The foreign ministers of Morocco and France met in Rabat on October 9 to discuss means of promoting bilateral cooperation in the economic, security and cultural arenas. “Talks focused on means of enhancing the relationship between our two countries,” Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said in a joint press conference with his French counterpart, Jean-Yves…
Why do so called second generation ‘social climbers’, identify with their ethnicity? When do these adult children of immigrants, who reached high educated levels, identify in ethnic terms and why? How do their identifications develop over time? Many in the Netherlands wonder why children of immigrants, especially when they are higher educated, ‘still’ identify with…
Thomas Marchal, 22 years old, converted to Islam two years ago. Following his conversion he became increasingly zealous in his religious beliefs and left France to live in Morocco “to practice his faith in a Muslim country.” Prior to his arrest he was living in Marrakech working at a call center. One month ago Moroccan…
A recent research executed by the Social and Cultural Planning Bureau (SCP) among conservative muslims and protestants shows that a majority disapproves of homosexuality. 53 percent of Muslims and 58 percent of Protestants (outside of the mainstream Dutch Protestant Church) believes homosexuality is wrong. Both groups show little difference in views among youth and elders….
Five imams from Amsterdam are starting a ‘peaceful jihad’, consisting of a website and meetings where youth can ask questions, to prevent them from radicalizing. They say they want to make clear what the correct meaning of jihad is. Not ‘war’, as many people in general and Muslim youth think, but: ‘striving.’ According to Mohammed…
