Sahara : When Algerian president Houari Boumediene promised to help king Hassan II

In 1974, Algeria promised to help Morocco retrieve the Sahara. The second President of Algeria Houari Boumediene had even offered to support Morocco in its conflict with Spain. However, the neighboring country’s position changed after the Green March.

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #6 : Rabbi Raphael Berdugo, Meknes’ dayan and scholar

Rabbi Raphael Berdugo was the Rabbi of Meknes and a renowned scholar who was the author of several books. Berguda was known as «Raphael the Angel» by the Jewish community in Morocco during the beginning of the 19th century.

History : When two men disguised as Moroccan pilgrims tried to steal the Prophet’s tomb

Historical accounts suggest that in 557 A.H, two men disguised as Moroccan pilgrims, planned to steal to the Prophet’s grave in Madina. The story is linked to an Egyptian sultan and a dream he saw.

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #5 : David Ben Barroukh, the legacy of Taroudant’s saint

David Ben Barroukh is the beloved saint of Taroudant, in the Souss Valley. The name of this Jewish saint, visited yearly by Jewish pilgrims, is associated with several legends and accounts.

Charles Sumner, the American senator who saw Morocco as a replica of slave-holding states

During the 19th century, the North region of the United States fought against slavery and the states that wanted to maintain the practice. Denouncing the heinous system, American senator Charles Sumner compared slave-holding states to Morocco, where slavery was a common practice.

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #4 : David Ou Moshe and the miracles of Agouim’s saint

Rabbi David Ou Moshe is a Jewish saint who is buried in Agouim, a small village near Ouarzazate. Ou Moshe, was born in Jerusalem, and is known to Moroccan Jews for his many miracles.

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #3 : Raphael Encaoua, the Kingdom’s first Chief Rabbi

Born in Sale, Raphael Encaoua is a Jewish saint who was the President of the High Rabbinical Court of Rabat. Encaoua is known for being the first Chief Rabbi of Morocco during the protectorate.

American Civil War : When Morocco violated its neutrality arresting two Confederate diplomats

The Moroccan authorities arrested, in 1862, two Confederate diplomats who visited Tangier. The arrest was ordered by the U.S. Consul James DeLong who held the two men in prison and sent them to Boston, in a move that violated Morocco's neutrality.

Pope Sylvester II, the first French pontiff who attended Al Quaraouiyine University

Pope Sylvester II, who studied at Morocco’s Al Quaraouiyine University in Fes, is the first French scholar to hold this position. The Arabic-speaking Pope is, according to some historians, the one behind the Crusades' plan.

7th and 8th of June 1948, anti-Jewish rioting events in Jerada and Oujda

On the 7th and 8th of July 1948, less than a month after the formation of the State of Israel, anti-Jewish riots erupted in two Moroccan cities namely Jerada and Oujda leading to the death of 42 Moroccan Jews.