In solidarity with the two Moroccan embassy employees kidnapped last month in Iraq, the Moroccan blogsphere started a new blog that follows up on latest news and coordination campaigns to free the hostages (in Arabic and French).

Foulla writes that Al-Salafiyah al-Jihadiyah in Morocco Declares Jihad on the Moroccan Government. They issued a statement, declaring that the time has come to announce the �jihad on the government of disbelieving and oppression,� for the heads of government have allegedly �sold the country to the infidels after they cleared the area from the real [...]

The latest survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, called Islamic Extremism: Common Concern for Muslim and Western Publics and conducted among more than 17,000 people in 17 countries this spring, finds that while many Muslims believe that radical Islam poses a threat (to Americans and Westerns), there are differing opinions as to its causes. [...]

Moroccan police had “recently” seized 200 sticks of dynamite and 115 detonators and arrested its 67-year-old driver in the Mediterranean port city of Nador. When they raided his house they found another 485 detonators. “The explosives were being used in traditional fishing and for digging wells.” So the terrorists list of valid excuses just grew [...]

Local Moroccan officials in Casablanca have refused to grant a permit to Lebanese singer Haifa Wahbi to hold a concert. The officials� decision came in response to a late request made by the Korean company LG, to organize the concert.

The official�s decision was influenced by the recent chaos created by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram�s [...]

That is the plea of the 408 Moroccan prisoners of war currently held by the Polisario Front in the Western Sahara. With many having been incarcerated for over two decades, they are currently the longest-serving POWs in the world. Six recently released POWs who met with The Washington Times told their tragic tales of torture, [...]

Leila Marrakchi’s ‘Marock’, a debut film from new Arab women director, deviate from traditional themes:

“It’s not your typical Arab film. I wanted to get away from all that,” says Marrakchi. “At the same time what is seen in the film is a part of what actually does exist. I wanted to leave those subjects that [...]

Here’s some good news from the Jordan: Israel, Iran, Syria, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Palestine Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Algeria, Jordan and many other countries from around the globe (click below graph for a list of other countries), need no “Open SESAME magic” to be able to cooperate on an advanced scientific project.

In [...]

No, this is not a Palestinian refugee camp. This encampment was home to 11 of the 13 suicide bombers who detonated explosives-laden backpacks at five targets in Casablanca May 16, 2003, killing 46 people and injuring more than 100. (AP Photo/Abdeljalil Bounhar)

Nancy Ajram in town? That means: sexual harassment, theft, excessive alcohol consumption resulting in violence, people fainting; all took place during the concert in Marrakech.
The mayor of Marrakech in Morocco has announced that Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram will not be permitted to hold any future concerts in the city to avoid the reoccurrence of any [...]