As we prepare for teaching classes and seminars, and for conversations with local representatives, we are mindful of our somewhat liminal position: though we are supervised by the embassy, we are not direct employees. Though strict security constraints may not apply, we are still clearly representatives of the U.S. Though we may express our personal views, in our professional realm we encourage conversation and discussion, not conflict. As invited guests in Morocco, we honor our hosts' sensitivities while bringing our ideas to the table. In our orientation sessions we reviewed a few topics that are particularly delicate in Morocco though they may be regular fuel for classroom discussion in the U.S.: the position of the King and the royal family; the role of Islam as the established religion of the state; the role of the police and the F.A.R. (royal armed forces), and local laws, particularly those regarding social mores such as reproductive rights and gender behaviors.
These hot topics should not be broached directly by foreigners, as they are fervently defended by the culture and seen as essential to the ongoing health of the culture.
As such, though, they are important topics and are on the minds of most citizens; they are likely to affect discussion and personal relations, they are likely to be top of mind when exploring other cultures such as America, particularly when exploring a new language such as American English. That language of ultimate flexibility and adaptiveness may be seen as a safer space for exploring new approaches to culture and identity.
As guests in the culture, we should learn about the local scene, and keep aware of the hot topics around us, though they may not be spoken aloud to us. We can be more sensitive when nearing those topics, and we may provide some outlet through tangential approaches. For example, the role of women in society is an excellent conversation starter. It can be interwoven with the modernization of Morocco and freedom from colonial laws as well -- hundred-year-old ordinances against sexual relations outside marriage, and against abortion, remain on the books today, recently used against a young journalist critical of the regime. I mentioned this in an earlier post, and note that it is still hotly debated in the country, and has engendered some public protest.
HuffPostMaghreb cites some demonstrations seeking to remove penalties against premarital sex.
LeMatin posts a talk show on their YouTube channel about modernizing Morocco that includes discussion of the old abortion laws, and the irony that the only people arrested happen to be those who have otherwise irritated the government.
These hot topics should not be broached directly by foreigners, as they are fervently defended by the culture and seen as essential to the ongoing health of the culture.
As such, though, they are important topics and are on the minds of most citizens; they are likely to affect discussion and personal relations, they are likely to be top of mind when exploring other cultures such as America, particularly when exploring a new language such as American English. That language of ultimate flexibility and adaptiveness may be seen as a safer space for exploring new approaches to culture and identity.
As guests in the culture, we should learn about the local scene, and keep aware of the hot topics around us, though they may not be spoken aloud to us. We can be more sensitive when nearing those topics, and we may provide some outlet through tangential approaches. For example, the role of women in society is an excellent conversation starter. It can be interwoven with the modernization of Morocco and freedom from colonial laws as well -- hundred-year-old ordinances against sexual relations outside marriage, and against abortion, remain on the books today, recently used against a young journalist critical of the regime. I mentioned this in an earlier post, and note that it is still hotly debated in the country, and has engendered some public protest.
HuffPostMaghreb cites some demonstrations seeking to remove penalties against premarital sex.
LeMatin posts a talk show on their YouTube channel about modernizing Morocco that includes discussion of the old abortion laws, and the irony that the only people arrested happen to be those who have otherwise irritated the government.
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