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9/1/2006 - To Be or Not to Be African by Kay Dilday

ICWA KAD FRANCE Kay Dilday Institute Fellow studying relationships French North African immigrants France North Africa letters Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided termfellowships enable outstandingyoung professionals outsidethe United States write about international areas issues An operating foundation endowedby Charles R Crane theInstitute supported contri butions minded individuals foundations TRUSTEES Bryn Barnard Joseph Battat Carole Beaulieu Mary Lynne Bird Steven Butler Sharon F Doorasamy Peter Geithner Gary Hartshorn Pramila Jayapal Cheng Li Dasa Obereigner David Z Robinson Carol Rose John Spencer Edmund Sutton HONORARY TRUSTEES David Elliot David Hapgood Pat M Holt Edwin S Munger Richard H Nolte Albert Ravenholt Phillips Talbot To Be Not Be African By K A Dilday September PARIS Afrique Afrique standing doorway medina Tang called It first I called Morocco I decided through Like We Africans I French No gesturing hands lower meaning lower geographically Africa countries where people generally darker Moroccans similar We telling albeit naturedly lasciviously I around enough figure which His No centuries history current exemplifies importance Moroccans place setting themselves apart continent inhabitants The number people their Morocco places Gambia Nigeria Mali numerous other countries south Sahara impossible count enter country illegally shadows cities forests outskirts Usually settle Morocco permanently It final African journey Europe These Saharan immigrants Morocco dreaming emigrating On precipice Kasbah Tangier where Moroccan gazing across Strait Gibraltar water separates Morocco Spain there Africa Europe On clear silhouette Spanish Tarifa easily visible horizon Although apparent Saharan Africans gazing Europe Tangier A after sitting Kasbah Moroccans I stood picturesque looking silhouette Kara Gambian hoped steal night enter Spain We stood dilapidated stone staircase quiet center pointed Spain trying reach years He times Kara caught Spanish authorities carefully search arriving Morocco I Tangier August month Mo roccans living abroad return holiday Tangier northern major Morocco It common point arrival traveling Europe recently become popular destination vacationing Moroccans southern regions country At night street ville nouvelle packed I could barely Yet North becoming Morocco During colonial times Tangier something unique international shared Spain France England later Italy With large international population early 1950s compared today reputation place where spies exiles regrouped sexual libertines indulged Since Morocco dependence Tangier status banking tourist destination steady decline Just Tangier world people Rif mountains historically similarly estranged country Fiercely independent successfully staged revolt against Spanish Rif sovereign years 1920s before being subdued joint force French Spanish troops Once colonialism ended resentful distant federal control resisted greater Morocco It still considered lawless unmanageable notorious cultivation smuggling King Hassan II rarely visited north country claiming asthmatic Since assuming throne after Hassan II death King Mohamed VI efforts bring North Morocco One largest construction projects Morocco Tangier Mediterranean billi project largest Mediterranean It centerpiece economic development project region I probably looking evidence project afternoon I Kasbah Moroccan gazing across Strait Far below ocean lapped concrete blocks resting shallow water As rolled large trash emptied rocks where beneath dreamers cliff littered months perhaps years refuse ments witnessed Is posed where garbage I asked I chatting He shook disgust embarrassed I think foreigner No things function Mo rocco In scene Kasbah encapsulates paradox Morocco Shortly after became Mo hamed VI announced wanted probably sponse critics during years Hassan II reign began attacking royal family amassing billion dollar fortune while Morocco citizens languished poverty Mohamed VI instrumental developing grand struction projects underway parts country often foreign investment attracting tourists appearance booming dustry sharp contrast scarcity dysfunction basic essential services waste dispos Although government reported employment rates jumped slightly recent quarter Moroccans their economic hopes dream reaching Europe which seems logistically Recent reports focusing sometimes fatal journeys southern Africans Spain Italy about people Moroccan police prevent illegally KAD Dreaming Europe grating Euro Moroccans This factor missing context Euro African negotia tions patrol routes Morocco Spain Moroccans eager desperate leave their country Saharans proximity Eu tantalizing In addition holding little Europe Af legacy colonialism Spanish enclaves Melilla Ceuta still continent sandwiched between Moroccan cities Tangier Africa closest mainland Europe The points north country where Africans immigrate Europe gather For Moroc these desperate journeys relatively until early 1990s could travel easily Europe Mo roccans needed passport enter Spain Ita But Schengen agreement treaty among Western European nations allowing people travel freely across their borders without showing ports about effect parties demanded access individual country difficult Thus Morocco special status lumped majority African nations whose nationals apply visas Europe In addition being costly years progress visas become increasingly harder A friend renowned pianist veteran concert halls across Europe Middle East recently turned France another known INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Moroccan writer denied France medical treatment although times before At August European Union granted million Morocco control flood Af rican immigrants trying reach Europe Morocco caught middle competing interests continents designated policeman Europe While African governments advertise remittances working abroad often their country economies In Morocco example remittances through formal channels alone percent gross national product times amount development country according report Migration Policy Insti Most African countries profit their nationals abroad Morocco sition Europe border guard Africa unsavory scent colonial times European governments would choose local leader elite social group enforce their policies dividing local population creating hierarchy which In Fortress Europe continent often called these Africans widely perceived group people their devices after colonial proven unable govern themselves after protesting during colonialism clamoring abandon their countries resubmit European ernance Despite statistics prove Moroccans their country Europe though eager separate themselves gross negative assessment Africans Sa haran Africa something different And century Moroccans invited Europe In early century Moroccan workers France labor shortages In their European destinations became during 1960s Morocco signed labor recruitment agreements shortages West Germany Belgium Netherlands From population people Moroccan descent Western Europe creased about nearly quarter million This immediate history reason Moroc themselves apart Saharan Africans They quite definitive about their difference prickly defensive about advanced development Arab culture This latter timent particular seems strong class country among Moroccans between Morocco France European where North Africans present enough developed bourgeoisie settled class feels French Moroccan Although spends Paris other parts Europe writer Tahar Ben Jelloun Morocco famous living novelist Just before I Tangier short story published Le Monde Diplomatique inter national monthly French daily newspaper Le Monde In France visible expulsion immigrants approval tough immigration KAD Mr Ben Jelloun written fable called The Last Immigrant It describes scenario Maghreb immigrant leaves France begin appear Fren language migrant seems taken Arabic derived words French language It reminder France world relationship between Arabic world Europe symbiotic least culturally During conversation Mr Ben Jelloun pansive subject discrimination France French policies created generation Arab French girls radical Islam because identity Yet I asked about situation Morocco about differences between France Morocco forthcoming I already times I getting false glimpse Tangier dirtier sinister other times women I sleeveless shirts jeans occasionally having cafes expatriates returned vacation I asked Mr Ben Jelloun about situation women changes legal social status prominent topic Morocco since reform Moudawana civil encompassed family dictating women status Women gains rights beginning approach equality before But I anecdotally rather liberalization attitudes since reform women begun veils fewer cafes Mr Ben Jelloun brushed question saying Look around people wearing sorts things Yet Caf Paris gather people watching ville nouvelle I other woman When waiter spoke first Arabic quickly switched French When Mr Ben Jelloun answered Arabic admitted thought Mr Ben Jelloun Moroccan Something about perhaps carriage sitting black woman I never anyone doing foreign Moroccan waiter I similar experience Paris talking Leila Marrakchi director Marock scribed KAD The cross religious Mus Jewish story among young wealthy dissolute Casablancans Ms Marrakchi problems Morocco censors something umented independent media But though I Morocco finally released watched controversy played played struggle censors controver It something wanted discuss Western reporter I slightly different complicated tionship upper class Moroccans their country I Samir Casa blanca prominent families He insisted speak Arabic which I simply couldn believe French native language repeatedly My parents always spoke But Arabic speaking country I incredulously Follow independence France years Morocco through Arabization although French still holds strong business government The official language Morocco fusha Arabic often called modern standard Arabic Far popula speaks colloquial Moroccan Arabic speaks French To Morocco speak Arabic would strange indeed I eventually fought admission spoke Moroccan dialect proficient fusha Arabic tongue educated Arabs Middle East southeast Asia North Africa speak As talked thought Arabs alienated selves speaking Arabic Yet Samir never KAD Beginnings construction Tangier Med background France He first study university Paris Aspects complicated pride drive uneasy relationship between Moroccans Saha Africans fairly recent history behind Historically other societies Islamic societies slave owning continue places notably Mauritania Sudan Well century accepted legal practice southern Africans skinned Africans slaves Morocco The slave trade outlawed Morocco became French protectorate 1920s When I spent evening Gambian Kara conversation denouncement Moroccans He angry dared conde scend tinent They Africans They Yemen This concept authen African coming Morocco In Rabat I Moroccan demic drunkenly I African African Berber ethnic group believed indig North Africa region before Arabs arrived Arab descent There times I included African either formally casually times West origins stood One midday Moroccan Tangier approached asked I American What I asked It color But I think likely I moved about freely during There Saharan Africans Morocco fearful authorities shadows coming night This particular month creased police presence movement daunting But there One afternoon I walked quiet street medina black woman called window I remember feeling imprisoned behind ornate ironwork protects Moroccan windows palpable desperation think I walking street tourists chose passers scarce obviously spoke dialect country because could gesture indicate could braid money There nothing I could There little Morocco these southern Africans unwelcome already scarce One Moroccan newspaper referred black locusts Kara Gambian drifting around North Africa years Kara tricky conversationalist thing letting fuller accurate version moment later regular seems prostitute Kara KAD Saharan Africans I Tangier although there living nocturnally He intelligent sophisticated perfect English managed around Morocco without drawing wanted attention But A ugust Tangier looks smart prosperous expatriates return large motor around round residents disdainfully Usually there garbage streets Moroccan children skinned Africans loitering around attempting sneak boats The dreamers cliff unofficial garbage I Kasbah place where tourists I found because local drawn route The Tangier cleaned return French resident Tangier I seeing Potemkin This known occurrence Morocco France Moroccan artist Yto Barrada mated model Moroccan which everything broken there trees beggars walks Then Mercedes sedan approaches scene flips reveal trees parks strolling families sight Yet dissatisfaction there barely submerged vacation month And Saharan Africa propelling attempted exodus As Moroccan expatriate Morocco country grand jokes years person country INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Current Fellows their Activities Richard D Connerney January INDIA A lecturer Philosophy Asian Religions Philosophy Rutgers Iona College University Hawaii Manoa Rick Connerney spending years Phillips Talbot Fellow studying writing about intertwining religion culture politics India described former U S Ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith functioning anarchy Rick B A M A religion Wheaton College University Hawaii respectively Kay Dilday October FRANCE MOROCCO An editor New York Times Op Ed years Kay holds M A Comparative International Politics Theory Graduate Center City University New York Bachelor degree English Literature Tufts University graduate Universiteit Amsterdam Netherlands Cours Civilisation Sorbonne She traveled written Haiti began jouralistic council reporter Somerville This Week Somerville MA Nicholas Schmidle February PAKISTAN Nicholas freelance writer interested intersection culture religion politics Asia He spending years Pakistan writing issues ethnic sectarian national identity Previously reported Central Asia Iran published Washington Post Weekly Standard Foreign Policy Christian Science Monitor others Nick received M A International Affairs Regional Studies American University December He lives Rikki Andrew J Tabler February SYRIA LEBANON Andrew lived studied worked Middle East since Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Fellowship enabled begin Arabic language studies toward Master degree American University Cairo Following Master editorships Middle East Times Cairo Times before moving Turkey Lebanon Syria working Senior Editor Oxford Business Group correspondent Economist Intelligence Unit His ICWA fellowship bases Beirut Damascus where report Lebanese affairs Syrian reform Jill Winder July GERMANY With B A politics Whitman College Walla Walla WA Master degree Art Curating Bard College Annandale Hudson NY Jill ICWA Donors Fellow looking Germany ideas viewpoints contemporary artists Before months intensive study German language Berlin Thomas J Watson Fellow looking communist practice cultural politics transition former Soviet Czech Republic Slovakia Poland Croatia Hungary Latvia Romania Slovenia Ukraine Institute Fellows chosen basis character previous experi promise They young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows required report their findings experi ences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic assessment international events issues ICWA Letters ISSN published Institute Current World Affairs Inc exempt operatin dation incorporated New York State offices located West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 The letters provided charge members ICWA available libraries professional researchers scription Phone Fax E Mail valley Web address Executive Director Steven Butler Program Assistant Publications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation The Information contained publication reprinted republished without express written Institute Current World Affairs