Hosting Repression: Then-President Bill Clinton with Mohammed VI, Morocco's dictator (with Don Johnson shave, third from left), before a state dinner at the White House on June 20, 2000. Lalla Meryem and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton flank the men. (White House Pool Photo via Getty Images)
When U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton travels to Morocco on Nov. 2, will she publicly protest Moroccan King Mohammed VI's latest crackdown, this time of the press? (He's witch-hunted Shiites and gays previously.)
Clinton is attending the 6th Forum for the Future, one of those high-minded gatherings of high-titled viziers launched in 2004 to "help establish an environment conducive to an informal, flexible, open and inclusive dialogue" in the Middle East. How ironic, then, how hypocritical that this year's conference is being hosted by speech-crushing Morocco, where not even a news conference about freedom of speech can be held in peace.
Reporters Without Borders on Oct. 28 attempted to hold just such a conference in Casablanca. Communications Minister had approved the event, which was to be held at the Royal Al-Mansour Hotel. Note the repressive seal of approval from the start: in countries that marginally respect the press, communications ministers don't exist, and when they do, they don't presume to be gatekeepers to press conferences.
Let that one pass. When Reporters Without Borders' Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Jean-François Julliard attempted to give his news conference, he was barred from doing so at the agreed meeting room. So Julliard held it in the hotel lobby.
"Reporters Without Borders came to express its support for Moroccan journalists, who are currently being subjected to an avalanche of lawsuits and prosecutions, and to demonstrate its solidarity with Idriss Chahtane, the managing editor of the newspaper Al-Michaal, who is in prison," Julliard said.
"The fact that this news conference could not be held in a normal fashion is a clear indication of government tension and the delicate nature of this situation. The communication minister felt he had been duped about the latest Reporters Without Borders press freedom index and about its press releases, and did not want to see us."
Duped? By facts? In the past 10 years, Moroccan journalists have been sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison and news media have been fined a total of $3 million, according to a Reporters Without Borders survey of Mohammed VI's decade in power.
Julliard added: "We further intend to formally refer the difficulties and lack of media diversity to US secretary of state Hillary Clinton before her first official visit to Morocco for the Forum of the Future being held in Marrakesh on 2-3 November."
Good luck. The Obama administration has been no more inclined to press for greater liberties in the Middle East than its predecessor, which created the Forum of the Future. It's been mostly words--the clunky and heavy handed words of George W. Bush, the elegant and inspiring words of Barack Obama. But at the end of the day, the Middle East today, including Morocco, is either equally or more repressive than it was a decade ago and making strides to nowhere. Shame on people like Mohammed VI, of course, who pretend to be more enlightened than they are. But shame, too, on people like Bush, Obama and Clinton, whose forums of the future presume to press for change while merely giving cover to all-too familiar repressions.
See Also:
- Is Mohammed VI a Dictator? You Decide
- Censorship in Morocco: Tale of Two Cartoons
- Why Hillary Clinton Would Make a Lousy Secretary of State
- Hillary Clinton, MIA
- Profile: Mohammed VI
- Morocco's Democracy Mirage
Comments
I think you should do more research about north africa. Maybe, you are an expert about the middle east, but it looks like you have no clue about what’s going on in North Africa.
Very amateurish article.
I’d say enlighten me, but considering the fact that you signed your name “unavailable,” and typed in as your email the entirely fictitious unavailable at unavailable dot com, and said absolutely nothing of value or substance in your criticism, it would be pointless. I’ve never trusted undisclosed people who snarl from undisclosed locations about undisclosed issues for undisclosed motives. Nevertheless, you’re welcome to try again, more intelligently if you’re capable, to enlighten me, and us.
Wow!! Pierre Tristam can you please tell me how you landed the “Guide to Middle East Issues” title?? knowing that you have NO CLUE WHATSOEVER about the middle east and much less about north africa….Moroccan king is a dictator???? can’t help but to laugh at your ignorance, kudos to you for being the most stupid writer ever. about.com should be ashamed of itself for hiring writers wannabe people to write about far more complexe issues like the middle east.
Funny how writing about thugs and oppressors tends to get their fan clubs all abuzz with indignation.
Let’s see now, Ali. I don’t know what your definition of a dictator is. Mine doesn’t have to be the Idi Amin kind. It’s enough to be unelected, to forbid opposition parties (except in name), to exercise power arbitrarily and capriciously, and to repress those who would undermine the established order of things. Mohammed VI checks out on all counts.
But let’s be more precise.
Here in summary is how the State Department’s annual report on Morocco sums up that dictatorship: “According to the constitution, ultimate authority rests with King Mohammed VI, who presides over the Council of Ministers and appoints or approves members of the government. The king may dismiss ministers, dissolve the parliament, call for new elections, and rule by decree. In the bicameral legislature, the lower house may dissolve the government through a vote of no confidence.”
There’s some unquestionable good, compared with, say, Saudi Arabia or even Algeria and Libya: “The September 2007 parliamentary elections for the lower house went smoothly and were marked by transparency and professionalism, according to international observers, and the elections were judged relatively free from irregularities. The civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces.” But that’s all for show, as the following explains:
“Citizens did not have the right to change the constitutional provisions establishing their monarchical form of government or the establishment of the practice of Islam. Reports of torture and other abuses by various branches of the security forces persisted, and prison conditions remained below international standards. Reports of arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detentions, and police and security force impunity continued. Politics, as well as corruption and inefficiency, influenced the judiciary, which was not fully independent. The government restricted freedoms of speech, religion, and the press. Corruption was a serious problem in all branches of government. Trafficking in persons continued, and child labor, particularly in the unregulated informal sector, remained a problem.”
Read the full report.
Let’s be even more precise. Let’s look at the most recent Human Rights Watch reports on Morocco. This is just 2009 stuff. Fresh as Morocco’s clementines:
“Morocco should halt the widespread bureaucratic maneuvers that undermine freedom of association, including withholding registration from civic groups in violation of its own laws.” Read the report.
“Moroccan authorities should drop all proceedings against a group arrested for planning a forest picnic as a low-key protest against a law barring Muslims from eating publicly during Ramadan’s fasting hours.” Read the report.
“Morocco should stop interfering with the right of its citizens to give Berber names to their children.” (That one is right out of Hugo Chavez’s playbook.) Read the report.
“The conviction and imprisonment of the Western Sahara human rights defender Naâma Asfari on August 27, 2009, for “showing contempt toward a public agent” shows that Morocco continues to punish peaceful activists who show their support for independence for that region.” Read the report.
And that’s just in the past couple of months. Want more evidence of dictatorial hubris and repression? Just ask. And Ali, please, by all means, you too should enlighten us regarding the good king’s non-dictatorial greatness. You’re in Casablanca or thereabout (where news of those reports I just gave you links to isn’t quite dripping off every quill). I challenge you to give me a good, fun, long report on how Morocco is not a dictatorship, beginning with, say, your neighbor’s right to disagree with you and make fun of the king the way Khaled Gueddar did.
Hahaha… Morocco… a dictatorship … Thanks for the laugh
But seriously, do you like to talk out of your ass? I’ve been to Morocco and I have family living there and it’s a HELL not a dictatorship.
Compared to Saudi Arabia, Morocco has a functionnal parliament. Yes, the king’s power is absolute but nevertheless, the parliament’s decisions and law making get passed and get respected.
And thankfully, you’re only in about.com… an unimportant website compared to the other news organisations
Have you even ever visited Morocco? You are talking about stuff you have no clue about. An expert on a topic such as this should have at least a few years behind his belt living in and understanding the country before belching crap like this
Oh and by the way since you are talking about HR reports. Check out the one about the U.S. I am sure you would disagree after reading it … I lived in the US and know that a couple of incidents, events don’t tell the entire story. Well same thing about Morocco. You are relying on selected footnotes from selected postings on the web. A real reporter goes to where it is happening, takes notes and lives within the context then makes an informed decision not biased one sided and uninformed comments that to the informed person appear so ridiculous and that is putting it mildly.
Thank you Mr Pierre for your explaining to us the meaning of “dictator” in your opinion, according to you all kings and queens of the world are dictators since they were never Elected, (King = Dictator )you are just Brilliant…So needless to remind you that Morocco is one of the oldest kingdoms in the world as well as one of the most stable country through out the history.
The “absolute” power of the King and the Decrees you are talking about were gained centuries ago all with the Moroccan people agreement and allegiance that same allegiance that is renewed every year, Of course you wouldn’t know that since you are coming from a country with no proper history and living in a country that’s only a couple of centuries old, just like that Arabic saying : “If you don’t have it, you can’t give it” in your case, you can’t understand it.
As a born and raised Moroccan living in morocco, Casablanca to be exact (the only thing you were right about) I witnessed the positive changes taken place since our king sat on his predecessors throne, I will not get into details but I’ll give you some headlines to help you out, The Moroccan Family Code, human rights(come ask our women) freedom of speech (come count how many newspapers we have now compared to before), liberal economy, freedom of religion, etc…
Now let’s go to your “sacred” Human right watch reports,I will answer just one to give your readers if any how you build your views on Moroccan issues and how “expert” are you in the middle east:
- how many people were arrested in the “the forest picnic” ? (i’m trying not to laugh here i swear)…here’s a breaking news for you NONE, now let’s say if that same incident happened in Iran or anywhere in the Arab countries, do you know what the outcome would be?? I’m sure you know, if that ain’t freedom of religion, i don’t know what that is.
The bottom line here cher Pierre, you are not eligible or qualified to write about countries you never set foot into just because you are paid to do so, do your homework and try to be fair and balanced, and by fair and balanced i don’t mean the fox news way
Morocco is an emerging country that started real reforms since Mohammed V became king, we are not a Utopian country, we have our flaws and downs but we are in no way the way you are trying to caricature us
PS: I’m just a regular citizen who struggles to make ends meet every month, I’m not affiliated to any politic party nor i work for the Moroccan government, I’m just exercising my freedom of speech and i said my opinion the way i see it.
Guys,
What’s great about freedom of speech is it actually shows you how ignorant (even sometimes stupid) some people can be from what they say.
Pierre has a good point on the freedom of speech issue. It’s about time our King devoted more efforts in fixing this problem. Nobody should go to jail for expressing their opinions freely though I think freedom comes with responsibility and respect. Morocco has a press-code that simply holds reporters accountable for all kinds of misinformation based on non-credible sources intended to sell paper or harm the country’s stability.
But, wait a minute – how free would I be if I wore let’s say: a Pro-Nazzi teeshirt and walked freely in the middle of times square chanting hatred in the name of freedom? Does common sense and responsibility matter anymore?
Maybe if, Pierre had been to morocco before writing his article, he would have realized that he would have been able to go to a sunday church or Synagogue in any city he stopped by and practiced his faith freely and honorably? Hmm.. maybe a sign of great tolerance that morocco’s islamic rule stand for? Do we want to keep it that way or allow religious fanatics take control instead?
If Pierre spoke/understood Arabic, spanish or french (though his name inspires he does for that last one but I doubt he really knows it, do you, Pierre?) he could have read other news and had a more realistic and fair view of morocco’s history and the Kings of Morocco (maybe hit YouTube for interviews from the Late HII to get an idea of how educated/multi-cultural and tolerant Morocco’s leaders are).
M6 was educated all his life to lead, he doesn’t worry about next election term, he just works for his country and educates his kids to pick up after him just like his father did for him. People love him and peacefully embraced him when the father passed way. They still renew their allegiance every year – did you know that, Pierre?
Pierre probably does also know Morocco is (located as far as you can go from the troubled middle east) a pro-western country that stretched as far south as Senegal (great deal of senegalese people still come to morocco for pilgrimage bounds, cruising thru Mauritania and the Moroccan Western Sahara all the way to Fez).
Pierre probably does not know that we were on America’s side during cold war when Russia was pushing hard to gain access to the Atlantic shore thru Algeria, claiming the Western Sahara was not Moroccan (and therefore not pro-western). How fun would it have been to have had russian submarines near US shore?
Pierre, my Father did the Green Marsh (have you heard of the Green March, Pierre?) and if times ever change again, trust me, I’ll be backpacking down to the south to get it back on my turn and leave a video for my American-born kid to pass on.
I also invite Pierre to read about one of M6’s efforts reported by an American outlet (since obviously, he must not have read it in another language) about the Holocaust/Project Aladdin. Please read and go to Project Aladdin’s site for more info. and maybe show us how faire and balanced you could be by reporting about it too?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32147263/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/
At last, just like I swore becoming American citizen and I stand for the Great American Values, I also stand for what our Morocco and for what our Moroccan King represents, does and stands for!
-Younes Aouad.
a message to younes Aouad
is that you younes from Fes? if you are, i would like to have a little chit chat with you. i am from the same neighborhood as you are.
Wow, that’s correct.
younes.aouad@gmail.com
Regards,
-Y.
Mohamed 6 is a dictator
Morracan people love there dectator and 91% of them aprouve his work in the latest “le monde pole” summer 2009 .
what press freedom are you talking about, when a journaliste draw a caricatur of the prince with his hand up like hitler and behind him a moroccan flag with star of david just because he maried a german wonan.
what kind of journalism is that? that an insult not to the royal familly but to all moroccan.
Aziz Texas.
Mr Pierre,
In the unlikely event you still doubt that your piece was one of fiction, factless, and drawn out of vivid imagination, just comb thru the responses you got to your charade please. you try to villify the Moroccan king, who is approved of and highly Esteemed by moroccans has failed miserably.
There is a huge difference between freedom of press and defamation.
I sincerely hope that you get the facts rights next time before you write something…
Pierre is lebanese guys!!!
Maybe he should stick to writing about middle east issues as he claims to be focusing on.
North Africa is different and we don’t kill our politicians.
But Pierre, no hard feelings about your essay, everybody learns on the way.
Yup, that’s correct, Pierre is a Lebanese… And I have to tell him that North Africa is NOT the middleEast and never will be.
I will bookmark this blog to laugh from times to times :p
Mr. Pierre,
While journalism is supposed to be fair and unbiased, you obviously missed the boat. I would strongly advise that you take a geography course as Morocco is nowhere near the middle-east! It’s funny how funny how no one in the US can even say a thing about nazis (not that I am one nor support all the horrible things they have done) but that is still considered freedom of speech.
Omar, don’t worry, this is just a a stupid about.com blog, not important enough to have a serious impact. Now, if he was in nytimes.com… that’s a whole different story.
So I will enjoy a “dictator”, that has 91% of the public confidence and who is transforming the country into a modern society. Yes, it’s not perfect but it’s a hell lot better than what there’s in other places.
Reporters Without Borders go home and leave Morocco alone We don’t need your “lessons”. If you want to hold news confeences, go home and hold thousands of them and talk your empty nonsense.
If this blog was a Country, it would make Pierre a Dictator by the same standards Pierre endorses.
Pierre has been selling it as an “absolute” freedom of speech, no matter what is being said or done.
But at the same time, Pierre goes ahead and deletes comments from his blog that he regarded as somehow insulting or out-of-the-line. Some of them probably were but what’s important here is to see Pierre implicitly identify with the same common sense & respect guiding principals we’re been commenting on.
Just like Moroccan Law has a press-code with boundaries and redlines bases on common sense and certain principals local to the country. Pierre also marked his redlines and boundaries by allowing us to write in his blog under his own conditions (commenters should not be insulting or out of the line).
This is a living example of how Pierre embraced, without knowing, the implicit guiding principals of common sense and respect inside his blog over what he probably saw as “non-sense” or disrespectful comments, expressed by commenters (I myself called him ignorant in the matter and … probably a douche-bag?) but I thought I did it under his own absolute freedom of speech umbrella at no cost?
Pierre:
I think you just got a taste of your own medicine here. Next time, maybe you obey these rules you just implicitly validated before you show disrespect to countries you don’t know or understand. We, the people will always have words for you.
As per our beloved King of Morocco, I wouldn’t even discuss what he is or what he is not with you because based on the email I got from you this morning, you obviously still don’t get it. Understand the meaning, role and contribution of Morocco’s King to his country is clearly above your pay-grade!
Younes, your rank dishonesty makes me regret the invitation I extended you and others this morning to write a piece about your beloved from your perspective.
I never said anything about absolutes. About.com, which, incidentally, is owned by the New York Times, has its standards. One of them is to keep the likes of you from using obscene language on its sites. I apply that standard here, though with a far lighter hands than at many other About sites. Nevertheless, I extended the invitation. The only taste I got, Younes, is a very distasteful aftertaste of small minds defending a smaller king.
For the record, transparency being nothing to fear on this side (as it obviously is on the other) this is the email I sent Younes and others:
Your comments on my Morocco piece were quite bracing, if a bit crude and unimaginative at times (I had to delete a couple due to their gratuitous foulness: if you want to insult me, go ahead, but do it in an interesting way). Thanks for the fireworks. And I was glad to see that a couple of you tied the knot through the site.
If any one of you is interested in writing a full-length piece about M6 from your perspective, please let me know. If it’s well written and thought out I’d be more than happy to publish it on the site. At any rate your comments inspired me to write a new piece about North Africa’s Dictators’ Row. Here it is, and happy Sunday.
Mr. Pierre,
you’re either :
an ignorant ,and there is no harm to admit it, so you are asked to learn more about my country to know the truth and write about it .
or you are one of those damned jealous and god may help you .
or you are ” Mr Bouteflika” in this case you have no remedy .
who ever you are , have a nice day
all what have been said about you little pierre is right. you are such an idiot, Yankee Doodle.
Hmmm…looks like Morocco can’t handle bad press. I’d say Pierre might have hit the nail on the head.
And don’t bother to say I know nothing about Morocco; I’ve like here off and on for the past 11 years for a total of 5 years in-country.
http://cpj.org/2010/11/morocco-suspends-al-jazeera-operations-indefinitel.php
i think the people from america nead to clean up their own mess first ( starting with all the big wars that costed millions of lives ) AND thennnnn you can talk about the little stuff as ”bad press”. this is just to mislead you stupid people to think about less important stuff while the big people do the big stuff! stupidos