Dozens of activists linked to the Hirak protest movement that rocked northern Morocco in 2016 and 2017 had prison sentences of up to 20 years upheld by a court of appeal on Friday. The ruling against the 42 protesters in the western city of Casablanca was met with cries of “corrupt state” from relatives. The […]
Morocco
Pope in Morocco says physical barriers won’t solve migration issue
Pope Francis said on Saturday that problems of migration would never be resolved by physical barriers but instead required social justice and correcting the world’s economic imbalances. Francis, starting a two-day visit to Morocco, also backed Moroccan King Mohammed VI’s efforts to spread a moderate form of Islam that promotes inter-religious dialogue and rejects any […]
Warming ties: North Africa unites behind UNESCO couscous bid
Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia on Friday swallowed their differences and presented a joint bid to secure coveted UN heritage status for couscous, UNESCO announced. The four countries applied to have the hearty dish added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, which showcases the world’s most treasured cultural practises, the Paris-based UN culture agency said. […]
Morocco’s diverse Catholic community awaits Pope Francis
Ahead of Pope Francis arriving in Morocco, the country’s small and diverse Catholic community gathered excitedly at Rabat’s cathedral to get their hands on tickets to see the pontiff. “We’re lucky! The pope is coming to Africa, it will bring together communities from all walks of life in a Muslim country. It’s extraordinary,” said Ernould […]
Morocco’s ‘pilgrimage of the poor’ honours Sufi Muslim saint
It’s dubbed the “pilgrimage of the poor” — every summer, tens of thousands of people flood this small central Moroccan town to honour a Sufi saint buried here 12 centuries ago. Moulay Driss Zerhoun, nestled between two hills covered in olive groves, is where Idriss I, a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed who founded Morocco’s […]
Ronaldo says Portugal must improve after Morocco win
MOSCOW: Cristiano Ronaldo said Portugal have room to improve at the World Cup after his early goal secured a 1-0 win over Morocco as the European champions edged closer to the last 16. “Our expectation is to continue our work and try to improve in the group phase,” Ronaldo said after his fourth-minute strike decided […]