Firstly
from all of us at Desert Detours we wish all our clients and “Blog Readers”….. past,
present and future, a joyful Christmas and a great New Year, wherever you may
be.
Of course
particular good wishes to our December-New Year group who will be celebrating
Christmas Day at the Erg Chebbie Dunes and then cross to welcome the New Year
at Marrakech.
The plan
was that I for once would take a much needed couple of months break over
Dec/Jan and catch-up on the vehicle, office and scheduling ….as they say “best
plans etc. etc.”…. hence for example this re-Christmas blog entry seeing the
light late!
We always
receive quite a few enquires and confirmations at this time and this year was
no exception, so office work and logistics continued over the holiday period. With the two new 40+ day Moroccan tours FOOTSTEPS OF MOORS and THE GRAND TRANS-MOROCCO now firmly scheduled [One is already FULLY BOOKED] and with all our regular [Classic, Discovery and Amazigh Tours] 2015 dates published on the web-site we are clearly heading for yet another busy year …… Not to mention our ANDALUSIA TOURS …… if you can’t wait or are already planning for 2015 you know where to find us.
Its decision time yet again regarding extra staff……..do we, don’t we or is it about time we recruited a “Partner”……perhaps more of that in the next Blog issue.
SADLY ………..
If you have followed any Moroccan news over the last few weeks you couldn’t have failed to be shocked at the effects of the horrendous weather in the south. A national disaster followed the worst rain in living memory with major roads washed away, bridges destroyed and whole areas cut-off…….Of course there was a tragic loss of life, over 45 souls at the time of writing and they are still counting.
It would be churlish, given the aforementioned, to say that our tour group, other than experiencing various levels of rain at tour end was unaffected …….. However, we had until then experienced excellent weather during the tour and I can honestly say that this was the only weather of consequence we had experienced during the entire year……but when it turns in Morocco it does so with a vengeance!
As our
group crossed the Tizzi n Tichka Pass dark and ominous clouds were forming,
leaving it behind the rain started. The rain was then so heavy that the
following floods and damage closed the pass for six days.
One of
the attractions of Morocco is the almost
guaranteed fine weather, even during the winter months, but it is a big country with widely different
climatic regions. Don’t be put-off the winter months, just be aware of your
surroundings, or ask if in doubt…..forward planning, local knowledge and
knowing route diversions is an advantage ……. and I have to say one of the
advantages of touring with a group. Whatever, take care in the “Off Season” months.
KIDS WILL BE KIDS………………
Readers
of this blog may recall that I wrote a piece about “Zouhri Children” some time
ago [11th Oct ’13 in fact headed “If it wasn’t so tragic”] but
thought it was a re-mention as I am coming across ever increasing tales. The
latest being………….
Hakima
Elmterfi lives in a tiny village called Sbaâ Rouadi near Fes, and recalls the
dangers she says her nephew Mohammed encountered. When he was 11 years old,
Elmterfi says strangers tried to kidnap the boy by forcing him into a car. She
says his father intervened. “Only at that time did we find out that Mohammed had
been chased by strangers because he was Zouhri,” said Ettefahi.
Zouhri is
the name some Moroccans use for children whom they believe can find buried
treasures. A Zouhri child has distinctive physical characteristics. According
to Mostafa Aarab’s book “Magical Beliefs and Rituals in Morocco,” the belief is
that a Zouhri child is a hybrid of Jinn and humans, adding that the child has a
solid line across the palm of his hand and his tongue may also look as if it is
divided into two parts.
Some family members of Zouhri children say they
prevent the children from playing outside or going to school alone out of fear
that they will be kidnapped. In the case of Mohammed, once his family realized
that their son was considered a Zouhri, his grandfather decided to escort him
to and from school, while his mother rarely let him play outside the house. “All
this atmosphere of prudence and heavy guard kept him in fear until he got
married at the age of twenty. By then, he had decided to move to Fes for work.
He is a grown man now and he is able to protect himself” says his 19 year old
brother, Ahmed Almterfi.
Moroccans commonly buried their valuables since
there were no banks and it was unsafe to leave their money and gold lying
around. They also buried their cash and gold to avoid paying taxes. Since these
treasures are buried under the ground, it’s deeply rooted in the Moroccan
people’s unconscious that this fortune belongs to demons. This explains why some
“Rural” Moroccans believe that if they are offer the blood of a Zouhri child in
sacrifice, the demons will release the buried treasure.
Of course we
have to take into account the “Bogey Man” factor….. Sometimes when a child disobeys his mother she
would scare him with terrible stories of children who were kidnapped and whose
families also disappeared. Are these stories true or false…who knows? But the
fact is that among some Moroccans these frightening tales and the beliefs
involving Zouhri children have persisted through the ages.
SKIING IN MOROCCO?………
French
newspaper Les Echo has chosen Oukaimden, Marrakech among the best skiing
destinations in the world.Oukaimden was ranked in the fourth position behind Chili Portillo, Chile in first place, followed by Gstaad, Switzerland in second place and La Thuile, Italy in third place.
The French
newspaper described Oukaimden as a ski resort in fashion and a hiding confidential
ski area, which exhibits a great view of the foothills of the High Atlas and
the Haouz plain.
THE FIRST VIDEO THE “AMAZING MOROCCO” SERIES……..
If you have already been on one of our tours this short video will
no doubt bring back memories, it may even bring you back and If you haven’t
already been to Morocco it may well tempt you………
We will be posting these short clips of different locations we
visit over the following months……Where better to start than with TODRA
GORGE……..
SAINTLY STUFF IN MARRAKECH……….
It’s been about 300 years since Sultan Moulay Ismaïl de Marrakech came up with a way to deal with the growing influence of the seven saints of Regraga from the Essaouira region. Seven Saints were chosen, with only one thing in common: they’re all buried in the Red City. So who, where and why them? Not relevant now?........visitors exploring Marrakech would unlikely fail to spot the towers pictured here, no they are not part of a re-structure….. in 2005, at Bab Doukkala, these seven towers were built to honour these seven men, who are still part of the history and culture of the City of Marrakech.
It’s been about 300 years since Sultan Moulay Ismaïl de Marrakech came up with a way to deal with the growing influence of the seven saints of Regraga from the Essaouira region. Seven Saints were chosen, with only one thing in common: they’re all buried in the Red City. So who, where and why them? Not relevant now?........visitors exploring Marrakech would unlikely fail to spot the towers pictured here, no they are not part of a re-structure….. in 2005, at Bab Doukkala, these seven towers were built to honour these seven men, who are still part of the history and culture of the City of Marrakech.
Locals
often call Morocco’s Marrakesh the city of Sabatou Rijal, which literally means
“seven men”, but is usually translated in English as the “seven saints”. As
such, a trip to Marrakech could be referred to as a visit to the city of seven
saints. Their immortalized stories have lasted for hundreds of years, and have
become a part of Marrakesh’s history and Morocco’s history as a whole. So who
are they?
The seven men of Marrakesh are Awlya [plural of
Wali]. Awlya is an Arabic word that refers to people who Allah has blessed with
a special rank among the Muslims. It’s
been said that these seven saints were the seven men who shone in their times
as lights of guidance because of the blessings that Allah showered upon them.
Marrakesh is home to the graves of over 200 Awlya,
the late Alaouite ruler Moulay Ismail allegedly established the pilgrimage to
the tombs of the seven saints in the 17th century in order to give Marrakesh
extra religious significance. Since the 17th century, Moroccans from all walks
of life have constantly visited the graves of the seven saints in Marrakesh to
pray to Allah. They are drawn to the idea that visiting these graves could heal
their diseases, help them fulfil their wishes, and allow them to achieve
tranquillity of their souls.
The practice is no longer as popular as it once
was, but many Moroccans still say “I am going to the city of the Seven Men”,
meaning they are going to Marrakesh……..Those seven saints are…….
1 – Sidi Youssef Ben Ali……..His full name was Abou
Yaacoub Ben Ali Assenhaji. He was born in Marrakesh and never left it all his
life. He was nicknamed “Moul L Ghar”, or the “Cave Man”. When he was still
young, he was afflicted with leprosy and would lose parts of his body, causing
people to flee from him in fear of contracting the disease. His family, on the
other hand, expelled him out of fear of the virus. Afterwards, he went to live
in a cave in a deserted place near Marrakesh.
Locals expected him to die any moment, but Sidi
Youssef Ben Ali surprised them all and survived for a long time. People started
talking about his power to resist hunger and disease, and they began visiting
him in the cave to receive guidance and help them solve their problems.Sidi Youssef Ben Ali died in 1196 and is buried in Bab Aghmat, near the cave.
2 – Qadi Ayyad………Qadi Iyad ibn Musa was born in
1083 in Ceuta, then belonging to the Almoravid Empire. He was the great imam of
that city and, later, a high judge in Granada. As a scion of a notable
scholarly family, Iyad was able to learn from the best teachers Ceuta had to
offer.
Qadi Iyad benefited from the high number of
scholars in al-Andalus, the Maghrib, and the eastern Islamic world. He became a
prestigious scholar in his own right, and won the support of the highest levels
of society.
He died in 1149 and buried in Marrakesh.
3 – Sidi Bel Abbas…………….Born in Ceuta in 1129,
Belabbas Ahmed Sebti is the most important of the Seven Saints, and is
sometimes referred to as the Patron Saint of Marrakech.
It’s been said that his father died when he was
still a teenager, and then his mother sent him to work. However, his obsession
with his studies prompted him to occasionally escape his work in order to
attend the classes of Sheikh Abi Abdellah Mohamed Lfakhar in the mosque.
His mother, on the other hand, kept punishing him
and sending him back to work, until the Sheikh intervened and suggested giving
his mother money in order to let her child study.
Sidi Bel Abbas was a great patron of the poor and
particularly the blind in the twelfth century. Even today, food for the poor is
distributed regularly at his tomb.
He died in 1204 and is buried in Marrakesh.
4 – Sidi Suleiman Al Jazuli……..Abdullah Muhammad al
Jazuli was born in a village called Jazoula in Sous Massa Daraa in the 15th
century. Nobody knows the exact year of his birth. Historians say he descended
from Ali Ibno Abi Talib.
Imam al-Jazouli is better remembered as a character
of legend rather than a real human being. “Imam al-Jazuli”, was a Moroccan Sufi
leader of the Berber tribe of the Jazulah. He is best known for compiling the
Dala’il al-Khayrat, an extremely popular Muslim prayer book. The book is
divided into 7 sections for each day of the week.
In June 1465, he collapsed and died while
performing his Subh prayer. Because of the suddenness of his death, it was
rumored that he was poisoned. His body was buried near Essaouira. Seventy-seven
years after his death, his body was exhumed to be transferred to Marrakech.
5 – Sidi Abdel Aziz………..Sidi Abd El Aziz was a
fifteenth century theologian. His mausoleum is very near to Rue Baroudiyine, a
short walk from Marrakesh Riad Cinnamon.
He was born in Marrakesh, and was illiterate during
his youth. However, he later made a name for himself in Fez at the Medersat el
Attarine, where he was the spiritual successor of Imam el Jazouli.
He died in 1508 and was buried in Marrakesh. It is
a local tradition for women to visit his grave, drawn to the idea that he can
heal their fertility and facilitate childbirth.
6 – Sidi Abdullah Ghazouani………….Sidi Abdullah
Ghazouani was born and grew up in Fez. He was a follower of Sidi Abdel Aziz. He
died in 1528 in Marrakesh and was buried there.
7 – Imam Souhaili………….Imam Abderahim Souhaili was
born blind in 1114 in Malaga. He grew up in a poor, but religious and
well-educated family. His father taught him Arabic and helped him memorize the
Quran. Afterwards, he was taught other sciences by the famous scholars of that
time, in Malaga and other cities in Andalusia (the southern region of Spain).
He died in 1185 in Marrakesh, and was buried in Bab er Robb, a southern gate of the city of Marrakesh, near Bab Agnaou.
LIFTING THE VEIL……………….
OK, in relation to this blog it’s not a specific
Moroccan topic but it is one that comes up in conversation time and again on
every tour……and why not!
The universality of Islam invalidates the claim
that veiling of any kind is mandatory for all Muslim women, and, for that
matter, negates the notion of particular clothing requirements for all Muslims.
The Quran states “O mankind, indeed we have created you from male and female
and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another” (49:13).
The Quran recognizes and accepts cultural differences. It is hardly a
controversial statement that clothing is among the most salient manifestations
of culture. (Had God intended uniformity of dress upon embracing Islam, the
Quran would have indicated so, but it most definitely does not.)
The majorities of Muslims, if not all, firmly
believe that the Quran was sent as guidance for all of humanity and view Islam
as a universal and timeless religion. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is likewise
considered the final messenger of God for all people, rather than the Prophet
of 7th century Arabia or a Prophet sent to the Arab tribes only. The Quran
states: “We have not sent thee (Muhammad) but as a mercy to all the nations” (21:107).
Similarly, the equality of all human beings, except
in good character and piety, is an undisputed principle of Islam. Prophet
Muhammad stated in his last sermon that “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an
Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over
an Arab…” The language is clear and without room for debate: Islamically, no
culture is superior to another.
It is another uncontested fact that women in
pre-Islamic Arabia used to veil themselves when going outside their homes;
women in several other parts of the world have never observed a similar custom.
The Quran was revealed within a specific geographical and historical context
and, therefore, its particulars, or its illustrations of principles, refer to
the practices common to that society. However, with the spread of Islam, “each
new Islamic society must understand the principles intended by the particulars.
Those principles are eternal and can be applied in various social contexts.”(1)
In Arabia, before the advent of Islam, the women
belonging to rich and powerful tribes “were veiled and secluded as an
indication of protection.” It is important to emphasize that the veil was not
an Islamic innovation; it was in use for generations before the birth of
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).The Quran, instructing modesty as a principle,
illustrated it with the practices that were common at the time. However, the
Quran’s mandate is the general principle of modesty, rather than veiling and
seclusion, which are cultural manifestations that pertain to a specific
context.
Otherwise, how could it be true that Islam is
universal and timeless, all humans and cultures equal under it, none superior
to another, yet simultaneously true that all women, irrespective of the time
and place they exist in, who accept Islam as their faith, should proceed to
adopt the dress mores of 7th century Arabia? This is entirely absurd and not
Islamic but rather cultural. The particular display of modesty of 7th century
Arabia is not the only “right” one or the one superior to all others.
The way modesty was expressed before and during the
lifetime of the Prophet is quite different from how it is manifested in other
societies. Because Islam is a religion for all times, it logically does not
follow that despite the religion’s universality and timelessness, Muslim women
all over the world must continue to show their modesty and piety in 1400 year
old Arab standards. Moreover, “Allah intends for [us] ease and does not intend
for [us] hardship” (2:185).
The notion of a veiling requirement for women is
based on a fundamental error of interpretation: that of confusing the general
principles of Islam with their particular illustrations and it is very damaging
to the religion and to the overall progress of Muslims. This style of
interpretation turns Islam into a “rigid canonical religion geared
towards…external matters” and makes Muslims appear to be “confusing content and
form, aim and method, spirituality and ritual.”(2)
This stubborn fixation on women’s “proper Islamic attire”
strips Islam of its true nature of depth and empowering wisdom.
There is no dispute about the importance of modesty
or about the fact that modesty is required and central to Islam for both men
and women. But claiming that modesty demands, for instance, that a Muslim woman
living in New York City in 2014, wear garb that originated, was useful in, and
symbolized modesty and dignity in the desert of Arabia 1400 years ago is
completely ridiculous. No person, male of female, living in a modern society, let’s
say, contemporary America, Europe or Asia (and even many parts of North Africa
and the Middle East), would consider a woman showing her hair to be immodest.
Neither are men these days particularly provoked by the sight of a woman’s
hair.
Among today’s morally questionable fashions and
cultural practices, a woman’s uncovered hair is hardly a temptation or a show
of moral laxity. But, let’s imagine that it were in fact a ‘temptation’. Let’s
pretend present-day men were somehow so weak as to be provoked by glancing a
woman’s hair, still, the solution is within themselves. Modesty is also
required of, and was first mandated to, men: they are ordered to lower their
gaze, purify their thoughts and dress modestly too. The answer is not for women
to make it their central preoccupation to ensure by all means that they do not
cause men any impure thoughts. This is, again, absurd: Islam teaches that in
the eyes of God, each person is responsible for his or her own actions.
So, where do the veiling notions come from? There
are three Quranic verses that deal with the issue of hijab which are commonly
known as “Ayat al Hijab”:
The first of these verses deals exclusively with
the household of the Prophet and is not to be extrapolated to other people. In
this particular context the Quran orders that “whenever you ask them (the
Prophet’s wives) for anything, ask them from behind a curtain (hijab)” (33:53).
The reason for this revelation is simple:
“In Madinah, the need had arisen to protect the
household of the Prophet, who had now become head of State, from easy informal
access by each and every one. This was done separating the official and the
private quarters which has since become routine in official residence. This
division was achieved with the aid of a screen (hijab).”
It is a major tragedy that this verse has been
misinterpreted to the point of requiring women in certain countries to never
leave their screened-off quarters even while out in the street. During the time
of the Prophet, women were free to move around in society, encouraged to learn,
invited and welcome to Islamic gatherings where they sat among men and used to
pray in the mosque side by side with men. The practices of secluding women are
actually un-Islamic.
The other two verses that discuss women’s dress
code have a general application:
“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters as
well as all believing women that they should draw over themselves some of their
outer garments (min jalabibihinna); this will help to assure that they are
recognized (as decent women) and not be annoyed” (33:59).
It is of utmost importance to note that this rule
does not require women to wear a specific type of clothing, such as a large
headscarf, and then pull it over the breast. “The Quran assumes that women wear
an article of clothing that allows the covering of their breasts, and that this
is done. In ancient times, this article would have naturally been worn over the
head in hot, windy, dusty countries. However, a Quranic requirement for this
cannot be derived from 33:59.” (3)
The final clothing regulation that appears in the
Quran discusses the protective purpose of these rules: “And tell the believing
women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not to display
their charms beyond what may decently be apparent thereof. So let them draw
their head coverings (which were commonly worn at the time, not implemented)
over their bosoms” (24:31).
The first two injunctions of not staring at the
opposite sex in a provocative manner and hiding one’s primary sexual parts are
also imposed on men with the same wording (Quran 24:30). The third rule,
displaying those charms that are normally visible (ma zahara minha), “is a very
sensible regulation: It takes into account that from period to period and from
culture to culture there are great differences in the view of what, aside from
her genitals and breasts, is erotic about a woman.”
Murad Hoffman, in his book, Islam: The alternative,
cites a rector of the Great Mosque in Paris, Sheikh Tedjini Haddam, as
explaining that what Islam actually recommends is that “a woman be decently
dressed.” And the application of this recommendation varies depending on the
social environment.
Dr. Sultan Abdulhameed perfectly explains this idea
in The Quran and the Life of Excellence:
“In order to benefit from spiritual teachings, it
is important to separate the essential from the peripheral. We should recognize
the principle of progressive change in religious as well as in cultural and
social life. Truth is eternal, but the way it is expressed changes with time,
and it is experienced differently by different people.”
*It is important to note that I am not opposing or criticizing a woman’s
decision to cover her hair or to dress in a particular way for a wide variety
of reasons, such as announcing her moral values through her attire, expressing
her disagreement with the increasing pressure (at least in the West) for women
to be scantily dressed or perhaps, for identity reasons, including preserving
one’s cultural identity or externally communicating one’s religion to society.
However, the idea that all Muslim women are required by Islam to veil themselves (in any form) is false and damaging to women, to Islam and to people who might otherwise consider accepting Islam as their faith......
However, the idea that all Muslim women are required by Islam to veil themselves (in any form) is false and damaging to women, to Islam and to people who might otherwise consider accepting Islam as their faith......
