross-dressers lead a musical revival
On a makeshift stage in Casablanca eight men perform wearing women's outfits, a band resurrecting the nearly forgotten historical Bedouin genre of ʹaitaʹ music. By Mariam Qamar
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Interview with the sociologist Farhad Khosrokhavar
Radicalisation in the suburbs
The French-Iranian sociologist Farhad Khosrokhavar examines why people become radicalised and what factors drive them to jihad. In conversation with Claudia Mende, he explains why deprived suburban areas are hot spots for radicalisation and how Europe needs to react to the threat of terror
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NGO ship rescues Europe-bound migrants in Mediterranean
The search-and-rescue ship Aquarius saved nearly 300 people in the Mediterranean Sea over Easter 2018. During one operation, European maritime authorities prevented the NGO workers from rescuing 80-90 men. By Filip Warwick
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Islamic inheritance law in Morocco and Tunisia
Feminist Asma Lamrabet under pressure
Conservatives in Morocco have forced the Islamic feminist Asma Lamrabet to relinquish her post at the Centre d'Etudes Feminines en Islam in Rabat. A debate on discrimination against women in Islamic inheritance law sparked the conflict, fuelled in part by a draft amendment in Tunisia that would institute an egalitarian law of inheritance there. By Claudia Mende
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EU and the Maghreb
Fair trade for a level playing field
To mitigate the root causes of flight and migration, Germanyʹs federal government is contemplating fair-trade agreements with refugee countries of origin. The North African experience shows this will require a re-think of EU policy. By Nassir Djafari