Susan Goldman

This summer I had the great fortune and honor to participate in the 22nd International Cultural Moussem (Festival) of Assilah, an international fine arts residency program and political conference held in Assilah, Morocco. Artists, poets, musicians, philosophers, educators, critics, diplomats and media representatives from around the world were invited by the Ministry of Culture and the Government of Morocco to the coast of North Africa for a two to three week period to create art, make music and literally paint the town. Assilah is renowned worldwide for its murals, and artists are invited to paint the whitewashed walls of its ancient medina. The murals remain up until the next summer, when the walls are whitewashed again, and await other artists’ inspirations.

Assilah is also known for the international convergence of art and politics. This year many diplomats and government officials participated in a conference entitled “The Democratization of the South”. Each evening during the festival, musicians and performers presented concerts either in the famed Raissouli Palace halls or in the newly constructed Assilah Cultural Center.These fantastic performances covered an extensive repertoire of music from all over Africa and the Muslim world. Soufi Music, Ensemble de l’Opera du Caire, Dancers and Musicians of Rajastan, Ballet Troupe of Mali, Nasir Chamma, a renowned Iraqi lute artist from Egypt, Troupe Musicale and the Dancers of Senegal, to name a few, were outstanding.

Rashid in front of his mural

Moroccan painter, Rashid, in front of
his Mural in Assilah, Morocco
According to the Lonely Planet Guidebook of Morocco, the 2000-year old port of Assilah, 46 km south of Tangier, boasts a turbulent history. It was conquered by the Carthaginians, the Romans, and then, in the 10th century, by Norman raiders from Sicily. In the 14th and 15th centuries came the Christian victories over the forces of Islam. In 1471 the Portuguese captured Assilah and built the walls around the city. It was, at one point, taken over by Spain and then by the Moroccans. Early this century, Assilah was the base for one of the most colorful bandits ever produced by the wild Rif mountains, Er-Raissouli. His most profitable business included kidnapping westerners. He and his gang held many luminaries for ransom, including several US businessmen. In 1909, he constructed a three-story palace in Assilah. It includes a main reception room and a stunning terrace overlooking the sea. It is told that it was from this terrace that Er-Raissouli forced many convicted murderers to jump to their deaths onto the rocks below. It is in this gorgeous and historically auspicious Palais de Raissouli (Raissouli Palace) that artists are housed, and exhibitions and concerts are presented. The headquarters for the Moussem is also here. The government has built a beautiful conference center near the Palace which has an auditorium, a spacious gallery and reception halls. Attached to the original Palace is a dining room where breakfast and lunch were provided for artists. We were treated to delicious traditional Moroccan cuisine, including “tagines” (stew) of fresh seafood, chicken or beef atop couscous, and wonderful fresh fruits, like figs with honey and watermelon. I can tell you no one wanted to jump to the rocks below! This year marked the opening of new studio spaces, including the inauguration of the print facility. The director of the print atelier is Mohammed Kahlil (USA/Sudan), Master Printer and Professor from the New School at Parsons in New York. Kahlil originally established the printmaking program for the Assilah Moussem in 1978. He was approached by Mohamed Benaissa, formerly Ambassador of Morocco to the United States, who is now President of the Municipal Council of Assilah and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Morocco; and Mohammed Melehi, Artist and Director of the Cultural Foundation of Assilah. Benaissa and Melehi both grew up in Assilah, and through their vision and joint efforts have revived this small fishing village and made it into the host for one of the most unique arts festivals in the world and a most popular tourist destination.
goldman1.jpg (13763 bytes)

Eileen Foti and Susan Goldman, in front of Rashid’s
Mural, Assilah, Morocco
In 1978 the print studio of Assilah opened primarily for Arab artists in Africa. Every summer new artists were invited to come together to explore in a new cultural context. This opportunity afforded them a platform to renew understanding of cultural sensibilities of the South and the North of Africa. As time progressed artists from other parts of the world were invited. This summer the largest number of artists attended. The highest concentration of these artists included twenty-five printmakers. Countries represented included Iraq, Morocco, USA, Denmark, Spain, France, Canada, Algeria, Bangladesh and Italy. Artists are invited to come and work and produce a series of editions. One third of each edition and the printing plates produced are retained by the Moussem.
These artworks become part of the Assilah Foundation’s collection, which will be housed in a new contemporary museum that is scheduled to be built in the next few years. This summer, for the first time, workshop facilitators were invited to lead demonstrations on non-toxic approaches in the print studio. Henrik Boegh of Denmark and Abbas Al Kadhim of Iraq presented Non-Toxic Printmaking. Boegh, a colleague of Keith Howard, has refined and improvised alternatives to Howard’s technique; however, not too many of his methods are different. Marion and Omri Behr, from the USA, presented techniques in Electro-Etch. The Behrs study and assist Professor Mohammed Kahlil at the New School in New York. They have developed an etching bath contraption that can etch copper or zinc via electromagnetic current. This approach is very interesting and yields great results; however, they were using rather caustic solvents to clean oil-based grounds off plates, which seemed ironically contradictory to the idea of non-toxic. They may have eliminated the dangers of acid, but need to study the other aspects of studio hygiene.

You may be wondering what I accomplished in the studio in Assilah, given all the many wonderful distractions. Well, although there was indeed much to partake of, I created a series of monotypes inspired by so much of the pattern and pottery that I saw. Also, the beautiful light of the ancient city by the sea served to give me great inspiration. There was constantly music playing. Sometimes it was a band of neighbors and happy families, beating drums and blowing horns all night long because a new baby was born. Sometimes it might be because someone was getting married. The awareness that art is a constant natural expression in the life of Moroccans was overwhelming and fascinating. I believe the feast before my eyes and in my ears will sustain me through a chilly, fast-paced and stressful Washington year.

On a more professional and technical perspective, it was a great honor to come together with so many different types of artists from a part of the world where one-on-one communication is the key. I firmly believe that political peace and understanding can be bridged through the arts. Many technical differences still exist, especially in the realm of the use of toxic materials, and safety and respect for materials. Many Europeans and Africans still use terrible cleaning chemicals, like White Spirits and low-grade alcohol. We were able to get the kitchen to donate liters of cooking oil to clean plates. Many artists were also constantly smoking cigarettes in the studio. My solution was to rise very early in the morning to print. I also often had to ask visiting tourists, who were observing us work, to please smoke outside! Many of the artists were very curious and intrigued about my multi-drop process and my lexan plate, which I had carried along, rolled up in a tube with my papers and litho inks. I think it is next to impossible to get these materials in Morocco. Mohammed Kahlil imports almost all his materials, including the three presses that were on site, from the States.

Travel is the ultimate teacher, and I know that I have learned many new things that have yet to emerge in my work. I feel that as a printmaker I was able to share even more in the community of invited artists, because printmaking is the ultimate community activity. Many different personalities come together in one space. Diplomacy, courtesy, respect and an openness to explore a new way of seeing, are at work. I have returned knowing that everyone has a different culture that truly influences the way they perceive the world and how they make their art. But I also returned knowing that we all really want the same thing-happiness, security for ourselves and our families and the ability to create good work.

Maghreb

The Maghreb also rendered Maghrib (or rarely Moghreb), meaning "place of sunset" or "western" in Arabic, is a region in North Africa. The term is generally applied to all of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, but in older Arabic usage pertained only to the area of the three countries between the high ranges of the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Historically, some writers also included Spain, Portugal, Sicily and Malta in the definition, especially during the periods of Arab and Muslim domination. Malta, in particular, speaks a language descended from the extinct Siculo-Arabic variety, modern Maltese. Partially isolated from the rest of the continent by the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara, the Maghreb has long been closely tied in terms of climate, landforms, population, economy, and history to the Mediterranean basin. Because sea transportation dominated people's lives for so long, peoples joined by waters shared more than those joined by land.

The region was united as a single political entity only during the first years of Arab rule (early 8th century), and again for several decades under the Almohads (1159–1229). The Arab states of North Africa established the Arab Maghreb Union in 1989 to promote cooperation and economic integration. Its members are Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania. Envisioned initially by Muammar al-Gaddafi as an Arab superstate, organization members expect eventually to function as a North African Common Market. Economic and political unrest, especially in Algeria, have hindered progress on the union’s joint goals.

Population

A majority of the current population in the Maghreb consider themselves generally Arab in identity, regardless of mixed ethnic or linguistic heritage. There are significant non-Arab or non-Arab identifying populations in the region.

Most important of the non-Arab populations found throughout the Maghreb, particularly in Morocco and Algeria, are the Berbers. They represented the majority of the pre-Islamic population. After the arrival of Islamic Arabs, Berbers assimilated in large numbers to Arab or mixed Arab-Berber ethnic identities.

Various other influences are also prominent throughout the Maghreb. In particular in northern coastal towns, several waves of European immigrants have influenced the population. Most notable were the moriscos and muladies, that is, indigenous Spaniards who had earlier converted to the Muslim faith and were fleeing, together with ethnic Arab and Berber Muslims, from the Catholic Reconquista. Other European contributions included French, Italians, and others captured by the corsairs.

Historically the Maghreb was home to significant Jewish communities, including the Berber Jews, who predated the 7th century introduction and conversion of the majority of Berbers to Islam. Later Spanish Sephardic Jews fleeing the Spanish Catholic Reconquista, established a presence in North Africa, chiefly in the urban trading centers. They have contributed to the wider population through conversion and assimilation. Many Sephardic Jews emigrated to North America in the early 20th century or to France and Israel later in the 20th century.

Among West Asians are Turks who came over with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. A large Turkish descended population exists, particularly in Tunisia and Algeria.

Sub-Saharan Africans joined the population mix during centuries of trans-Saharan trade. Traders and slaves went to the Maghreb from the Sahel region. On the Saharan southern edge of the Maghreb are small communities of black populations, sometimes called Haratine, who are apparently descended from black populations who inhabited the Sahara during its last wet period and then migrated north.

In Algeria especially, a large European minority, the "pied noirs", immigrated and settled under French colonial rule. The overwhelming majority of these, however, left Algeria during and following the war for independence. France maintains a close relationship with the Maghreb countries.

Historic records of religion in the Maghreb region show its gradual inclusion in the Classical World, with coastal colonies established first by Phoenicians, some Greeks, and later extensive conquest and colonization by the Romans. By the second century common era, the area had become a center of Latin-speaking Christianity. Both Roman settlers and Romanized populations converted to Christianity. The region produced figures such as Christian Church writer Tertullian (c. 155 – c. 202); and Christian Church martyrs or leading figures such as St Cyprian of Carthage (+ 258); St. Monica; her son the philosopher St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo I (+ 430) (1); and St Julia of Carthage (5th century).

The domination of Christianity ended when Arab invasions brought Islam in 647. Carthage fell in 698 and the remainder of the region followed in subsequent decades. Gradual Islamization proceeded, although surviving letters showed correspondence from regional Christians to Rome up until the ninth century. Christianity was still a living faith. Christian bishoprics and dioceses continued to be active, with relations continuing with Rome. As late as Pope Benedict VII (974-983) reign, a new Archbishop of Carthage was consecrated. Evidence of Christianity in the region then faded through the tenth century.

During the 7th century, the region's peoples began their nearly total conversion to Islam. There is a small but thriving Jewish community, as well as a small Christian community. Most Muslims follow the Sunni Maliki school. Small Ibadi communities remain in some areas. A strong tradition of venerating marabouts and saints' tombs is found throughout regions inhabited by Berbers. Any map of the region demonstrates the tradition by the proliferation of "Sidi"s, showing places named after the marabouts. Like some other religious traditions, this has substantially decreased over the twentieth century. A network of zaouias traditionally helped proliferate basic literacy and knowledge of Islam in rural regions.

Are women active in Moroccan society?

The Moroccan Woman : A Variation On Two Themes By Assia Bensalah-Alaoui : holder of a doctorate in law, Assia is a lecturer at the University Mohammed V and Director of Research at the Centre d'Etudes Strategiques in Rabat, Morocco. A world-renowned specialist in international economic law, she is the author of Pouvoir Vert et Peril Rouge and La Securite Alimentaire Mondiale

The Moroccan woman is a part of this universal movement, in which the courage of some and the struggle of most herald the liberation of all

When Tahar Benjelloun accepted the Prix Goncourt, he paid a touching tribute to his illiterate mother. Like the Moroccan girls who wear miniskirts today, the renowned author owes much thanks indeed to the veiled women of previous generations and their determination to venge themselves against centuries of ignorance. The present generation of Moroccan women also owes a debt of gratitude to those who opened the doors of knowledge to all Moroccans, women as well as men.

Making education available to women was not just an innovation, it was a revolution! This single act overturned the accepted truths of our secular society, which symbolized more than any other the "closed to openness" parabole sung by our poet-philosopher Mohammed Aziz Lahbabi.

From the exclusively feminine world to which she had been confined, woman, in all her vulnerability, stepped into a world that had previously belonged to men. While Arab-Islamic tradition, the source of her faith and her identity, continues to lay its claim on her, she also feels the tug of modernity and its promises of freedom and untold possibilities. And so the future heaps its demands upon the constraints of the past.

Moreover, the Moroccan woman's fight for her own place in the sun is accompanied by her daily struggle to educate her abundant offspring, to safeguard basic, threatened loyalties and to preserve Morocco's legendary culinary heritage from the invasion of fat food! As Moroccan society undergoes countless transformations, the Moroccan woman just take the time she needs to adapt to then.

Having reconciled the past with the future, she navigates, sometimes with ease and sometimes with conflict, through the characteristically ambivalent intercultural waters. Seductive as she knows her caftan to be, she likes the convenience of blue jeans. And although she may still subscribe to the traditional virtue of submission, she takes delight in self-assertion.

Steeped in the teachings of the Hadiths from earliest childhood, she does not hesitate to invoke Marx and Marcuse in her quest for recognition. She defies prohibitions, topples taboos and tears off her veil, to give life to hope and light to the future! Breaking with centuries of langour and apparent idleness - much to the regret of those nostalgic for Arabian nights style exoticism - she has thrown herself wholeheartedly into her century, gladly taking up every physical and mental challenge that come her way.

Armed with advanced degrees or jut her own determination, she has ventured, unhesitating, into the most arid, unwelcoming territory. Moroccan women now work in every sector of activity. Whether she is an Olympic champion, a company president or a researcher, whether she works in a textile or electronics factory or ploughs the fields, the Moroccan woman serves the nation with sensitivity and enthusiasm.

As the poet said, woman is the future of man. Woman's accession to the last bastion of male dominance may take some time yet, constantly deferred by the painful adjustments it implies for the collective consciousness, and especially for die-hard male chauvinists. But accede to it she will - the ineluctability of this will become self-evident as new generations succeed the old.

Armed with the equality granted to them under the Moroccan constitution, the Moroccan woman of today is determined to fake full advantage of her right to be different. Already adored and venerated as a mother, protected and fussed over as a daughter and often at the center of conflict as a wife, the Moroccan woman - like women everywhere - now faces the challenge of assuming her role simply as a human being.

The Moroccan woman is a part of this universal movement, in which the courage of some and the struggle of most herald the liberation of all.

Women in Morocco : Status, Role and Perspectives

The Moroccan Woman - Introduction: It is necessary to give some coverage about the Moroccan woman in the midst of all the changes that are taking place in the whole world as well as during a period of transition in the matters of human rights. The Moroccan woman is to be perceived better as a person who enjoys the guarantee of her rights and has very strong expectations for the future. This coverage is above all an attempt to shed light on the conditions of life of the Moroccan woman, her whishes, her hopes and dreams, her achievements, her projects, her intellectual background, and her talents. It will show by the same token how the Moroccan woman looks to herself and how she sees her diversity. Likewise, she is ambivalent. She is the guardian of Moroccan cultural values at home and the proponent of modernity outside her house. The Moroccan Woman Today: Recently, Moroccan women started getting into associations, educating herself, creating her space of liberty and fighting for her own rights, even in places generally dominated by men, either in political or social activities. It is also important to note that despite all the progress that the Moroccan woman achieved, she is still ambiguous; she has poor knowledge of the law, she also has the paradox of female self-censorship and insufficient education, especially in rural areas. Beauty from Head to Foot Of Remote Regions : Within a very large geographic area extending from the Middle Atlas to the Sahara, there still exist some female costumes whose origins date back to Roman times. Craftswomen with Great Art Berber women , who are excellent weavers, made their own wool or cotton "izar" as well as their "hendira", a small wool blanket that is worn as an overcoat and which represents a central item of Berber clothing. Woman's Aspects of Beauty Tattoos, headdress, jewelry, belts and shoes all show great variation from one region to another. However the quick invasion of the western life style and industrial materials such as synthetic colors and clothes have affected the regional rural costume which is now to some extent losing it's authenticity and becoming a simple folk costume to be shown to tourists. There is also a great variety of Moroccan jewelry whether it is gold or silver made which shows the great skills the Moroccan jeweler's have in this field. From the Haik to the Djellaba unlike the rural woman ( in the high and middle atlas) the Moroccan woman in the city could not go out in the streets without a haik (at least in the beginning of the 1950's). The haik is a large piece of wool or cotton cloth of about 5.00 M x1.60 M which hide the shape of her body and covered her face. At Morocco' independence in 1956, Moroccan women became more and more active outside home, so the haik was replaced by the "Djellaba, which is in fact a male's garment in its origin. It has undergone many changes and important transformation in the last four decades. It has kept the same structure but lost the rigorous cut and the sober colors of its origins, except when worn by conservative or older women. The costume of the city women began to be affected by the fashion phenomenon as a result of more intensive exchange with other countries in the 19th century. This is the case of the "caftan". Originally Turkish or even Chinese, the qaftan has remained until today, the basic inner garment of the Moroccan woman. Fashion, yes....tradition too Despite all the variations that it may undergo under the pressure of modern living, traditional clothing constitutes the basic wardrobe of Moroccan women from all social classes. one needs only go to a wedding or any religious ceremony to realize to what extent Moroccan women and men remain faithful to their most beautiful traditions. Moroccan women Fighting for their Rights : According to the Moroccan constitution, the Moroccan woman has the same political rights as man. but she is discreetly present, she is a trade unionist who does not give speeches, but who works behind the scenes in order to obtain her full rights and manages to establish rights of the active woman. She is also into politics, she can be part of the central committee of any political party. She works very hard to impose herself and to prove to future generations that woman and politics are not necessarily incompatible, it is just a matter of faith . Woman and law : The legal status of women in Morocco plays a very important role in the political and social life of the country. Recently, a national committee on the participation of women in political life and a national council for the revision of the Moroccan family law ( moudawwana, have been formed; their objective is to bring the condition of women closer to the ideals of the United Nations. The women of the 21st century want to live with their time and be free of social dichotomies and various kinds of negligence which have been condemned by the United Nations conventions on the banning of all forms of discrimination against women (1979). This is a very complex field where religion and social conservation clash with the urgency of change . Under the article 13 of the constitution of the Moroccan Kingdom, all citizens are granted the right to education and employment. Morocco has ratified the international treaty on economic, social and cultural rights. It has done the same with International labor organization conventions on the protection of women and the principle of equality between the sexes. Still, recourse to tradition explains why the moudawwana maintains the sexual division of labor within the couple and entrusts the husband with the leadership of the family. The Koran shows tremendous care for women. It grants her many rights: she is free like man is, she can own properties and has complete control over them that nobody can have( her father, husband or son) she has to consent when it comes to marriage. Islam is the first and the only religion which restricts polygamy, besides, a woman can ask for an additional clause to the marriage contract specifying that the husband will remain monogamous. The Moroccan woman and development: Since 1989, illiteracy of women has declined thanks to the progress made by schooling since independence. It has led to a relative over -qualification of female activity in comparison with male activity. During the 80's, Moroccan women entered the economic world in great numbers by enrolling in more and more jobs in the city. They are present in all branches of activities, industry, social services, education, household activities and as well as their own business. In 1990, working women represented more than 25% of the total active urban population. mentality of the Moroccan people changed due to the participation of women in active life. Moroccan Women imposed themselves by their competence, thus , the inequality with men became less blatant. Many women choose to venture into many careers that have up till now been reserved for men only: airline pilots, journalists, writers, researchers, this choice is often the result of a need for financial independence or psychological growth. There are many fields where the Moroccan woman can be really proud of herself, and in which she competed with men, especially in the surgery field, medicine and public health in general. In this field, she is always appreciated and known for her dedication and her competence. In the country side , women are also very active, they represent almost 50% of the active rural population . In agriculture as well as in industry, women proved to be competent and represent the majority of laborers. The Moroccan woman as a mother is a true keeper of traditions. She is the nourishing mother and the educator, thus occupying a dominating place in society and especially within the family. She perpetuates life, cements identity and keeps traditions. S he is also valued by social powers, still, in a patriarchal society, she comes second to the father or the husband. The Moroccan woman finds her strength in doing many tasks, she keeps the upper hand over her home, ( housekeeper) but she also performs other tasks outside home. Moroccan Women and culture: The number of women who are involved in cultural activities is so large that it is impossible to quote any names at the expense of others. the artistic and literary production of women is getting wider and wider. Moroccan women are novelists, writers poetesses, actresses or journalists who find their inspiration in the daily, the historical, the fantastic or the romantic; with all liberty, they proclaim their pains, concerns , joys and dreams; they do it with unbelievable skills, a great mastering of the language, be it native or foreign language. In the world of music, there are many women who play different instruments in traditional or modern orchestras, among them, Ghislane Hamadi who won many international prizes. Many other women, singers are very much appreciated either in Morocco or in the Arabic World in general. Moroccan Women and Sport: Women and sport is an ambiguous equation . even though some progress has been noticed in the field since 1984, we can not say that Moroccan women are using sport to liberate themselves. They still have to face many difficulties. Fitness sport which is used by women to stay in shape has known a big progress , yet the competitive sport has not gained many disciples because of its requirements and also because of a lack of adequate structures and a problem of mentality that is difficult to overcome. Moroccan Women joining and creating associations: Soon after independence, there emerged a movement of association among women. These associations had social goals; they were created in response to a need felt by women from the elite to share their knowledge with, and assist, disadvantaged women and children. Justice and equity Later, during the 70's and especially the 80's, this movement took on the additional goal of promoting women's rights. This movement is characterizes by its diversity of trends and a multiplicity of objectives, organizational structures and agenda that vary according to the choice of the initiators. Moroccan Woman, family, child: Three types of associations are to be distinguished: socially -oriented associations which are interested in such causes as the protection of children and family. Information -oriented associations that serve to develop women's awareness in specific fields such as health, family, planning, aids fighting or environment protection. These associations generally have a mixed membership, but women are specially active in them. Constantly fighting Associations of the third type, in spite of their diversity, all claim a role in the battle for the reinforcement of the rights acquired by women as a result of the transformations that took place in the Moroccan society in the last three decades; and they all work for equity based on universal or specific values.