A jennet called «Cleopatra» wins a donkey beauty pageant in Morocco

On the sidelines of the 12th edition of FestiBaz, a donkey festival hosted by a small town called Beni Ammar Zerhoun, a jennet called «Cleopatra» won, Sunday, a donkey beauty pageant, Spanish news agency EFE reports. «Cleopatra», was chosen among six other female donkeys because of her beauty and elegance. Abdeljalil, her owner, said that he named her Cleopatra, after the ruler of ancient Egypt who used donkey milk to preserve her beauty. Cleopatra, a jennet who won a

Moroccan-Belgian Rachid Madrane becomes the Brussels-Capital region’s parliament speaker

Moroccan-Belgian politician Rachid Madrane was elected, Thursday, as the speaker of the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital region, Belgian newspaper Le Soir reports. The newly elected speaker said that he was «ready to take up this new challenge» and added that he was «happy» to become the Speaker of the Brussels’ parliament. «It is a great pride and honor to be able to preside the Brussels’ parliament, an emblematic institution that represents

Many Muslim prisoners in the US find it hard to stick to their religious practices

Many US prisons prevent Muslim inmates from having access to halal food and proper prayer. According to a new study, Muslim prisoners find it hard to stick to their religious restrictions, when compared to counterparts from different faith traditions.

The Speaker of Algeria’s lower house attends the Polisario’s summer university

The 10th edition of the Summer University of the executives of the Polisario Front kicked off Saturday, July 27th, in Boumerdes. The conference, inaugurating the edition, was attended by the Speaker of Algeria’s lower house Slimane Chenine, elected on July 10th. The presence of the Algerian politician was hailed by pro-Polisario news platforms in the Tindouf camps. Futuro Sahara has even compared this year’s edition to the one hosted last year by Algeria, praising the

Throne Day, when nationalists «invented» Morocco’s first civic celebration

In November 1933, Moroccans celebrated the first Throne Day, honoring sultan Mohammed ben Youssef. The holiday was introduced by nationalists and inspired by an Algerian poet, aimed at countering the symbols and rituals imposed by the French.

Morocco’s Hakim Ziyech is not interested in leaving Ajax this season

Moroccan-Dutch international player Hakim Ziyech is not leaving his club Ajax for this season. According to the Independent, the attacking midfielder who was «tracked» by big British clubs, such as Arsenal and Liverpool, said he is not ready to leave his current club for average offers. In fact, the player was only approached by Spanish club Sevilla. Reacting to that, Ziyech said that he «didn’t believe a move to the Spanish side was a step from Ajax», adding that

A Moroccan imam accused of «sexually abusing» minors in Barcelona

Two imams living in Barcelona will appear before a Spanish court for sexual abuse allegations. The two men are accused of sexually abusing two minors aged 9 and 12, who attended mosques for religious classes, La Vanguardia reports. Refuting the accusations, one of the two imams is arrested while the other one was released on bail. The first hearing is expected to open in September. According to the same source, the children were «sexually abused while they were alone in a room in the

Muslim parents in the UK want to pull their children from a «non-halal» flu vaccine program

In the United Kingdom, Muslim parents refuse to let their children take part in a national flu vaccine program, Telegraph reports. The Muslim community’s worries were voiced after the Muslim Council of Britain said that the vaccine might not be halal. Parents believe that the vaccine contains porcine gelatin, a translucent derived from pigs, which is forbidden by Islam. Public health officials in the UK fear that Muslim children will get excluded from the program, expected to start in

The Polisario warns a Chinese firm against importing phosphate rocks from the Sahara

The Polisario is angry at Sinochem Corporation, a Chinese conglomerate engaged in the production and trading of chemicals and fertilizer. In a letter sent to the company’s CEO, the Front’s member M’Hamed Khaddad warned the group against its «illegal, unethical and immoral import of stolen phosphate cargos from the occupied territories of Western Sahara». The coordinator of the separatist movement with MINURSO called on the Chinese firm to stop «phosphate

Diaspo #102 : Ibtissam Bouharat, a distinguished international footballer in Belgium

Born in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe (Belgium) to Moroccan parents, former footballer Ibtissam Bouharat was one of the first girls from an immigrant background to consider from an early age playing football.