My Slingshot Hobby Noureddine Boutahar

Hunting with a slingshot was the bread and butter of boyhood in my generation—a rite of passage for young country boys. A catapult dangling from a boy’s neck was as common as shadows at sunrise—an unmistakable sign of youthful curiosity and untamed energy. These were days when our pastimes were stitched together by our own hands, simple yet rich, untouched by the buzz of electronics or the glare of screens.

The slingshot, or catapult, is a hand-powered projectile weapon with a Y-shaped frame and elastic bands attached to a pouch that held small stones. We bought the rubber bands at the weekly souk. There were two types to choose from: flat bands, often repurposed from tire inner tubes, and tubular bands, pricier but far more durable. We whittled the frames from orchard trees and fashioned the pouches from worn-out shoe leather. Soaking the leather in water softened it, making it pliable for crafting. To us, these slingshots were more than tools—they were the heartbeat of childhood adventure.

I recall with a warm ache the times I hunted alongside my elder brother. Back then, I was his “beater,” a sidekick descending the valley, flushing out game with shouts, thrown stones, or a stick dragged noisily through the underbrush. When the birds perched above him in the trees, he struck with the precision of a marksman, killing them instantly. My reward? The honor of carrying the game, strung proudly on my belt like trophies of war.

Eager to follow in my brother’s footsteps, I began crafting my own slingshots around the age of eight. I started carving frames and buying bands from the souk. Hunting became a shared adventure with my younger brother and cousins, each of us taking turns as hunter and beater in a fair and playful democracy. Wild pigeons (tourterelles) were our prized quarry, though we also hunted quails, larks, and sparrows. Quails, elusive and solitary, were a rare delight, while sparrows and larks filled the gaps when pickings were scarce.

The best part of the hunt came after: we would bring the game home, pluck the feathers, wash the birds, and roast them over open flames. Their meager meat, seasoned by fire and triumph, tasted divine to us. Our parents, however, teased us, calling it a child’s indulgence, and rarely joined us in savoring our spoils.

Through practice, my slingshot became a seamless extension of my arm. I could bring down a bird mid-flight with uncanny precision. But beyond hunting, my catapult proved versatile: it was my tool for knocking ripe figs from treetops, my guardian against stray dogs, and my weapon of choice against snakes, which I shot from a safe distance.

Yet, slingshot hunting was not without its dangers and harsh lessons, some etched deep into my memory. One summer, while stalking wild pigeons, I crept cautiously through a shrub for cover. My focus was so intense on my target that I failed to notice a hidden wasp nest until I was practically nose-to-nest with it. In a heartbeat, the wasps erupted like an angry volcano, their stingers raining down on my face. I flung my slingshot away and fled in a frenzy, swatting and shouting, but the persistent swarm chased me all the way home. For a week, my face was a swollen canvas of pain, soothed only by my grandmother’s poultices and prayers.

But the darkest memory of my slingshot came in the summer of 1974, a memory that still weighs heavy on my heart. I had been sent to retrieve our equids—mares, mules, and a prized jet-black colt my uncle was breaking in to replace an aging chestnut horse. That colt, a lively spirit, often strayed to mingle with the neighbor’s animals. On this particular evening, it stubbornly refused to return, despite my best efforts. Frustration surged through me like a tempest. In a moment of anger, I aimed my slingshot at its neck and let the stone fly.

The result was a tragedy I neither intended nor foresaw. The colt reared, shaking its head in pain, and to my horror, blood trickled from its left eye. My heart sank into the pit of my stomach as guilt flooded every fiber of my being. Desperate and panicked, I ran to the old well near our orchard and hurled my slingshot into its depths, wishing I could vanish along with it.

My family was puzzled by the colt’s injury, making numerous guesses and asking endless questions, but I hid the truth for a while, burdened with guilt. Although I bared my soul to my grandmother a couple of months later, seeking solace for my egregious mistake, the weight of having wounded the innocent creature remains an enduring ache in my heart. The colt’s recovery was slow; the stone had damaged the side of its left eye, leaving a scar that never faded. My family treated it with herbal remedies, but every time I saw the animal flinch in pain, I wished I could undo my reckless act. 

A year later, the colt was sold at a reduced price to a dignitary from a neighboring tribe who loved its breed. Though it was gone, the memory of that day has never left me. Even now, I lose sleep wondering why some lessons must come at such a high cost. I often pray the colt, in whatever realm it may now roam, has forgiven the reckless boy I once was.

Desperate and Angry, Moroccan Teachers React: Noureddine Boutahar

Poor students! They are trapped in an oscillation, back and forth like a pendulum between home and school. This daily commute has become a routine part of their life all due to the justified strikes by their teachers. These strikes are a result of the pigheaded Education Minister's misguided devotion to his failing Fundamental System, treating it like a treasured relic. 

In response, teachers have decided to go on strike to voice their complaints after years of unparalleled patience and false façade peace. But why, you ask? Well, it's quite simple: The darn mountain put in all that effort, and what do we get? A measly, pathetic mouse, as the Arabic saying goes. 

Teachers have finally had their fill of the government's ingenious reforms in the educational system. The government, in its boundless wisdom, decided to take a bulldozer to the existing educational system. They went all out and tore it down completely with this baleful Fundamental System.

On the other side, educators, in their stubborn insistence on having a well-functioning system, have the audacity to demand better working conditions, fair pay, and resources for their students. Is it too much? Are they asking for the moon?

For decades, these educators have been making sacrifices they see as acts of dedication, willingly offering extra hours, extending their efforts beyond their job descriptions, assuming additional responsibilities to enhance their institutions, and even dipping into their personal resources to procure teaching materials, from pens and beyond. Unfortunately, those in positions of authority have misinterpreted these acts of commitment as signs of submission and vulnerability. The government took an inch for every mile the teachers gave it.

Initially, the Fundamental System was implemented discreetly and fell significantly short of teachers' expectations. It also entailed an increased workload for teachers, provided no salary raises, and introduced an extensive list of punitive measures that seem more fitting for dealing with bandits than dedicated educators! Moreover, it slapped teachers with a whopping 38 percent increase in income taxes. In addition, extra responsibilities were added to teachers' already demanding roles, making their workload even more overwhelming. Furthermore, the system made the already challenging path to career promotion even more torturous, to put it mildly. Lastly, and to add insult to injury, the system provided salary increases to administrators, while leaving teachers out in the cold!

This shows that our government has a very different vision for reform, one that avoids tackling the root issues and devising creative approaches to fix an education system in shambles. One such vision involves applying a fresh coat of paint, labeling it as 'reform,' and hoping that everyone will be fooled. The other is embracing an attitude dripping with arrogance, provocation, and intimidation instead of trying to put out the fire of a heated battle. Another one is unabashedly churning out one infuriating memorandum after another in record time, adding fuel to the blazing fire of discontent.

For surely, in the minister’s pursuit of his educational utopia, he decided to fly solo. This decision is set to cause a meteoric rise in discontent among the educators. The reckless wasting of invaluable instructional time will be elevated to an art form, and the utter ruination of the futures of those despairing students from humble backgrounds will be the crown jewel in Ben Moussa’s grand opus.

In conclusion, we can only hope for a collective awakening of conscience regarding the ongoing crisis in the Moroccan education system. It is crucial to prevent further damage to our own national interests. However, it is noteworthy that this is a pivotal moment for reform, and seizing this opportunity is very imperative. Failure to do so could have undesirable repercussions for generations to come.

Social Networking in Education Noureddine Boutahar

The internet has its good, bad, and ugly face. Social networking is undeniably a double-edged sword that should be used carefully and wisely so that students can draw educational benefits from it. So, because our students come to class with a fairly good knowledge and interest in social technology, we need to raise their awareness to its advantages and drawbacks.

However, some people would argue that social networking is just another classroom add-on like the blackboard, the whiteboard, the CD-player, and all the material that we flood our schools with. Yet, there exist many legitimate concerns about the use of social networking for educational purposes.

First, many people are not prepared for it and may get hurt by these sites. Such harm may come from the disclosure of private personal information. This can result in blackmail, sexual harassment, defamation of character, and all kinds of internet bullying.

Second, there is the problem of addiction. Many young people spend too much time at their computers doing nothing but IAM-ing and playing games. This may have a detrimental effect on students’ health as well as distract them from their studies.

Third, young people may gain access to pornographic material. This might harm them psychologically and push them to act out what they see and become sexual deviants. 

However, because computers and the internet have become an integral part of most students’ lives, many students today come to school prior knowledge of internet use. So if we deprive them of such a great learning tool while almost everyone is using it at home, we may feel belatedly sorry that we have shortchanged them and have stifled them and limited their horizons. We need to introduce these young people to the good flip side of social networking because it will serve them to learn.

Social networking helps students exchange information and ideas with peers, other students, and teachers, locally and abroad. It is a powerful tool to learn from different sources because “the best thinking comes from many not one” . It provides the learner with opportunity to select the information, compare it and thus make knowledge acquisition easier and greater.

Also, this tool makes it easy for young people to connect, socialize, and make friends with people their age and like-mind from all the four corners of the earth. It is a way to promote global learning connections between students worldwide so as to learn about other diverse cultures without having to cross the borders. This way, students will, hopefully, dispel misconceptions and develop understanding of others and respect differences.

Besides, in social networking most of the information there is cost effective or at no cost at all.  No need to travel long distances to get information. No need to buy expensive books. Everything is only a click away. It can also help defeat the cruelty of material shortage in many countries, especially the third world. One or a couple of computers in the classroom – or at school – can make up for a whole library. It’s a great tool to narrow the divide between the haves and the have-nots.

The best-selling point of social networking for me is its ubiquitous aspect. The widespread use of technology and the omnipresence of the internet have made social networking part of almost every young man’s day. Wikis, blogs, micro-blogging, and other social technology tools have become the interest of the new generation in the remotest parts of the world. Added to this is the fact that wireless and satellite connection is spreading in leaps and bounds and it will soon make these tools much more affordable and add to their universality and pervasiveness.

Micro-blogging, for example, has made life easier for many students. They can write very short paragraphs, comments, messages etc without being forced to slave away at pages without having much to say. It is also an effective way to communicate with teachers and other students in short texts. It, then, saves time and energy and relieves from the anxiety of having to write a lot. 

Our responsibility, then, as teachers is to facilitate the way our students use social networking. We need to show them the good, the bad, and the ugly face of social networking. We ought to teach young people how to use it wisely, ethically, and responsibly. We need to trust them though we have to check from time to time.

Also, fortunately enough, most micro-blogging tools today provide us with options to have some control on the users. We can, for example, control who can get in Twitter with our group and who can’t, if we want to do so.

More, teachers ought to plan in advance and work out all the details of the activity so that students get focused and stay on the teachers’ page. Unprepared teachers lose track of what they are doing and give students the opportunity to misuse the tools.

Eventually, since social networking is imposing itself as a necessary tool in our classrooms we need to get prepared for it. We need to believe that it is like every man-made tool in today’s world; it has two sides. It’s like our cars, our TV, our guns, our cell-phone, and so forth. We have to use them, not overuse or misuse them, or let them use us.

 

Indifference is Destroying the World Noureddine Boutahar

        Why is the world getting worse than ever and why are the bad guys getting the upper hand? Why are we taking, day in day out, a few more steps backward  towards a darker, scarier, and more uncertain world?

        Part of the answer is in the short story of the humming bird:

       One day, a long time ago and in a faraway place, or so the legend goes, there was a huge forest fire that was raging the countryside. All the animals were terrified, running around in circles, screaming, crying and helplessly watching the impending disaster.

        But there in the middle of the flames, and above the cowering animals, was a tiny hummingbird busy flying from a small pond to the fire, each time fetching a few drops of water with its beak to throw on the flames. And then again and then again.

        After a while, an old grouchy armadillo, annoyed by this ridiculous useless agitation on the part of the hummingbird, cried out: “Tiny bird! Don’t be a fool. It is not with those miniscule drops of water one after the other that you are going to put out the fire and save us all!”

        To which the hummingbird replied, “Could be, but I’m going to do my bit”.

        The main theme of the story, of course, is that indifference is dangerous. It is one of the greatest threats to humanity and existence itself.

        As you know, indifference means lack of interest, concern, or sympathy. In other words, not doing our bit, in the words of the humming bird. 
        Elie Wiesel once said “The opposite of Love is note hate, it’s indifference’’. I think there is a lot of truth in this statement because people nowadays show a lack of concern about a number of pressing issues like global warming, poverty, genocide, injustice, and so many other forms of evil which drive our world towards an abyss of unimaginable horror.

        Edmund Burke, for his part said “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” He’s right because people seem to oppose these evils in their hearts, but they never make any active effort to fight them.

        So, if we continue to turn our backs to social injustice, if we continue to turn a blind eye to environmental issues, if we continue to turn a deaf ear to oppression, we’ll give free reign to selfish desires, injustice, tyranny, and violation of human rights.

       The French singer and composer, Gilbert Bécaud, summed it up well in a song when he said, “What really destroys the world is INDIFFERENCE."

Character Education Needed. Noureddine Boutahar

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” Too much knowledge without character is also a dangerous thing. In both cases, you get people who know their ABCs, but who are not educated.

People with little knowledge are just literate. People with too much knowledge and no character are just robot-like citizens.

Both types are poorly-educated in that they lack quality education. And quality-lacking education holds back and does not make for just, productive, and democratic societies. It produces half-judges, half-teachers, half-doctors, fake-priests, fake-muftis, fake-citizens… in brief a threat to society.

In Theodore Roosevelt’s words, “To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society”. He means that focusing only on the education of students in core curriculums such as languages, mathematics, social studies etc. without also educating them in moral value, simply indoctrinates individuals who will jeopardize and undermine societies.

In Stephen Covey’s opinion, intellectual development without character development is like “putting a high-powered sports car in the hands of a teenager who is high on drugs.” One need only look to the ever-present stories of crime and violence that fill out televisions and newspapers to find the truth of his words; lack of character education is ubiquitous, and increasingly apparent. Present-day education gives us knowledge but not respect for ethics, character and moral values.

Remember the various terrorist attacks that shook the world! Remember the 17-year old student from Ouarzazate’s (Morocco) Sidi Daoud  high school who violently beat one of his teachers! Remember the world's most notorious scandals! These and other flagrant acts are the result of a lack of character and quality education.

Mahatma Gandhi mentioned seven things that will destroy us.  “Knowledge without character” ranks among the first three. He’s right; what good is our knowledge of Physics if all we do is build bombs and arms of mass destruction? What good is our knowledge of Philosophy if all we do is remain indifferent to gross human rights?”

As Martin Luther King put it, we live in a world of “guided missiles and misguided men.” This means that even “scientific findings” could be bent to suit the political ideologies of the amoral politicians and business-people who have not yet completed their education. 

But what is character education?

Dr. Thomas Lickona defines character education as “the deliberate effort to help people understand, care about, and act upon core ethical values.” Character education, then, aims to instill in students important fundamental, ethical and performance values such as honesty, fairness, responsibility, caring, diligence, fortitude, and respect for self and others. Its objective, also, is to form and train young people in wisdom and virtue.

Bottom line; character grounds education and keeps us from becoming bad, corrupt, wicked, and cruel.  So, isn’t it time we restore character education to its rightful place at the center of the curriculum?

A Government for … the Rich Noureddine Boutahar

The price of staple foods and services are skyrocketing in Morocco and the reasons behind these hikes are twofold: the government’s decision to reduce the Compensation Fund's subsidies in an amateurish manner, and the failure of some of the most vital sectors due to a lack of qualified persons in positions of authority. In both cases, it is largely the lower and middle classes who pay the price while the wealthy and privileged continue to win as before, right under the nose of the government.
Moroccan people pinned too much hope on this government for bold and genuine political and economic reforms such as the improvement of living conditions, the creation of jobs, and the provision of quality education. However, optimism quickly turned to disappointment and frustration as these hopes failed to materialize. They have remained, instead, electoral slogans and promises shelved until the next elections. The severity of the disappointment makes “the last of the Mohicans” among Moroccans put the Islamist Party on the same line as all the rest of the political parties that have ruled the country since ‘independence’. That’s why there is, now, a general feeling that Morocco keeps changing its administration but not its habits and mentality.
This government, for example, used clever speeches to delude people into believing that a reduction in the Compensation Fund's subsidies would bring prosperity and improve the living standards of all. Conversely, what the rich have surrendered to the government, they have gained from the people because they did not wait long before raising prices in order to make up for the lost subsidies. The end result, unfortunately, is that the poor are compensating for the rich, who are always in a win-win situation.
It is true that the Compensation Fund's subsidies weigh heavily on the state budget, but resorting to simple, ordinary, and easy solutions hurts rather than helps. In spite of its many shortcomings, the system helped Morocco avoid social tensions and protect the purchasing power of the population for decades. So, addressing the issue by digging deep into the pockets of the underprivileged is not only bad politics, but bad policy: it simply relocates the problem rather than solves it.
Unfortunately, despite the growing public frustration, the government stubbornly refuses to listen to the voice of the people as spoken through the media and in the street, choosing, instead, to engage in empty and fierce polemical shouting matches with anyone who opposes its policy. The Prime Minister has let no opportunity pass without reminding us that he “will not abandon this reform... whatever the price to be paid". Sadly, it is the Moroccan poor, not he, who will pay and suffer from the price hikes in staple foods, petrol, education, and more. Also, his ministers almost never miss an opportunity to seek out “devils and alligators” with which they can distract the public instead of keeping their nose to the grindstone and creating viable and cost-effective solutions to the problems they mentioned in their election manifesto.
Regrettably, the call for people to go back to the old ways of making bread and, indirectly, to boycott expensive products reflects the government’s inability to carry out real reforms. It follows from this logic that anyone who cannot afford something expensive should a fortiori compensate for it with a primitive alternative: for example, a Barraka (shack) will do if you cannot afford a house.
The other issue which testifies to the government’s impotence in the face of powerful bigwigs is its failure to prosecute those responsible for the bankruptcy or defective state of many government services and ‘offices’. Ironically, the government has decided instead to cut corners and bail them out with consumers’ money. As is custom for this government, it has called upon the weakest link in the chain, demanding that it pay for the failures of others who get away without repercussion in accordance with this government’s infamous motto of “Let bygones be bygones” when it comes to the wealthy and powerful. It is no surprise, then, that the rich who still enjoy their privileges, perks, and benefits are completely unruffled by these so-called reforms.
I’ll level with you, the current government’s policy is untenable, absurd, and illogical: it is fanning the fears it has come to assuage because it threw itself into the arms of the wealthy and powerful and shook off the hoi polloi upon whom it had ridden piggyback to power. Even worse is that it is serving the agenda of the powerful Bilderberg Group by establishing a society of rulers and serfs with no middle class so as to win the favor of the group and those that orbit it.
I hope, though, that this patchwork government will stop its populist lingua that butters no parsnip, redeem itself, and seek a way to lift the Moroccan people out of the dungeon of despair and hopelessness; otherwise, as Oscar Arias Sanchez said, "Out of poverty sprout social instability and desperation, which delegitimize governments that declare themselves democratic." God forbid this were to happen.

Massar: The Software that Broke our Education's Back Noureddine Boutahar

Students are taking to the streets in Morocco these days to demonstrate against Massar software because the proverbial little bird told them that it would hurt them more than help them. Although the Ministry of Education might have acted with good intentions to insure transparency and fairness in testing and grading, its untimely action has awakened a long dormant issue and truth: our education system is failing our students because of a myriad of reasons. This post, however, will cover only the ones which characterize teachers-ministry relationships and, consequently, affect the students and the teaching-learning process.

First, the teachers-ministry relationship has often been one of mutual suspicion and distrust. Both sides have been exchanging accusations for decades over the failure of our education system. Teachers have often pointed an accusing finger at the ministry and its bureaucrats and held them responsible for all the failures and disappointments of our education system. They have also criticized the department as ineffective and unproductive, spinning its wheel aimlessly. Teachers, on the other hand, have been stigmatized and labeled as instigators and education profiteers, and have been blamed for all the problems in education and for everything that goes wrong in schools. They, also, have too often been vilified and depicted as part of the problem instead of partners, experts, and authorities to be respected, consulted, and heard. This cat and mouse game is simply outrageous and has created an atmosphere of mistrust and has had devastating results and a serious negative impact on the teaching of Moroccan children.

Second, the above mentioned chronic, underground conflict is the outgrowth of the Ministry tightening its grip on all aspects of education. So, all the decisions have been made in a top-down fashion with almost no input from teachers who have and are still asking for an honest and open communication as well as a true partnership with the Ministry and other stakeholders. The Ministry, instead, practices the old Moroccan chauvinist saying of “ask for their advice, but never take it.” In fact, reports are regularly written by teachers about the appalling state of our education system and suggest reform strategies and options to improve educational outcomes. However, education officials – wise guys – usually take the propositions, if ever, with a grain of salt so as not to let the voice of hands-on men and women drown out or overpower their own. So, teachers have usually been the last ones to know of these superficial and limited patchwork reforms made at a ‘higher’ level.

Third, teachers have been, for decades, implementers of failed educational policies that they have had no hand or say in creating, and they are almost never partners in the policy development process. The deployment of Massar software a few weeks ago bears out on this claim. It came like a clap of thunder because neither the administrators nor the teachers nor the students were prepared for it. Certainly, the digital school management system will not hurt the students, but it has created a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere and roiled suspicion and fear because of the Ministry’s rashness and arbitrariness in introducing it. If it is natural for students to fear what they don’t know, it is not necessary for the Education Department to rush out the software until those it would affect get familiar and acquainted with it. It would have been better if the Ministry had piloted the software for enough time and allowed all the parties concerned to comment on it and make suggestions. The present version of the software has a few flaws that have to be fixed. These include – at this writing – things like a contradiction with ministerial memos in terms of the number of quizzes and tests and the overlooking of some subjects. So, what soured many is not the software itself, but the Ministry’s modus operandi.

Fourth, and I hope to be wrong on this one, our Makhzen – in general– often creates distractors to occupy people when it feels there is mounting dissatisfaction and/or frustration with substantive issues. Distracting people with side issues is a formula that never fails our de facto rulers (Makhzen). Most probably, Massar is one of these smoke screens used to hide the real and urgent need for a better and fundamental reform in education that involves all the stakeholders in the formulation of the purposes, ends, and means of our education. My last worry, though, is whether this software will survive and live up to the expectations of committed and dutiful teachers or it will suffer the fate of Gally Software, Genie, Programme d’Urgence, and others.

Last, but not least, is the frustrating bureaucracy which pervades every nook and cranny of this sector and hinders initiative, stifles creativity, and impedes innovation. I, myself, suffered the cudgel of bureaucracy time and again. A good – or maybe bad – example that still stands out in my mind happened back in 2006 when I dropped a project for my school that was to be funded by the UME and RELO for the simple reason that I could not cut through the meandering procedure of bureaucracy. Red-tape is not only frustrating and dissuading but also wastes so much time and energy and costs so much money.

To be able to make serious inroads into reforming our education system and into dealing with the current horrible situation, the Government and Education Department need to treat teachers, administrators, supervisors, and parents as true partners for the equal benefit of all. These partners contribution will make work lighter because, as Henry Ford said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

A Tribute to my Lost Brother, Abdelmajid. By Noureddine Boutahar

Six cruel, painful months have passed since the death of my brother, Abdelmajid. Yet I am still unable to forget or sit back and enjoy anything to the fullest because his memory is a constant sore; a pebble in the shoe of my consciousness. I was told to write about him and about his death because that might help me heal and root out that cutting sadness which has been eating away at my heart and mind. I don’t think the words will come out easily, for the deep corrosive grief will throttle my throat and numb my fingers. But I will try my best.

Mjid or Mjidou, as everyone including myself always called him, died in an unforgettable car accident in the evening of October 8th, 2012. He left behind a wife, two sons, and a girl and he adored them all like any good father and loving husband would. He also left behind old parents to whom he was very attached, and to whom he provided every comfort they required. Mjidou’s role model was his Dad to whom he looked up as a paragon of honesty, integrity, and humility. However, Mjidou still kept his own adorable personality and excellent manners that made him the special man he was. A man with a giant heart which had room enough for everyone: brothers, sisters, in-laws, and anyone whose path crossed his.

Abdelmajid was still young and always in good health. He lived all his life in the clean and salubrious countryside of Boukachmir, near Oulmes, where he sowed and tilled his land and tended his cattle and sheep. He loved the soil of his land and sweated his guts out to clear it and make it a better place to live than it had been before. He loved his cattle and sheep and was especially fond of his dog –Sam– which preceded him in death by a few days (see photo bellow). Mjid sometimes complained of country life, but only during times of drought which devastated animals and crops.

Mjid was active and his schedule was always hectic. In addition to family chores and responsibilities, he never failed to give a helping hand to his many friends, neighbors, and tribesmen. He was the pillar of both our family and Boukachmir community. The crowds at his funeral bore witness to the love the community felt for him. People from far and wide came to his funeral on foot, on muleback, and by car and each one told a story which testified to the piety, integrity, and honesty of Mjid. He was a hero to everyone who knew him because he was among those who give others preference over themselves “even though they are in privation.” (alhashr)

Mjidou had little free time and he spent it on partridge hunting. He fought tooth and claw to set up a hunters and shooters association for the youth of his community - the last thing in the long list of their dreams. The association saw the light of day only a dozen of days before his death. My brother always dreamed big but started small and continued steadfastly, persevering and enduring through the trials and obstacles until achieving his ultimate objective. He never faltered, he never gave in, and he never bent to despair.

Mjid was young and semi-illiterate; however, the elderly and the educated filled their pitchers at the springs of his “wise and discerning mind”. My brother was endowed with the virtues of wisdom, insight, reflectiveness, and unflinching kindness, which earned him enormous popularity among the old and young, and made him a mentor to whomever sought his advice.

Because Mjid was always healthy, energetic, and full of life, I had always believed I would die before him and he would take care of everything: he would cry his eyes out, dig my grave with friends - with a heavy heart, receive condolence offerers and serve them, take care of my kids and be a shoulder for them to cry on. If I were given a choice, I would choose to die before him, but every living soul has a term. As is said in the Quran, “when their time arrives, they can neither postpone it by one hour, nor advance it.” (Yunus)

What more shall I say about my brother whose death has torn every inch of my soul? What more shall I say about Mjidou whose death has impacted the way I think about my life? What more shall I say about a brother whose memory is a constant torment, an everlasting reminder of the futility of life, a clear warning that life is meaningless and a big bubble that will soon deflate?

The keyboard will not help in phrasing my silent sorrows. All I can do right now is tuck my brother away in my heart and pray: May you rest in peace, dear brother, and may God Almighty welcome you in his Heaven. May Allah Almighty ease the family grief and pain and give us all strength enough to get through the loss of a great man whose like Boukachmir will never bear again. May Allah grant us patience and count us among those who take refuge in Him and say, “To God we belong, and to Him we will return.” (Al Baqara) Amen.

Summer Ordeal Noureddine Boutahar

As we count down to summer vacation, my adrenaline gets pumping up. The mere thought of summer makes me shudder. It reminds me of the sleepless, horrible, all-night parties ahead when I will be spending the nights watching the clock ticking the seconds away. These parties, be they wedding ceremonies, birthdays, male circumcisions or whatever, are a systematic torture and a nightmarish moment for Moroccan poor and middle-class neighborhoods.
The parties begin at 00ish and finish after dawn. The music played over the loudspeakers, swells and swells progressively until it reaches its unnecessary maximum intensity and loudness, shaking the whole neighborhood. The so-called singers keep belting out their amplified soit-disant songs that pierce people's ears and hearts. They turn people's homes into harsh prisons and torture chambers. They deprive everyone - babies, old people, sick people - of sleep, keep their hearts quivering and make them suffer ear ringing the whole following day or tinnitus all their life.
It is a 'compulsory insomnia', in Abdellah Damouns words, that almost everyone in this country has gone through. I say 'almost' because our Makhzen (ruling elite) is well-known for its selective application of the law. The elite districts are often safe, peaceful and so calm that you could hear a pin drop at night. When it comes to the plebs, the authorities adopt the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" policy.
Disturbing the peace is a crime in every jurisdiction. However, like many rules in this country, this one is also drawn but not followed. Morocco does not lack laws but the rule of law. Many things here are preached but not practiced or they are practiced selectively.
I have been a little bit around the world, but I have never come across a case where one parties until dawn and the rest of the district stays up writhing in agony in their beds. I have never witnessed a situation when people have to listen, unwillingly in the dead of night, to drums that damage their ear drums. I have never heard cars honk their horns anywhere else in the streets at dawn except in this country where rules are made to be broken.
This situation compromises the future of younger people who are growing up in this lawlessness. Their version of right and wrong will certainly be not only completely different but dangerous too. Adding this lawlessness to the deliberate chaos that is given free rein in our streets after the Arab Spring is adding fuel to the fire. Our future generation is being taught to flout the law, to scoff the rules, and to grow up careless and indifferent of their responsibilities and duties. That's ultra danger.
There is no better way to end this post than pray to God − in the absence of law enforcement − and ask Him to grant us all patience this summer and help us keep strong through the usual summery ordeal. Amen.

First Night at Kent, Ohio, USA

On January 11th, 2008, around 10:30, I arrived in Kent, Ohio, to attend a semester-long academic program at KSU. The program includes auditing courses on teaching methodologies, curriculum development, and the use of technology for education. It also includes ESL classes and an eight week internship at Lakewood High School. I had to stay at the University Inn which is not very far from the White Hall where we take courses. For dinner, I had some juice, bread, and a yogurt provided by the Inn because I had forgotten my dinner on the plane . It was not snowy or rainy as we expected but it was cold outside. The room was heated and had all the necessary furniture in it: Bed, TV, phone, tables, chairs, a fridge, an electric cooker, a microwave, hot running water etc. I had a shower first, then I started to unpack. I did not sleep until 1:15 and I was dead tired. At 02:05, I woke up, startled by the sound of the smoke detector. I thought something was burning in my room and I looked all over but there was no fire, no smoke, no smell no nothing. I didn’t know what was going on and it was my first night there. Maybe I inadvertently did something wrong! I called the desk but James was not there. He does not work at night. I called Abdesalam, my Moroccan friend in his room but he did not know what to do either. I looked at the crazy buzzing thing for some time then decided to go back to bed and forget about it. Impossible. The sound was deafenning. I stood up and looked through the window and saw nothing but darkness. I went back to the paper James had given us on arrival and read it word for word. It read, “Our emergency number after hours is ### ### #### or extention 511”. I quickly dialed the three digits and could not believe my ears when a voice said “Hello.” The night guard soon came up to my room and used one of my towels to blow air at the crazy thing. Maybe he thought I was smoking or something though I had never lit a cig in my life. The obstinate detector went on buzzing. He then stepped on a chair and reached for it and opened it. “It’s the battery”, he said. “I’ll have it changed tomorrow.”