Diaspo #368: Noura Essouissate Brauckmann, the voice of migrants in Germany  (Read more...)

Morocco ranked 130th in 2024 Human Freedom Index

According to the Human Freedom Index 2024, Morocco scored 5.49 points out of 10, advancing five positions compared to 2022. The Human Freedom Index, developed by the American Cato Institute and Canadian Fraser Institute, presents the state of human freedom worldwide based on a comprehensive scale that includes personal, civil, and economic freedoms. Human freedom is a social concept that recognizes individual dignity, and the report defines freedom as the absence of coercive constraints. The

Superstitions and Matfias threaten Morocco's largest lizard species

Sahara dragons in Morocco are threatened by superstitious beliefs, traditional medicine, and Matfias, a traditional tool for rural water harvesting. A lizard species, known among scientists as Varanus griseus, and more commonly as the Desert Monitor, is experiencing an increasing mortality rate in Morocco, warns a December study by Moroccan, French, and Spanish researchers. The Desert Monitor, the largest lizard species in Morocco, inhabits the country’s Saharan zones and the Atlas

Conflict of interest : PJD demands Akhannouch's resignation over Casablanca desalination deal

The Justice and Development Party (PJD) held a press conference on Thursday to discuss what it labels as «conflict of interest in the Casablanca-Settat seawater desalination deal». The project was awarded to a company owned by Morocco's Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch. Akhannouch defended winning the tender for the seawater desalination project in Casablanca during a monthly accountability session in the House of Representatives on Monday. He argued that his company submitted

In Morocco, more women master Arabic, French, and English than men

Women in Morocco are more inclined to learn languages than men. Data compiled by the Higher Planning Commission (HCP) and published recently in its 2024 General Census support this, with figures suggesting that more Moroccan women speak Arabic, French, and English than their male counterparts. According to the HCP, 21.3% of Morocco’s literate population aged 10 and above, who can read and write in Arabic, French, and English, are women. This percentage is higher than that of men, which

UN warns of gap in primary school enrollment between poor and rich children in Morocco

A report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) has warned of a widening gap in education in Morocco between children from rich and poor families, children living in rural areas, and their peers living in cities. Titled «Education in the Arab Region: Closing Gaps to Ensure That No Child Is Left Behind», the report notes that the primary school enrollment rate in Morocco among children from poor families in 2020 is lower than that of their

How many Moroccans consider Tamazight their mother tongue, and where do they live ?

In Morocco, most of the country's population considers Arabic to be their mother tongue, compared to the Amazigh language, also known as Tamazight, which has been an official language of Moroccans since 2011. While 80.6% of the Kingdom's nearly 37 million inhabitants say that Arabic (Darija, or Moroccan Arabic) is their first language, only 18.9% regard Tamazight, including its three dialects, as their mother tongue. Examining statistics revealed by the 2024 General Census, conducted by

More Moroccans opt for smaller city homes

With the renewal of the housing stock and increasingly smaller families, city dwellers in Morocco have, over the past decade, shown a growing tendency to opt for smaller homes while being less inclined to become homeowners. Presented on Tuesday in Rabat by the High Commission for Planning (HCP), the detailed results of the 2024 General Census of Population and Housing (RGPH) reveal that urban households are living in homes with fewer rooms. The proportion of households occupying homes

Moroccan sisters Asmaa and Sara Abouchi defy odds to pursue acrobatics dreams

In the vibrant streets and squares of Moroccan cities, eight-year-old Asmaa and her sister Sara Abouchi, five years older, tell a story of determination through their acrobatic moves. Their athletic journey began when Sara was just six years old, starting with Taekwondo. The girls quickly proved their talent, and an experienced coach from the show «The Artist», which aired six years ago, guided them into the world of circus and acrobatics. In 2018, Sara decided to quit Taekwondo

Cadi Tayeb Roudani, the man who first introduced the printing press to Morocco

Getting Muslims and their scholars to change their stance on printing, as invented by Johann Gutenberg in 1445, was no easy task. Resistance lasted for nearly three centuries. In the region, the rulers of the Ottoman Empire only agreed to adopt this tool in 1728. Morocco was no exception. Despite its proximity to Europe, the kingdom was one of the least influenced by the advances of its northern neighbors at the time, according to Mustafa Benomar El Maslouti. In his book, «Cadi Tayeb Ben