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9/1/2007 - You Can’t Go Home Again: Morocco Edition by Kay Dilday

KAD FRANCE Kay Dilday Institute Fellow studying relationships French North African immigrants France North Africa You Can Go Home Again Morocco Edition By K A Dilday September PARIS Abdellah Taia performing typical Moroccan ritual hospitality July making I asked planning travel Mo rocco August Oh I Morocco replied I famous In May Tel Quel Morocco excellent French language weeklies other Le Journal Hebdonaire cover story about Abdellah His vision sadness peered under cover reading Homosexual Backwards Against All The gnant first Moroccan courage publicly acknowledge difference It poignant I heard drips drabs Abdel since began little I Abdellah February Three months later I Morocco short article about Abdellah section Tel Quel His novel L Armee Sa The Salvation Army released Morocco France The article compared recent trayals coming Morocco young novelists verydifferent backgrounds wealthy family other Abdel comes The excerpt magazine chose Abdellah sexual provocative Most people reading would probably guess writer Abdellah confirmed interview accompanied There print Morocco Abdellah Taia confirming homosexuality It buried culture section magazine there Abdellah began It annus horriblus annus intense Abdellah became infamous Morocco became famous Europe In May I returned Paris Abdellah I through Pere Lachaise famous cemetery arrondissement Paris We stopped while Marcel Proust grave Abdellah favorite places wandered Muslim section cemetery where Abdellah pointed grave favorite Arab helped Arabic letters I recently learned ornate calligraphy tombstones It suddenly spilled diffi Al Jarida Al Oukhra Arabic language interview Abdellah under Abdellah Taia novelist The members family could their community Those heard about caused shock waves But I article about early May Tel Quel I confused That different It different Arabic I written these months about Moroc worlds bilingual Arabic French other strictly Arabophone often illiterate still surprised possible something published national magazine country completely ignorant Printed French secret language elite private invis After article appeared Abdellah mother called things people writing saying His mother matriarch family close Abdellah youngest children early He They cried Abdellah experience probably different people world consider sophisticated cosmopolitan West Few gions smile homosexuality Most parents learn their child acceptance warmth But people visible countries United States France Spain There openly public elected national government there rights movements By contrast Tel Quel identified Abdellah first Moroccan publicly knowledge homosexuality though sexuality prominent Moroccans known remains publicly unspoken There clubs Morocco public there Ab dellah community Traveling through Morocco I people clutching The Sheltering Sky American writer Paul Bowles famous novel Bowles lived Tangier international during Moroc colonial period While France administered country Spain England France shared administration Tangier The thousands foreign residents reputation liberal attitudes licentiousness Now Tangier fully Mo rocco number resident foreigners decreased tenfold attitudes reign Moroccan One evening Tangier Inn legendary hangout beats William Burroughs wrote Naked Lunch Inn rooms acquaintance scene witnessed before Le Minzah Tangier expensive hotel A giant stairs accompanied woman angrily hotel employee accompa another followed their luggage When couple concierge revealed hotel asked leave The Spanish companion Moroccan Because unmar permitted share although foreign would allowed Paul Bowles Jane lived Morocco years Both bisexual several homosexual relationships Moroccan lovers Yet their companions insisted relationships sexual Even though obvious Moroccans erred accept Paul Bowles still legendary figure Morocco constantly refer enced Moroccans When Abdellah starting attracting notice Islamist Party PJD which gained parlia mentary majority month elections complained their official newspaper media Abdellah coverage One their leaders journalist contemplated asking Parliament press country decided enough books worthwhile Abdellah loved The Sheltering Sky KAD Mohamed Choukri Moroccan storyteller Paul Bowles discovered writer Bowles recorded stories encouraged write idols Even Abdellah become notorious sexuality Morocco Abdellah become famous literary Europe publisher Holland published Choukri Abdellah novels which autobiographical translated Spanish Dutch invited present Madrid Barcelona Am sterdam In Paris received attention Short after Abdellah family stopped speaking appeared popular radio Frederic Mit terand eminence grise France cultural scene nephew former French president Abdellah presenting L Armee Salut Impressed Abdel Mr Mitterand invited collaborate about Morocco Maroc Un Certain Regard Together chose photographs archives French Government Each wrote paragraph caption photo Abdellah turned pages Look excitedly could grandparents My grandfather worked these mines countryside I Moroccans greatest comedians world Abdellah using French actor Graham Greene classi novel never photos before Meanwhile since article revealed sexuality Morocco spoken anyone family mother calls periodically praying return right Mr Mitterand powerful known figure French cultural scene The French Cultural Insti tutes Morocco feted Abdellah published The authors traveled Morocco promote Casablanca Book Festival Tangier Book Fair Abdellah stayed hotels friends visit neighborhood section Sale across river Rabat Moroc capital He spent Morocco wealthy elite world never wanted Make spend people warns before I Morocco Morocco wealthy Euro focused world least surface welcoming He never family these trips trangement haunts Read Liberation Saturday Abdellah spring He daily newspaper regular feature which known person writes summary their Abdellah diary called Return Melancholy He wrote returned Paris INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Spain panic attack reentering It almost since became Ab dellah Maudit since Arabic language ticle Abdellah Taia writer published Even before article Abdellah believes family aware homosexuality chose speak dutiful brother Muslim Moroccan should sexuality shadows On anniversary publication mother called Have saying these hings I wanted address Moroccan society crying And Moroccan society asked We people world Abdellah always Moroccans When I mentioned political analysts ulate Morocco might brink Algerian style revolt dismissed Mo roccans never revolt They timid They fearful being different fearful individualism And moved France because fully would loving mother favorite sister sanction family Moroccans greatest comedians world Abdellah using French actor Graham Greene classic I asked Moroccan particularly close friendships Every I Morocco I marvel amount spend other company without presence women With employment coffee cheap every Moroccan seems where takes coffee smokes cigarettes watches world company other regulars Men Morocco often something would never public woman They intimacies I No They about other people other people lives They gossips where women house Moroccan Abdellah always months grown thinner intense This summer feted Amsterdam which exciting He spent weeks Frederic Mitterand house Tunisia French glitterati famous actors writers He invited fancy dinner parties But cancels plans often these I spends alone apartment writing watching movies sleeping cutting hotos people admires paper Abdellah taken story Lord Browne BP company signed admissions perjury surrounding circumstances Lord Browne relationship lover When I Abdellah fellowship would December I would leave France react wrote email later I urban family alliance makes other strays transplants moved place seeking adventure onymity freedom That family Since Al Jarida Al Oukhra article Abdellah spoken relatives mother When Tel Quel cover story released became notorious zamel Arabic people Morocco But recently received message sisters She illiterate knows asked daughter How Abdellah Are still skinny gained little weight Greetings I Abdellah I I finished Abdellah loves Morocco I happy country after first I visited Morocco He though again Institute Fellows chosen basis character previ experience promise They young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows quired report their findings experiences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic assessment international events issues ICWALetters ISSN published Institute Cur World Affairs Inc exempt operatin foundation corporated New York State offices located Street NW Suite Washington DC The letters provided charge members ICWAand available libraries professional researchers scription Phone Fax E Web Executive Director Steven Butler Bookkeeper Program Assistant Jim Guy Publications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foun dation The Information contained publication reprinted republished without express written consent Institute Current World Affairs