Author: irintala

Religious Differences in Morocco (Assessed)

by irintala

Being from the United States, and being exposed largely to the Western world in general, I have grown accustomed to certain societal freedoms. Morocco is by no means as hardcore in their mostly Islamic societal practices as, say, Iran or Saudi Arabia, but travelers from the west should be wary of safety concerns that stem from the legal systems that are largely influenced by these religious institutions. For example, the British government advises foreign travelers that Morocco strictly condemns sexual relations outside of marriage, and that many hotels will require legal marriage documentation if travelers are wanting to share a room with their partner. Furthermore, homosexuality is strictly forbidden, so these practices should be entirely avoided for safety reasons, especially in any public settings. The Australian Government also advises travelers to be wary of potential terrorist attacks.

There was a rather famous case within the past year of two Scandinavian women being captured a beheaded by ISIS sympathizers while hiking in the Atlas Mountains. While certainly an extreme and relatively rare case, this is important to note.

While possession of bibles seems to be acceptable, carrying a bible written in Arab script is illegal. Additionally, any acts of evangelicalism or non-Muslim religious conversions are strictly forbidden as well.

While most travelers will venture to Morocco for non-religious purposes, it is important to be wary of the culture and laws of the country that you are entering. Morocco is no exemption to this. While it is a beautiful country in many aspects, it is vastly different from Western nations and cultures.

For additional information on what not to do in Morocco, this youtube channel gives an informative and respectful analysis:

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/18/moroccan-court-orders-death-penalty-for-jihadists-who-beheaded-tourists

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco/local-laws-and-customs

https://smartraveller.gov.au/Countries/africa/north/Pages/morocco.aspx

Engaging Meaningfully

by irintala

Meaningful international engagement seems to be a surprisingly difficult thing to find. Especially when considering whether or not your engagement is actually useful or not to the country that you are trying to help, it narrows down the field of ways that one can engage with a country. After briefly researching, it seems that most charity type of organizations in Morocco focus on sustainability, education, and children’s welfare. In terms of sustainability, I am not too sure what I would be able to bring to the table that would be unique, since I don’t have much of a knowledge of sustainability technologies or engineering. Additionally, developing sustainable technology can be difficult for developing countries, as most sustainable tech is not currently the most efficient way to produce energy or whatever their goal may be. 

Having the ability to actually focus on pollution and climate change are privileges that many people in developing countries cannot afford, as they may just want to modernize however possible. 

Morocco is by no means the poorest country in the world, but there definitely are areas of improvement that would highly benefit the country. Dealing with education and children’s welfare can be a particularly difficult area for foreigners to intervene. Since the educational goals and culture in Morocco naturally differs from other countries, especially from individuals travelling from western countries, there may be an issue of understanding between different peoples that needs to be addressed.

Overall, this is difficult.

Mystic Lands or Bustling Cities? (Assessed)

by irintala
An essentialised desert scene

Morocco is a country which seems to often be misrepresented in many ways. I think that overall, many countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are often displayed, from a tourism perspective at least, as places full of a sort of mystic and mysterious aura around them. I think this is largely due to how these locations are often portrayed in media and film. One of my thoughts of the MENA region goes immediately to tales from the One Thousand and One Nights, Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist,” or the ‘Disneyfication’ of Arabic cultures, such as in Aladdin. Several desert trips and tours are available to tourists, such as this, that provide an essentialised and stereotypical version of Morocco.

A typical bustling street in Marrakech

In reality, Morocco is a modern country, full of both bustling cities and lesser-populated outer regions. There are certainly many conceptions that are partly true, such as the mostly arid landscape and emphasis on religion, but even these are not entirely valid. Since Morocco lies on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, many of its coastal cities experience mild temperatures with plenty of vegetation. Additionally, while Islam is by far the dominant religion in the country, it is not nearly as strict as other Islamic MENA countries. Women, for example, are not obligated to wear hijabs in public.

Overall, while there are certainly some issues with essentializing certain aspects of tourist destinations, I think it is important to note that some essentialism is necessary. Describing every destination in a way that seemingly takes away any sort of special meaning that may be affiliated with it is a harmful practice, as even though those meanings are socially constructed, they serve a purpose in having symbolic importance.

Sources:

Images: https://booktoursindubai.com/tour/overnight-desert-safari https://www.shutterstock.com/video/search/islam-cart

Other: https://www.marrakech-desert-trips.com https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/africa/morocco/culture-etiquette/

Moroccan Street Art: Connecting the Old to the New (Assessed)

by irintala

Overall, Morocco is not often known to have a particularly vibrant street art culture, as the country is often seen as relatively conservative by nature. However, the street art that does exist often highlights a connection between rich traditionalism and modernity, often incorporating traditional art on a nontraditional medium. This piece, found in Rabat, depicts the Moroccan poem ‘Dahbia’ by Annejjar in both traditional and nontraditional fashion. This mural uses calligraphy in the traditional Arabic, as well as Native American, Amazigh, and Latin calligraphy to depict the poem in a beautiful intertwining circular fashion. 

This piece particularly stuck with me because of how the traditional Islamic calligraphy is used in a public space to incorporate customary languages of Morocco and unique foreign languages. I would not call this piece, or Moroccan street art in general, “official” tourist attractions.

Street art is hardly the reason that people would visit Morocco, unlike a city like Melbourne that is known for its street art and has seemingly designated tourist locations for that purpose. However, even though Morocco is mostly a land of tradition, street art can provide a certain change of pace from the traditional sites of the country. Moroccan street art seems to often connect its past to its present, allowing a unique basis for its street art themes. I have personally always found Islamic calligraphy to be particularly beautiful, and when its utilized in a public space like the piece above, it can bring a blank urban environment to life.

Further exploration of street art in Rabat (including this piece) can be found through this Lonely Planet article, as well as this Culture Trip article.

Sources: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/a-diy-street-art-tour-of-rabat-the-capital-of-morocco https://theculturetrip.com/africa/morocco/articles/a-street-art-tour-of-morocco/

Flag of the Atlas Lions

by irintala

The Moroccan symbol that I have chosen to focus on is the national flag. Like most countries in North Africa and the Middle East, Morocco is a heavily Muslim state, and like many of these countries, has national symbols influenced by Islam. The five-pointed star, or pentagram, at the center of the flag has several different meanings. The five points of the star allude to the five pillars of Islam, as well being “Solomon’s Seal.” The green color speaks to the Islamic influence, as green is the color of Islam. Many Islamic countries have green as a base color of their respective flags, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Afghanistan, among others. Additionally, many Islamic countries, like Morocco, also have red as a base color on their flags. The red in the Moroccan flag also speaks to its heritage, as it is also the color of the current royal family. Since the current royal family has ruled over Morocco since the 17thcentury, the red color is significant in the country’s sense of heritage.

The more intricate Royal Standard of Morocco

This flag is rather simplistic, but effective in its display of the symbolic connection that the nation has with its Muslim faith, as well as its heritage. The ability for the flag to be simple, yet distinctive and layered in its symbolism is difficult, but the Moroccan flag accomplishes this task. The flag is not an item that a tourist would typically buy as a souvenir, as Morocco is more widely known for its intricate ceramics and carpets, as well as spices and oils.

About Me

by irintala

Here I am posing at the Thorang-La Pass in Nepal. We were in Nepal for roughly a month in total, and after trekking for about ten days, my friend and I finally reached the literal height of our trip to Nepal, all so we could take some ironically bad tourist pictures. This trip was unlike any other that I have taken before. While I have travelled to many places around the world, never have I had a trip require so much physical work. While this is a fairly popular trail in Nepal, the remoteness, biodiversity, and alien atmosphere all added up to a uniquely successful and eye-opening experience. add quote somewhere

            While in Nepal, I kept a journal for a period of the trip, and after looking back at what I wrote, I wished I kept writing for the entirety of my time there. Travel blogging is an important process in the overall travelling experience. I believe it allows people to fully reflect on their experiences, as well as maintain a permanent connection to your trip for the future.