The following journal is from TMN reporter Daniel Saenz, as he documents his semester studying abroad in Morocco.
BY DANIEL SAENZ
After being trapped in Montreal for about a day, I finally made here to Morocco. And thus far, it has been quite the adventure! Within a day, I already began to experience a great deal of culture shock in both the political and social realms of this ancient country. What really surprised me was the stark contrast between the actual daily life in an Arabic-speaking country and the portrayal of the Arab world in the mainstream media. The daily portrayal of Arabs in the media in the United States is quite outlandish to the point of almost being cartoonish.
Conservative media outlets such as Fox News and Breitbart often treat Arabs as a monolith and a very dangerous and unhinged. The narrative goes like this: the Arab world is dangerous. It is a desert filled to the brim with poverty, war, illiterate religious fanatics, men who constantly abuse and rape women, and any other hysterical imagery that any other person with an agenda could easily come up with. Now, I had always known this to be an exaggerated picture of reality. Nonetheless, I still remained cautious on the matter of religion.
It is no secret that much of the Middle East and North Africa is very Islamic. And it is also no secret that the religiosity that is found in the Arab world often leads to the unequal treatment of women. So, while I certainly knew that the media portrayal of Arabs was bogus, I still thought that it would be wise of me to stay cautious and try my best to avoid offending religious sensibilities. All of my preconceptions about Morocco were shattered the moment that I set foot in Casablanca. While there were certainly some people dressed in a traditional religious clothing, they were by far in the minority.
For the most part, people dressed and acted like people do here in the west. I saw many people wearing the latest fashion, listening to the latest music, etc. Unlike the illiterate and poor merchants that are often found in the media, I met friendly people who could often speak multiple languages and were more than kind enough to help me find my way around. This new image would be further solidified once I reached Al Akhawayn University here in Ifrane, Morocco. This city is, quite frankly, the exact opposite of everything that the media says about the Arab world.
The city utilizes the latest green technology, it is filled with young engineers and future diplomats who have more than enough experience abroad. Muslims here are more than happy to engage with people of different faiths. In fact, there is a class on comparative religions here on campus as well as an interfaith alliance that both seek to create a friendly environment for religious diversity. Now, none of this is to stay that there are not impoverished and religiously conservative areas here in Morocco. This fact became quite obvious when I spent a weekend in the ancient city of Fez. Oh, and it snows here!
In Fez, it is quite different from the places that I have seen in Morocco thus far. I was blown away by the sheer beauty of the architectural designs of the houses and mosques whose designs go back at least a century. However, with all of that being said, there were still problems. The general area of Fez was obviously impoverished and many of the locals were always ready to try and help me out, but mainly in the hopes that I would pay them. Not to mention that Fez has consistently been ranked one of the most dangerous cities in Morocco. And, it is a very religious city where I could actually see women wearing the Burka, or the full body covering in Islam.
What I have consistently experienced in every part of Morocco is good food. Somehow, the Moroccans have found a way to blend sweetness and saltiness in every meal. I have had everything from salty goat brains to sweet bread Falafel balls mixed with onions and have had my mind blown every time. Quite frankly, it makes me wish that there was a Moroccan style restaurant back in Hays.
What does this say about Morocco? It shows that it is a culturally rich country that is full of diversity just like any other country. Some people are very liberal while others are very conservative. Some people are friendly while others are not. Those of us in the west need to stop treating the Arab world as a monolithic entity and start treating the people living in this area of the world as individuals. I believe we will certainly gain more cultural enrichment that way. I certainly have many more places to stay and experiences to have while I am here.
