The Moroccan Diaspora in the
State of Utah and the United States of America:
Promoting
and Maintaining a Moroccan and Amazigh Cultural Identity in Utah
(Presented July 13, 2012)
Keith W. Martin PhD, Honorary
Consul for Kingdom of Morocco (Utah, USA)
Jane Day MA (Georgetown), MA
(UCSC), President of U.S. Middle East Connections
Synopsis
Ibn Khaldun, a 14th century
Maghreb philosopher, observed the cultural decay of conquered societies as they
assimilated into their new ruler’s kingdom. Fortunately, today Moroccans and
Amazighs enjoy cultural and technological tools that can help them maintain and
promote their cultural identity, even when they live in distant multi-cultural
societies, such as the State of Utah and The United States of America.
Introduction
Moroccans and Amazighs living in Ibn
Khaldun’s 14th century Maghreb (North Africa east of Egypt) faced
different political conflicts and more limited communication and travel
technologies than we have today. These limited communication and travel
technologies made it difficult to maintain a cultural identity when Moroccans
and Amazighs were conquered by more powerful rulers and forced to assimilate
into a new kingdom or when families moved from Morocco to Spain or from England
to the “New World.” For example, the
travel technology for crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the 14th
century was non-existent, but in the late 15th century it took five
weeks to cross the Atlantic Ocean (Christopher Columbus-Wiki, 2012). This
limited travel technology usually prevented “face-to-face” cultural
communications of families living in the “Old World” with grandchildren living
in the “New World.”
Fortunately in the 21st
century, improvements in cultural acceptance, combined with improvements in
travel, communication, and information technologies are helping all ethnic
groups selectively maintain their cultural identity outside their homeland. For
example, communication by cellphones, SkypeTM (SkypeTM,
2012), emails, and internet (Google, 2012) are instantaneous with the proper
equipment. Notably, Moroccans living in
the United States (US) and the State of Utah (Utah) can choose travel,
communication, and information technologies to selectively transmit and merge
their cultural heritage with their new culture, rather than be forced to
assimilate in a way that causes them to lose their family cultural heritage.
Ibn Khaldun’s Background
Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) was a
Muslim historian in 14th century Maghreb.
He came from a wealthy family that gave him access to travel and higher
education for studying mathematics, philosophy, and the Qur'an. He became
interested in politics, wrote official government documents for the Tunisian
ruler Ibn Tafrakin, and served as a diplomat, tax collector, professor, and
judge (Ibn Khaldun–Wiki, 2012).
Ibn Khaldun’s life was filled
with observations of many changes and events in the Maghreb and Arab World,
which influenced his outlook on the development of societies. One of these
events was meeting Tamerlane in 1401, as Tamerlane was attacking Damascus.
“Tamerlane had become the most feared and successful warrior from the East
after the Mongo chieftain Chingiz Khan.”
(Ibn Khaldun, 2005, p ix). During Ibn Khaldun’s extended visit with
Tamerlane, he learned the consequence of sharing strategic and cultural information with a warrior who had the
capability of destroying Ibn Khaldun’s beloved Maghrebian people and culture.
Cultural Environment and Identity in Ibn Khaldun’s 14th century
Ibn Khaldun’s most influential
work The Muqaddmah gives valuable insight into the sociology, history,
political science, and rise and fall of dynasties in the 14th
century. His observations include: (1)
the interactions between tribes, houses, towns, cities, and nations, (2) the
creation of dynasties, with their shared ancestry and "group feelings”
(cultural identities), (3) the adopting of the cultural identity of a new
leader by a conquered community, (4) the decay of a family and community
identity when a former community leader becomes apathetic to his historic
cultural identity, (Ibn Khaldun, 2005, Pages 97-117), (5) the ways a decaying
cultural identity lays the foundation for a new dynasty, with a new identity (Ibn Khaldun, 2005, Pages
252-53), and (6) the importance of education as a component for
maintaining and enhancing a cultural identity, while helping individuals decide
for themselves “what is correct and what is wrong” (Ibn Khaldun, 2005, Page 343).
These six cultural focus
points summarize some of the processes that occurred during the rise and fall
cycles of many ancient civilizations in the Maghreb, when existing communities
and nations were attacked by more powerful rulers, who introduced their own
cultural identities, language, arts, music, religions, and traditions. These rulers
often replaced existing identities until the former culture identities became
almost non-recognizable.
A new dynamic has emerged
since Ibn Khaldun’s time due to a shift in many of the elements he identified
as critical to the decline or preservation of a cultural identity. In the 21st
century, rather than losing one’s cultural identity to a powerful invading
ruler or to an American or Utahan culture, Moroccans have the opportunity to
select the best characteristics of their Moroccan, Amazigh, and new cultures. This study examines the following activities that
contribute to this freedom of choice:
1) Foreign Relations
2) Tolerance of Diversity
3) Social Environment
4) Business
5) Education
6) Humanitarian Services
7) Military Collaboration
8) Diplomatic Activity
9) The Utah Promote Morocco Team
10) Travel and Communication Technologies
Foreign Relations
The friendship and
interactions between Morocco and the United States began as early as 1777 and
continue to grow today (USSD Morocco Relations, 2012). This
friendship is the foundation for accepting and embracing Moroccan culture
within the United States (Morocco Embassy Diplomatic Relationship,
2012).
On July 4, 1776 America began
to pull away from British rule by proclaiming the right to life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence. After fighting a
bitter war, British Colonies became the independent American Colonies, with new
prospects of their own cultural identity and international responsibilities
(Milestones, 2012). As a new sovereign state, the American Colonies needed new
and existing friends.
The first country to extend
their friendship to the American Colonies was Morocco. During the American
Revolution, so many American ships called “at the port of Tangiers that the
Continental Congress sought recognition from the ‘Emperor’ of Morocco to
establish good relations between the two countries (Morocco Embassy Diplomatic
Relationship, 2012). This recognition was granted in 1777, making Morocco the
first country to recognize the United States of America [independent American
Colonies]. Negotiations on a formal treaty to establish ties between the two
countries began in 1783 (USSD Morocco-Background Notes, 2012). The formal
signing of the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship was in 1786 (Treaty of Peace
and Friendship, 2012). John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both future U.S.
Presidents, were the signatories for the United States (Morocco Embassy
Diplomatic Relationship, 2012). This treaty was the first Treaty between the
United States of American and a foreign nation and Morocco’s formal recognition
of the United States (USSD Morocco-early
history, (2013).
In September 2012 Morocco’s long friendship and the desire to
strengthen the relationship between the US and Morocco was mentioned by
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs
and Cooperation Dr. Saad Dine El Otmani in their remarks at the first
“Strategic Dialogue” between Morocco and the US (Clinton and Al-Othmani, 2012).
This “Strategic Dialogue” was also for providing a path for
cultural education and understanding, with the resulting acceptance and respect
by Moroccans and Americans of each other’s culture.
HM King Mohammed VI emphasized the
long relations that Morocco and the US has in his congratulatory letter to
Present Obama on his re-election as President of the USA, by stating, “Allow me to take this
opportunity to say how much I value the solid, longstanding relations between
our two nations, and how keen I am to continue working with you, Mr. President,
to further develop and expand our bilateral ties. The strategic partnership
between our two countries has undoubtedly given fresh impetus to our bilateral
relations and opened up vast, promising prospects (HM King Mohammed VI,
2012).”
The US and Morocco relationship
is further supported by the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade
Agreement (FTA), which was entered into force on January 1, 2006 and the 2012
“agreements that the top U.S. trade official say will stimulate significant
additional commercial activity between the two countries and within the broader
Middle East–North Africa region (USSD, Morocco Agreements, 2012).”
Tolerance of Diversity
The US was once considered a
“melting pot”, where groups of heterogeneous societies could lose their former
cultural identity by adopting and mixing with the homogeneous American society;
however, in 1970 the desire to assimilate was replaced by the new metaphor, “mosaic.”
Instead of leaving one’s culture behind, Americans were encouraged to embrace
their traditions, ways of life, and backgrounds (Melting pot-Wiki, 2012).
New York City, the largest
city in the US (US Census, 2012), is a microcosm of today’s US. Addressing this 21st century New
York, Fessenden and Roberts said, “A century ago, Israel Zangwill popularized the
term in his play, ‘The Melting Pot.’ New York has evolved into a greater
crucible of race and ethnicity today than it was back then, but the city also
remains very much a mosaic — a variegated montage of neighborhoods in which
certain groups predominate (Fessenden and Roberts, 2011).”
Recently photographer Danny
Goldfield observed that children in New York can identify with their country of
origin and heritage, while mixing with all the cultural groups of New York.
For Goldfield’s cultural review, he “set
out to take pictures of one kid from every country on earth,” without leaving
New York City. Goldfield was successful and said, "I have photographed
children from 169 countries” and “I only have 24 more countries to go” (Doane, 2012).
Like New York City, Utah is a
microcosm of today’s US, with a smaller population than New York City. It is a state where visitors and residence of
all cultures, which includes those with Moroccan and Amazigh cultural
heritages, aren’t forced to lose their former cultural identity into a “melting
pot”, but they are assisted in maintaining their own cultural heritage and
identity by many people and organizations, while becoming a part of Utah’s
diverse culture.
Respect for Moroccans and
their traditions increases when Utahans visit Morocco and discover the same
friendly social environment that exists in Utah. Ms. Jane Day MA, a member of
the Utah Promote Morocco Team, interviewed Greg Coy, following his visit to
Morocco. Coy said, “I was surprised to find that Morocco and Utah actually have
a lot in common. One of the most obvious connections is seen in the diverse and
beautiful variety of physical geography, but another less visible similarity is
the thriving artistic environment like that in Utah. One such artistic community is centralized in
Tangier, which houses the oldest US diplomatic property in the world,” “The
things that I love about Morocco I have in my own state. I understand better
now why Morocco is one of the US’s strongest allies in the region and why I
felt so at home amongst the wonderful religious and non-religious people of
Morocco (Day, 2012).”
Social Environment
Utah's diverse cultural
heritages and their numerous languages make it a choice location for families
striving to selectively create their own combination of American, “homeland,”
and Moroccan culture for their family. This cultural-decay prevention is
available because Utah has welcomed immigrants from all nations for over 160
years.
The diversity of culture and
languages in Utah is emphasized by the “English as a Second Language Classes”
which are taught in West Valley City, Utah’s second largest city and the 68
supportive “on-line” Google translations for selected city information (Utah
League of Cities and Towns, 2012). West Valley City focuses on its cultural
diversity to display a homogeneous society to non-Utah companies considering
building in Utah by stating, “West Valley City has a population of 130,000 in
the middle of the Salt Lake Valley's population of 1.2 million. We have the
most ethnically diverse populace in all of Utah with numerous cultures and
backgrounds represented. The Salt Lake City Metropolitan area is believed to
have the highest percentage of bi-lingual and multi-lingual workers in the
United States. According to Brigham Young University, which is approximately 45
miles Salt Lake City Metropolitan area, approximately 90% of the world’s
languages are spoken in West Valley City and “77% of BYU students speak another
language” (West Valley City, 2012
Brigham Young University).
The availability of language
courses in Utah’s education institutions is one measure of Utah’s cultural
diversity and awareness. Languages courses are offered in Spanish, French, and
many of the European, Asian, and Middle Eastern languages at the University of
Utah Department of Languages (U of U Lang., 2012), Brigham Young University
Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages (BYU Lang., 2012), Utah
State Asian Studies Program (USU Lang., 2012), Southern Utah University, through
the Study Abroad Program and an agreement with Ecole de Gouvernance et d'Economie - Rabat, Morocco(SUU, 2012), and several other universities and
community colleges in the state. In 2012 the Brigham Young University, through
The National Middle East Language Resource Center and funded by the Qatar
Foundation International started a unique “One- Day Camps / Online Arabic Course for High School
Student (BYU - NMELRC, 2012).”
Berber and Moroccan Arabic
aren’t taught in Utah. The best place to study Moroccan Arabic and the Berber
languages is in “the streets” of Moroccan cities and villages, supplemented
with language courses at universities and language centers and institutes like The
International Institute for Languages and Cultures in Fes, Morocco (INLAC,
2012). However, those wishing to study Moroccan Arabic can also take
advantage of the well-designed Georgetown University Press self-training
program, An Introduction to Moroccan Arabic Culture (Chekayri,
A., 2011).
In addition to welcoming a
variety of cultures and languages, Utah supports freedom of worship, rather
than one religion for all. This is
apparent by the different denominations, churches, synagogues, mosques and
temples, as well as organizations such as the Interfaith Council that operate
throughout Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake City Yellow Pages, 2012).
The selective merging of the
Moroccan and Utahan cultures is captured in the experience of Nihal Amarir, MBA
from Marrakesh, owner of Marrakech Treasures Store, and a 2012 naturalized
American citizen. She was born and
raised in Morocco until the age of 22 when she came to Salt Lake City. She quickly started to socialize and had a
job offer in the fourth week. She said "I got used to people and they got
used to me in very short time.” She
loves to openly talk about her Muslim religion. She believes this openness is
part of her Moroccan and Muslim upbringing, which focuses on being respectful
not only to all Muslims and people with holy books, but also being respectful
to people of all religions. She
concluded "this made a wonderful combination for me to love, to live, to
share, to believe, to be a family or friend to all the people I find in my way.
It does not matter what they believe. We just believe that we all have one God
to pray for all God’s children."
(Amarir, 2011).
Utah’s diversity of languages
and cultures helps establish a friendly foundation for those with a Moroccan
and Amazigh cultural heritage to selectively merge their culture heritage with
their new Utahan culture.
Business
Combined with cultural diversity and acceptance, several
Utah businessmen are increasing their understanding of Morocco as they develop connections
with Moroccan businesses. These
connections are coordinated through H.E. Rachad Bouhlal, the Ambassador of
Morocco to the USA and the Embassy Staff in D.C. (Bouhlal, HE
Rachad-Ambassador, 2012), the Honorary Consul Keith W. Martin (Martin, 2012),
The US Commercial Service (USCS, 2012),
Utah’s World Trade Center (WTC, 2012), the Salt Lake Chamber, the International Trade and Diplomacy
Office in Utah (ITDO, 2012), and several other government and private
international trade organization and programs.
To further help Utah business
people interact with business, education, and other Moroccan professionals, informative
presentations on Morocco and its business friendly environment have been made
by Ambassador Bouhlal in Salt Lake City (Bouhlal, HE Rachad-Visit, 2012) and in
Provo Utah (Bouhlal, HE Rachad-BYU, 2012), by Morocco's Economic Counselor Abdeslam
Zefri in Provo and Salt Lake City (Zefri, 2012), and by Honorary Consul Martin (Martin,
2012).
The state of Utah helps Utahan
Moroccans (naturalized US citizens living in Utah) start their own business by
providing: (1) high-rated business colleges, (2) government training literature
and programs, (Utah State Government, 2012), Small Business Association and its
partners such as SCORE, which offers free monthly workshops, and (3) freedom to
run a business from one’s home and on the internet, which reduces operation
cost. There is also help available from many government and private sources.
Moroccans living in Morocco,
who desire to do business in the US, can obtain business contact information
through the US Embassy in Rabat (USSD Embassy Morocco, 2012), and the Kingdom
of Morocco’s Embassy in Washington DC (Morocco Embassy Information, 2012).
Education
In the 14th century
Ibn Khaldun understood the importance of education to preserve cultural
identity, but he was limited by cultural education programs. Today Utah universities
and colleges help increase Moroccan culture awareness by providing many
opportunities for Utah students to learn about Moroccan culture through
educational exchanges, lectures, and Islamic culture displays.
Utah universities are
providing education exchanges in Morocco. Brigham Young University is providing
2013 scholarships for students to study in Tangier, Morocco (BYU Scholarships,
2012). The University of Utah is organizing a 2013 “Study Abroad”
program in Fez, Morocco (U of U, 2012). The Southern Utah University has a
university partnership study program with the Ecole de Gouvernance et d'Economie in Rabat, Morocco (SUU, 2012).
The University of Utah’s
Middle East Center is creating a number of initiatives to open doors with
Morocco. Dr. Robert Goldberg, Director
of the Tanner Humanities Center and Co-Director of the Middle East Center,
said: “I recently traveled to Morocco to begin discussions with university
professors and administrators about scholarly partnerships. I discussed
professor and student exchanges, conferences, lectures, and other collaborative
initiatives with representatives of Cadi Ayyad University (Marrakesh), Private
University of Marrakesh, Mohamed V University (Rabat), Ecole de Gouverance Et
D’Economie de Rabat, and Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University (Fez). I
believe that partnership between institutions of higher learning will add a
significant dimension to the education of our Utah professors and students
while similarly broadening the experiences of professors and students from
Morocco. It is these kinds of exchanges that do much to bring people of
different cultures and religions together so that they can stand on common
ground, as equals, in facing the challenges that confront our world.” (Day,
2012)
Utah Universities are also supportive
of Moroccan students. Mohammed Sbia, Ph.D., EMS, who is from Marrakesh and
Co-Chairman of The Board & CEO of Zahra Charity Inc, said, "I was
leaving medical school on the east coast to attend the U of U Medical School.
Everybody, including my colleagues and faculty members (most of them were white
Americans) asked me why I want to go to Mormon land. They made it sound like Mormon was a very bad
word and a culture in which I may be at risk of harm.” Mohammed went onto
explain that he learned that this was not true. He enjoyed his education at the
University of Utah and felt the people were accepting of his Moroccan heritage
(Sbia, Mohammed, 2011) Ambassador Bouhlal and
Consul Martin attended Brigham Young University’s Islamic Art Display called,
“Beauty and Belief” in February of 2012. This “exhibition featured over 250 objects from 50
lenders in the US and nine other countries in Europe and the Middle East.
Moroccan art was one of the arts displayed (BYU Beauty and Belief, 2012).
Humanitarian Services
Utah’s awareness of cultural
diversity has opened doors for offering humanitarian service outside the US. This
service is offered by churches, medical professionals, businesses, NGOs, and
individuals regardless of location, politics, and religious beliefs. The goal
of these individuals and organizations is to provide humanitarian service and
aid in the most effective way. This service doesn’t require adapting to a Utah
or American culture to receive it, but it is offered freely to help Moroccans,
who need help but desire to maintain their cultural identity.
When Ambassador Bouhlal
visited Utah in February of 2012, he visited the LDS Humanitarian Center and
observed the services, foods, clothing, and products from the Center that are available
for helping people in countries outside the US. It was emphasized during the
tour that this help was free and not connected to any religious activities (LDS
Humanitarian Service Center, 2012).
In addition to the humanitarian
efforts offered by Utah individuals and organizations, Mohammed Sbia, Ph.D.,
EMS, through Zahra Charity, Inc, is raising money to build and operate a
neuro-rehabilitation center in his home city of Marrakesh. He recently held a
music and art fundraising event at the University of Utah (Sbia-Zahra Charity,
2012).
Military Collaboration
One of the strongest
influences in Utah to unite Moroccan and Utahan cultures is the “Partnership”
between the Utah National Guard and the Moroccan military. King Mohammed VI,
President Barack Obama, Utah’s Governor Herbert, Ambassadors Bouhlal, US and
Moroccan Military Leaders, and various organizations have given their approval
and support to this Partnership.
Guard members are military, education, medical, humanitarian, and
numerous other professionals in their non-National Guard life. As Guard members, they offer their
professional skills without cost to help the Guard complete its responsibility
with Morocco in four areas of service: (1) cultural and military training or
sharing, (2) medical support, (3) humanitarian service, and (4) education
exchanges.
Currently a delegation of approximately five Moroccan military members
travels to Utah every year. There is a
similar delegation of Utah military members, who travel to Morocco every year. Both delegations meet with key military
government and community officials. Both
militaries focus on creating mutual interest and actions that will establish a
long-term relationship between the Kingdom of Morocco and Utah (Utah National
Guard, 2012).
In a recent interview between National Guard Lt. Col Lisa Olsen and Ms.
Jane Day, Lt. Col Olsen said, “The Utah National Guard has been a
partner with Morocco since 2003 as part of the National Guard State Partnership
Program. The program currently involves 64 countries around the world linked
with various U.S. states to promote the principles of democracy and human
rights, expand economic opportunities and support peace. Utah does its part to help insure America’s security by sharing
our ideals, values and patriotism with Morocco’s leaders and citizens.” The
Utah National Guard has a strong relationship with Morocco, which has consisted
of more than 120 events through the years. Currently, most of our interactions
within the State Partnership Program are military-to-military exchanges
consisting of helping the Moroccan military to prepare and respond to natural
and human-caused disasters. In the
spirit of SPP [State Partnership Program], the Utah Guard also participates in
an annual youth exchange with Morocco and has provided support to the national
orphanage in Marrakech, Morocco (Day,
2012).”
The Utah National Guard State Partnership Program includes educational
exchange as a component of the Partnership Program of the Utah National
Guard with Morocco. The focus on
educational exchanges increased in 2012 as a result of Ambassador Bouhlal’s
visit to Utah and the resulting Morocco-centered activities by government,
education, and private individuals in Utah and Morocco.
Diplomatic Activity
H.E. Rachad Bouhlal,
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the USA, is the key for strengthening
the bond between Moroccans and Americans. To strengthen the bond between Utah
and Morocco, Ambassador Bouhlal travelled for three days in Provo and Salt Lake
City visiting with Utah’s Governor and his international representatives, Utah
National Guard’s Major General Tarbet and his officers, professors and students,
and business and religious leaders. In the fall, the Ambassador supported Dr.
Sbia, a fellow Moroccan and a US citizen, with a video recording for “Sound and
Light”, to help raise money for a medical center in Morocco (Sbia-Zahra
Charity, 2012). The Ambassador added, “Utah is a special State for me. As some of you know it was the State I
visited immediately after presenting my credentials [from King Muhammad VI] to
President Obama. We have a long standing cooperation, especially through the
National Guard of Utah. . . . Someone who is working really very hard to have
the diplomatic relationship between Morocco and Utah is Doctor Keith Martin
(Sbia-Sound and Light, 2012).” The Ambassador is supported by professionals at
the Moroccan Embassy in Washington DC and by other Moroccan government agencies
in the US and Morocco.
Dr. Martin is one of seven
Honorary Consuls in the United States. He was appointed by the Moroccan Foreign
Bureau, who represents King Mohammed VI, and accredited by the United States
State Department. This appointment is voluntary, but it is extra important
because of Morocco’s Partnership with the Utah National Guard. Dr. Martin works
with Ambassador Bouhlal and has a regular communication by cellphone with the
Ambassador for official and friendly communications. Dr. Martin also works with
the Moroccan Embassy representatives, the Utah Governor’s Office, the Utah
World Trade Center, The Utah National Guard, Utah Universities, The Salt Lake
Committee on Foreign Relations, the humanitarian service organizations, Utah
companies, and private individuals to increase Morocco awareness, educational
and cultural exchanges, humanitarian service, trade between Morocco and Utah,
and to help Moroccan citizens in Utah. (Martin, 2012)
The Utah Promote Morocco Team
The Utah Promote Morocco Team was created in 2011. The team
met with Ambassador Bouhlal during his February visit. The Team members are:
Consul Martin, Ms. Elizabeth Goryunova, Executive Vice
President & COO of the World Trade Center Utah, Lt. Col Lisa Olsen of the
Utah National Guard, Dr. Mohammed Sbia of Zahra Charity, Ms. Nihal Amarir MBA,
of Marrakech Treasures, Ms. Jane Day MA, of U.S. Middle East Connections, Ms. Ibtissam
El Fajri, who is from El Jadida and her husband Eldon Gale, invited colleagues
at the University of Utah, and individual volunteers. All team members help
maintain a Moroccan identity, language, and culture in Utah (Utah Morocco
Promotion Team, 2012).
The team communicates through presentations
and reports on Morocco in public meetings, and in mass media, including major
local newspapers, and the internet. One assumption of the team is that when
many people work together to promote Morocco, increased attention is brought to
Morocco and its cultural identity.
Events that involved members
of the Promote Morocco Team include: (1) the visit of Ambassador Bouhlal 2012 to Utah and his
speech on Morocco and Morocco’s “Arab Spring” (Bouhlal, HE Rachad-BYU, 2012),
(2) Ms. Nihal Amarir, Ms. Jane Day, and Consul Martin discussion
on Morocco with Nkoyo Iyamba “live” on KSL Radio’s 2012 Cultural Connections
Programs (KSL Radio, 2012), (3) Consul Martin and Ms. Nihal Amarir’s
Moroccan Culture presentation at a meeting of the Community Development Network
by invitation of Dr.
Tiffany Z. Ivins (Ivins, 2012), (4) Nihal Amarir, Jane Day, and Consul Martin
joining Utah’s State Capitol welcoming committee, under the direction of
Utah’s Lt. Governor Bell and Utah National Guard’s Brig. General
Burton, to welcome Moroccan military officers:
Brigadier General Ahmed BOUATOU (Deputy Inspector, FAR Armored Brigade), Lt Col
Bensaid DRISS – 3rd Bureau (Operations), Maj Mohamed AMRANI – 2nd BIP (Airborne
Infantry Brigade), and Maj Abdelhay Kadmiri IDRISSI – 2nd Bureau (Intelligence)
(Moroccan Military Officers, 2012), (5) the publication of the newspaper
article promoting the Utah-Morocco friendship, “Buzzing with Possibility: The
Utah-Morocco Connection” (Gedal, 2013), and (6) the presentation on Utah-Morocco
relations to The Salt Lake Committee on Foreign Relations.
Concerning Utahan and Moroccan
activities, Franz Kolb, Governor Herbert’s Director for Europe, Middle East,
Africa, and India said, “The Utah – Kingdom of Morocco relationship has been flourishing.”
He added, “His Excellency Mohammed Rachad Bouhlal, Ambassador of Morocco to the
United States visited the state and had an opportunity to discuss with Utah
Governor Gary Herbert the cultural and educational ties as well as economic
progress. A Moroccan Military Delegation
visited Utah as part of the National Guard State Partnership Program that the
Utah National Guard shares with the Moroccan military. This partnership has allowed the fostering of
mutual interests and establishing habitual long-term relationships. The
Governor’s Office of Economic Development in conjunction with various local
partners highlighted business opportunities in Morocco for Utah companies
through various seminars and events such as Embracing
U.S.-MENA Global Trade Alliances and Doing
Business in Africa. The Utah-Morocco
relationship continues to be important because it is opening doors for Utah and
Moroccan organizations (Day, 2012).”
Travel and Communication Technologies
Ibn Khaldun's observations of
his 14th century world offered little hope for preserving cultural identity,
when consumed by a larger nation. Today,
societal-cultural acceptance and changes in technology are helping Utahans with
a Moroccan heritage selectively maintain, merge, and promote their Moroccan and
Utahan cultures with the help of 21st century global travel and
communication technologies.
Global Travel Technologies
The increase in global travel
technologies makes visits from Morocco to the US and from the US to Morocco an available
tool for increasing cultural understanding of the Moroccan and American
cultures.
During Ibn Khaldun’s life,
transatlantic travel was unknown. In 1492, when Columbus traveled from Spain
(Portugal) to America, the trip took him five weeks (Christopher
Columbus-Wiki, 2012). This long and limited travel made it very difficult for
relatives in the “Old World” to travel to the “New World” and share their
Moroccan culture with their relatives.
In the 21st century travel is much
different than Ibn Khaldun’s 14th century or Columbus’s 15th
century. Today, travel can be used as a tool by Moroccans to train their
American relatives about the Moroccan culture. For the adventurous,
transatlantic travel can be made on the Queen Mary II from Southampton, England
to New York in approximately eight nights (Queen Mary Cruises,
2012). This travel can be greatly reduced
by flying from London to New York, which takes approximately eight hours (Delta
Airlines, 2012).
Quick travel makes it possible for
non-Moroccans and those with Moroccan ancestry, to travel to Morocco and learn
about the diverse Moroccan and Amazigh cultures. It also permits Moroccans to
travel to the US and learn about the diverse American cultures.
Global
Communications Technologies
In 1492, if Columbus had carried a
communication from the King of Spain to someone in America, it would have taken
five weeks for the letter to be received and a minimum of five more weeks for
the King to receive a reply for a total of ten or more weeks.
When I (Consul Keith Martin), lived
in the UK during the 60's it took almost seven days to send a letter from
London to Salt Lake City. Although the
phone offered a faster communication, it was expensive and the operator had to
call me back when she had an international phone connection to the US.
Today there is an endless array of
instant communications. These include communications
with cellphones, SkypeTM (SkypeTM, 2012), emails, and
internet (Google, 2012). These
communications offer instant news from most countries of the world and pictures
along with endless professional information in English, French, Arabic, with
instant translations on Moroccan, Amazigh, and world cultures.
The internet offers an avenue
for sharing information on activities in Fes, Morocco, like INLAC’s study
abroad programs (INLAC, 2012), Fes’ Music Festival (Fes Music Festival, 2012)
and Fes’ Amazigh Festivals, where Consul Martin has been a lecturer for the 7th
and 8th Festival (Martin, Keith-Festival, 2012). Most internet information
from Morocco is available in Arabic and French and often it is available in
English, Spanish and other world languages. With the array of information
technology, King Muhammad VI, President Obama, or any world leader can
communicate information on their country to all nations of the world. With such
internet offerings like “Fotopedia” for all IPhones or I Pads can be used to
share a 1,000 pictures and stories about the Moroccan and the Amazigh culture
identity, language, and daily life
(Fotopedia Morocco, 2012).
Today's travel and communication
technologies make it easy for everyone to stay in touch with their cultural
roots and identities, no matter where they are living.
Conclusion
A review by 14th century
Maghrebian Historian and Sociologist’s Ibn Khaldun offered small hope for
maintaining "group feelings" or cultural identities in today's new
world culture; however, 21stcentury
developments in diplomatic relations, societal-religious-cultural acceptance,
business, education, humanitarian services, military collaboration, and
communication and information technologies, help maintain and promote cultural identity of
Moroccans. This fact is apparent when looking at the Moroccans living in Utah. The state within the United States works with
the university, National Guard, and businesses to promote Moroccan culture
instead of subscribing to a melting pot theory. These new social tools along with advances
in communication and travel technologies make it possible to prevent complete
loss of a Moroccan and Amazigh Culture. However, as in the 14th
century of Ibn Khaldun, the 21st century requires education to
maintain and promote one’s culture identity.
Recommendations
for Continued Moroccan Cultural Preservation
The following are seven
strategies to foster the continued preservation of Moroccan culture within the United States (1) Continue “Strategic Dialogues” between
Morocco and the US on the national level (2) Support the on-going relationship
between Morocco’s military and the Utah National Guard (3) Promote 21stcentury
environmental and technological advantages for Moroccans and Amazighs in
Morocco and in the diaspora areas of the US and Utah by encouraging Moroccan
cultural awareness and travel, (4) Strengthen present exchanges between
universities in Morocco and Utah among students, professors, and
administrators, (5) Participate in existing programs, such as the Utah Council
for Citizen Diplomacy, and its sister programs throughout the United States,
and establish similar programs, to host visitors for dinner in one’s home and
create lasting friendships (6) Increase Utahans travel to Morocco to expand
cultural understanding and respect of the Moroccan and Amazigh cultures, and
vice versa (7) Promote further studies through universities, government and
independent organizations on ways to utilize 21st century cultural
advantages and continue to evaluate the best ways to promote and
maintain Moroccan and Amazigh cultural identities in all diaspora areas of the
world. These seven steps will help preserve Moroccan culture.
Acknowledgments
Special appreciation to Ambassador Rachad Bouhlal, Pr.
Moha Ennaji, Pr. Fatima Sadiqi, and other professionals and educators in the
USA and Morocco for their support and encouragement.
References
Amarir, Nihal (2011). Personal Correspondence (Email),
Salt Lake City, Utah, June 04, 2011
Bouhlal, HE
Rachad-Visit (2012) Utah Visit 2012, Retrieved December 13, 2012, from
BYU NMELRC
(2012). The National Middle East Language Resource Center. Retrieved December
11, 2012, from http://www.nmelrc.org
Chekayri,
Abdellah (2011) An Introduction to Moroccan Arabic and Culture.
Washington DC: Georgetown University Press
Clinton and Al-Othmani, (2012). Remarks of Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Dr. Saad Dine Al-Othmani at the
Opening Plenary of the U.S.-Morocco Strategic Dialogue, U.S.
Department of State, Diplomacy in Action, Washington, DC September 13, 2012, Retrieved December 8,
2012 from http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/09/197711.htm
Day, Jane (2012). America’s Oldest Ally Has Much in
Common with Utah, unpublished report by Jane Day MA, a U.S. Middle East
Connections Specialist and Member of the Promote Morocco Team 2012, Copy in
personal collection
1.
President, U.S. Middle East
Connections
3.
B.A. Brigham Young
University (Middle East/Arabic)
4.
M.A. Georgetown
University (Foreign Service)
5.
M.A. University of
California, Santa Cruz (Middle East History)
Ibn Khaldun (2005) The
Muqaddimah : An introduction to history. Trans. Franz Rosenthal with
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INLAC
(2012). The International Institute for Languages and Cultures
Fes, Morocco. Retrieved December 7, 2012, from
http://www.inlac.net/
Ivins,
Tiffany (2012) “International Programs Community Development Network,”
Retrieved from www.comdevnet.net –
Presentation is Consul Martin’s PowerPoint presentation
KSL Radio
(2012). Cultural Connections: Nkoyo Lyamba discusses Morocco with Nihal Amarir
MBA, Jane Day, MA, and Consul Keith Martin PhD. Step to retrieve Cultural
Connection’s program on Morocco with Nkoyo Lyamba April 29, 2012:
2.
Open “kslradio” at
the top of site
3.
Open “podcasts” near top of site
5.
Open “Cultural Connections”
6.
With the list open you can:
Note: Since this is
a copy of an hour long radio broadcast, “Cultural Connection” is preceded by a
news broadcast and advertisements.
Cultural Connection’s Morocco starts after 4:00 minutes.
Martin, Keith
(2012). Information on the Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Morocco in Utah,
USA, can be retrieved from:
4.
U of U College of Education:
6.
NMELRC (The National Middle East Language Resource
Center):
Moroccan
Military Officers (2012). Official visit to USA and Utah from Personal notes,
emails, and itinerary June 2012, sent to Keith Martin from the Utah National
Guard; copy in personal collection.
Sbia,
Mohammed (2011). Personal correspondences between Mohammed Sbia and Keith
Martin. Salt Lake City, Utah June, 2011
Sbia – Sound
and Light (2012), Video recording of welcome by Ambassador Bouhlal to Sound and
Light. Recorded copy in personal collection
USSD Morocco Relations (2012). Morocco Relations: U.S.
Department of State, Diplomacy in Action, BUREAU OF NEAR EASTERN AFFAIRS, Fact Sheet, Retrieved December 8, 2012
from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5431.htm
Utah National Guard (2102). PowerPoint
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Copy in personal collection.
Utah Morocco Promotion Team (2012). Composed
of Nihal Amarir (American Citizen from Marrakesh), Jane Day (North African
specialist), Lt. Col. Lisa Olsen (Utah National Guard), Consul Martin, and
professional educators, government officials, and selected private individuals.
