Taroudant, Morocco - The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations awarded Morocco for its "remarkable progress" in the fight against hunger. 

During a ceremony on Monday at the FAO headquarters in Rome, José Graziano da Silva, the Organization's Director-General, awarded Morocco “for obtaining the Millennium Development Goal 1 (MDG-1).”

Accepted by Aziz Akhannouch, the Moroccan Minister of Agriculture and Marine Fisheries,  the award recompenses the kingdom for reducing the prevalence of undernourishment.

According to the official website of the FAO, “Morocco reduced the prevalence of undernourishment from 6.7% in 1990-92, to less than 5% in 2011-13.”

The same source added, “In the same period, the number of undernourished people in Morocco has been reduced from 1.7 million in 1990-92 to 1.6 million in 2011-13.”

Morocco has reduced the proportion of people suffering from hunger before the 2015 deadline, thus having met the World Food Summit target.

"One year ago we celebrated the first 38 countries that had achieved the [Millennium Development Goal] target, three years in advance of the 2015 deadline. 18 of them had also met the World Food Summit target. Now we come together to recognize three more countries for their efforts," Graziano da Silva said.

While many countries have successfully fought hunger and undernourishment, the global objective of totally eradicating hunger and malnutrition remains a significant challenge for the world.

"Even today, in a world of abundant food over 840 million people are still undernourished," the FAO Director-General said.

According to l’Economist, “Morocco will also be honored at the first day of the FAO Council through the presentation of the "Green Morocco Plan", a national strategy that led to the realization of the first MDGs, and the signing of a tripartite agreement for South-South cooperation (Morocco-Guinea-FAO)”.

Edited by Timothy Filla 

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Rabat - A number of Moroccan news outlets reported that Ronaldinho’s agent had stated that the Brazilian player would have no objection to playing in the Moroccan soccer league.

The alleged news, which is on its way to become viral, did not stand up to a reality check.

A quick reference to the website of the Tunisian radio station Shems FM, which is cited by many news outlets as the source of this rumor, reveals that the player’s agent did not in fact mention Morocco in his statement.

Antonio Damasso, presented by the Tunisian radio station as Ronaldinho’s agent, has allegedly said that the former World Cup champion is willing to play in the Moroccan or Tunisian soccer league if he is offered a good contract, according to Moroccan news outlets.

"Ronaldinho would have no objection to play in Morocco or Tunisia, provided he plays in a great club, which would be able to provide him income between 4 and 5 million euros,” he allegedly said.

The same source added that the former player of Paris Saint German and F.C Barcelona was offered 2,5 euros by an Emirati club, but he declined the offer.

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By Marisa Fernandez Buenos Aires

Many fans all over the world claim that Lionel Messi is one of the greatest football players in the world. But, what does he need to be the greatest?

Not only did Argentina's team captain, Lionel Messi, scored his team's second goal in the Maracaná stadium in Rio de Janeiro in a match with Bosnia Herzegovina but he went on to lead his team to victory in its first match. The enthusiasm was almost palpable as the stadium roared and raved with enthusiasm.

This goal was Messi’s second in a World Cup and it was noisily celebrated among the throngs of Argentinian fans who turned the stadium into a sea of blue and white! If you ask people who the world´s best football player is, chances are most people will respond with Lio Messi, despite the fact that he has never won the FIFA Cup with the Argentina team.

He has won the coveted Balon d'Or for three years running for Barcelona Club. He has won all six Spanish cups, five Spanish league titles, three championship league wins, two UEFA Super Cups, two FIFA Club world titles and one UEFA Intertoto Cup. Unfortunately for Messi, he has failed to claim the ultimate prize: the FIFA World Cup.

Football is a team sport but talent and skill are needed to be the best. In all he has made 366 appearances for club and country, scoring 230 goals, providing endless displays and mesmerizing the crowds. The fact is that Messi plays with 10 other players and he outshines them all. Even now on the Argentina team, he remains in the spotlight.

Winning the FIFA World Cup is absolutely necessary for Messi because it is the largest tournament in his sport. In order to claim the title of the “Greatest Football Player,” he must prove that he can be a leader on the world’s biggest stage. It is the hope of most Argentinians that Messi adds the FIFA 2014 title to his already stellar career.

When asked who is the greatest football player of all time, people often respond with the likes of Pelé, Maradona, Beckenbauer or Zidane. The things that people remember the most are the goals that each one has scored for his team at the FIFA World Cup. Some might say that a player´s talent cannot be measured by winning a tournament or by the goals he makes, but it certainly helps in the world's opinion!

After defeating Bosnia Herzegovina on Sunday, Messi declared, "It's important that we started off on the right foot with the three points, but we do have things we must improve. It's not easy with all the anxiety and the nerves, but the important thing is the result.” He knows what he is saying. The global village was and will continue to watch him.

By leading Argentina to the victory, Messi has begun his journey to prove to the world and to himself that he can be the best. If he can continue to produce like he did for Barcelona, he will surely succeed.

Edited by Peter “Clay” Smith.

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By Rachid Madani

Casablanca- Information Technology (IT) is changing the world on every level, including the business environment.

In order to understand the effect of IT on economies in developing countries such as Morocco, governments are engaged in strategies based on the development of IT clusters. But, the success of such strategies is conditioned by the acceptance of e-entrepreneurship by future entrepreneurs. So, how likely are future Moroccan entrepreneurs to accept e-entrepreneurship?

A recently published study in the Journal of Entrepreneurship: Research & Practice conducted by two Moroccan professors at the National School of Business and management in Agadir investigated factors that influence e-entrepreneurship acceptance in developing countries The study interview 56 students of accounting and financial management, considered as future entrepreneurs.

Researchers followed what is referred to as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) theoretic model, which is based on the study of three hypotheses related to "Usefulness, Ease of Use, and Attitude." Furthermore, in this study “Trust,” “Image” and “Risk” were added constructs to predict IT acceptance by future Moroccan entrepreneurs.

The study was led by professors Az-Eddine Bennani and Rachid Oumlil. According to researchers, “future entrepreneurs give more importance to the utilitarian aspect of project-based IT.” Moreover, researchers found that “future entrepreneurs are ready to invest in project based in IT whenever these technologies are understandable and easy to use.” Moreover, “Entrepreneurs believe in the improvement of their image whenever they invest in project based IT” the study stated.

Such studies offer governments and policy makers in developing countries a key to understand how to successfully draw IT strategies and make objective assessments of investments in this field. And the first core element to success is to understand the factors that lie behind entrepreneurs’ desire to invest in IT.

Edited by Ilona Alexandra

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Fez - Following the emergence of the Mers (Middle East Respiratory Syndrom) virus in Saudi Arabia, Moroccan Minister of Health Lahcen Doudi recommends Morocco's pilgrims to cancel their planned trips to Mecca.

Replying to a question posed by the  House of Representatives, Lahcen Daoudi said, “we made such a decision only after prolonged consultations with many organizations and people, especially the World Health Organization (WHO) and many Arab health ministries.”

The minister pointed out that even Saudi Arabia made an announcement advising Muslims  not to go on this year's pilgrimage. He warned of the possible of the spread of virus to the pilgrims’ home countries .He therefore called Moroccans who do make the pilgrimage to put on masks, which the Ministry of Health offers for free. Pilgrims were also given a green number (0801004747) to use in case of emergency.

Lahcen Doudi said,“Mers virus is a serious disease that kills one in three infected people.” He stressed that “there is no remedy, vaccine, or antibiotics for treatment.”

 According to Saudi  officials, approximately 228 people  have been killed by the Mers virus .

According to the Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), the Ministry of Health assured last week that no cases of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (coronavirus MERS) has been recorded so far in Morocco, urging Moroccans wishing to perform Hajj or Umrah to avoid contracting the virus.

Casablanca - A member of the Istiqlal Party sparked commotion after allegedly expressing a positive opinion about prostitution before the House of Councilors during its monthly parliamentary session in Rabat.

The first segment of the parliamentary session was devoted to women’s issues in Morocco. The session was held in the presence of Head of the Government, Abdel-Ilah Benkirane.

During a speech, Khadija Zoumi, member of the Istiqlal Party, allegedly expressed a positive opinion about the prostitution in the kingdom. “Prostitution contributes to the growth of the national economy,” she said. “We must have the courage to admit it.”

The Istiqlali MP also attacked the female cops who patrol the streets of Marrakech to arrest underdressed, provocative women, as well as prostitutes.

Zoumi’s controversial statements during the parliamentary session provoked laughter from the bulk of present MPs.

However, Zoumi affirmed that she was not encouraging prostitution in Morocco, but was rather suggesting a different way to approach the problem.

Zoumi referred to a verse from the Quran to illustrate that God makes no distinctions between men and women, and that God has reserved equal punishments for all of those involved in prostitution, regardless of their sex.

Zoumi’s take on prostitution in Morocco dumbfounded many Moroccans, especially the fact that it was expressed by one of the members of the Istiqlal party, which many view as an ideologically conservative party.

Edited by Timothy Filla

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Fez - Prime Minister Benkirane made an impassioned plea for the importance of the work Moroccan women have done in the past in helping educate generations of Moroccans and caring for their wellbeing.

In a statement that did not go unnoticed, especially among women’s organizations, the head of government said, there is a “problem with the role of women in modern society.”

During the monthly hearing in the second chamber, Prime Minister Abdedilah Benkirane said,"when Morocco's women went out for work, houses grew dark. Before that, you lived in houses equipped with chandeliers (mothers), there you felt the warmth of your mothers.” That is in contrast, he continued, to "today's children who have to depend on themselves from an early age as their mothers are out at work."

Benkirane also criticized those who consider women unemployed when they devote themselves to their house work and care for their children.

“Why don’t you count a woman as employed when she cares for her house and the upbringing of her children?,” he went on.

Benkirane sent a clear message to the opposition that the government should not be criticized for valuing the role of women who stay at home and look after their families. He stressed that "today many women cannot find time to get married, be a mother, or bring up children."

“Why do we refuse to acknowledge this sacred role?” he said.

The Prime Minister's statements followed questions raised by deputies concerning the status of Morocco's women in relation to the government's public policy.

Edited by Elisabeth Myers

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Rabat- Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee ratified an agreement with the American school system in Morocco on Monday.

Furthering Morocco-US educational and cultural ties, Parliament’s foreign affairs committee approved an agreement with the American school system in Morocco.

The agreement was signed between Morocco and the United States in February 2013 but needed the ratification of the parliament to enter into force.

It aims to provide Moroccan and U.S. citizens the opportunity to learn Arabic and English. It also aspires to promote the cultures of the two countries through the American schools in Morocco and establishment of Moroccan schools in the United States, in order to develop the cultural and educational ties between the two countries.

According to the Parliament’s official website, the agreement also defines the conditions for the creation and the management of the American schools in Morocco. These include cooperation between the American school administrations and Moroccan educational authorities, particularly in teaching the students the language, culture, history and geography of Morocco.

By virtue of this agreement, the establishments have to submit their financial reports to the Moroccan authorities with regard to their status as a non-profit organization. In return, they will benefit from fiscal and customs privileges, according to Moroccan international commitments and to the current fiscal legislation.

The agreement gives Morocco the possibility of opening a primary and secondary educational establishment in the United States, through negotiations with governmental authorities to obtain similar privileges to those granted to the American schools in Morocco.

Edited by Jessica Rohan

Tinejdad, Morocco- According to a new study presented Monday at the American Institute for Cancer Research conference, there are links between sitting and three major cancers.

In addition to obesity and heart diseases, the study found that the prolonged time spent on sitting watching TV or working on the computer for instance is likely to cause cancer.

“The primary finding from our meta-analysis is that prolonged TV viewing and time spent in other sedentary pursuits is associated with increased risks of colon and endometrial cancer,” Daniela Schmid and Dr. Michael Leitzmann of the University of Regensburg in Germany wrote in their report, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The study found that even people who are doing regularly a physical activity might not avoid the risk of getting cancer if they spend too much time sitting down.

After analyzing pooled data from 43 studies involving more than four million participants and almost 70,000 cancer cases, the study concluded that: “For every two hours sitting, the risk for colon cancer increased 8 percent, the risk for endometrial cancer increased 10 percent and the risk for lung cancer increased 6 percent,” according to NBC

Scientists believe that the more we sit, the more health complications we have.

To enjoy a good health, people have to avoid the sedentary lifestyle, eat more healthy food and keep a minimum of regular physical activity.

Rabat- Following Tom Hanks, who shot his movie “A Hologram for a King” in Casablanca and Marrakesh, Bruce Willis is currently in Marrakesh for the shooting of Barry Levinson's next movie, "Rock the Kasbah ".

Cap on head and bottle of water in hand,  Bruce Willis was seen on Tuesday taking a walk in Gueliz, downtown Marrakesh.

According to Daily Pulpy news website, the American star is filming ‘’Rock The Kasbah’’ in the “red” city’s streets. Production on the comedy kicked off on Tuesday in Marrakech.

“Rock The Kasbah”, is similar to the recent movie by Moroccan director Laila Marrakchi, which uses the same title.  However, this is a new comedy by director Barry Levinson. It premieres in US in the spring of 2015. QED International will handle the movie’s sales.

Kate Hudson, Danny McBride, Scott Caan, Zooey Deschanel, and Leem Lubany are also in Marrakech to star in the comedy.

Rock The Kasbah’s story follows Richie Vance, a has-been music manager who decides to send one of his artists on a tour for the benefit of the American troops in Afghanistan. After some complications, Vance finds himself alone in Kabul, penniless and without his passport. He then discovers a young Afghan girl with a crystalline voice, whom he decides to register to compete on the TV Afghan’s equivalent of the show “American Idol.”

Edited by Timothy Filla

Fez - After months of drilling operations in Morocco, Circle Oil, an international oil and gas exploration company, announced the discovery of substantial natural gas findings in the country’s coastal region.

The preliminary findings are the result of the drilling of a well in Sebou Permit, located along the coastline of Morocco onshore near Kenitra. Circle Oil began exploration near Sebou in May and this week reported the discovery of gas reserves at three different underground levels.

“"We are delighted to add another successful discovery to our Sebou gas portfolio. This is the first well of a six well program to be drilled with our partner ONHYM in the Sebou permit and is coupled with another six well program in the Lalla Mimouna permit," Chris Green, CEO of Circle Oil, said in a statement on Wednesday.

The well will be sourced and tested to prepare the well for production in the future according to a press release by Circle Oil.

Circle Oil is just one of the 34 companies carrying out natural gas and oil exploration operations in Morocco. The discovery of natural gas reserves onshore in Morocco suggests that the country could become a future giant in the field of oil and gas exportation.

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Rabat  - Morocco and the United Kingdom share the ambition to increase bilateral trade and create new job opportunities, said Wednesday in Rabat, Lord Mayor of the City of London, Fiona Woolf.

"We have an incredible opportunity to share our expertise and our economic partnerships to cover the entire region," Ms. Woolf said at a press conference following her meeting with director-general the Moroccan National Office of Tourism (ONMT), Abderrafie Zouiten.

"The visit of Mrs. Woolf was an opportunity for the Office to show the tourist appeal of Morocco and showcase ONMT tourism strategy, said Zouiten.

ONMT presented during the meeting the project of "Rabat, city of light, cultural capital of the Kingdom", and which provides for the construction of a large theater in Rabat, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Museum of Archaeology and Geology, the National Higher Institute for Music and Choreographic Arts, as part of the efforts of the Kingdom to promote access to culture," said the Moroccan official.

Tangier - The Moroccan passport is frequently criticized for a particular sentence, especially when compared to Canadian or American passports. Now, it has been classified among the worst passports in the world for promoting the rights of its holder.

The American passport clearly provides for the protection of its bearer. It reads, “The Secretary of State of United States of America hereby requests all whom it may concern to permit the citizen/national of the United States named herein to pass without delay or hindrance and in case of need to give all lawful aid and protection.”

The British passport requires the same care from hosting countries and authorities: “Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.”

The Moroccan passport, however, reads, “Any amputation, deletion, modification or change of information, papers, or content of this passport must lead to a judicial punishment in accordance with the law.”

It is clear that orders and advice are strictly directed toward the bearer. No request for protection of the bearer is mentioned.

The international Heleny report rated Morocco’s passport at 75, the same ranking as Mongolia and worse than Mali, Nigeria, and Guinea. Many neighbouring countries had better rankings, such as Tunisia, which was given a rating of 65.

On the top of the list were the Swedish, British, and Finnish passports. These countries’ passports best provide for its citizens’ rights.

The United States and Germany ranked 2^nd.The French, Spanish, Japanese and Canadian passports ranked 3^rd.

The ranking is based on the imposed limits, extent of the freedom of traveling, and rights given to citizens by their passports.

In addition, the number of the countries each passport allows its holder to visit without hindering restrictions or difficult procedures was taken into consideration.

Therefore, this ranking shows that the Moroccan passport offers very limited freedom without a visa and provides little protection for its citizens.

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Casablanca- Spanish authorities have recently arrested 25 Moroccans for generating 126 fraudulent labor contracts and defrauding €750,000 from the Employment and Social Security Public Services, according to El Pais.

The 25 Moroccans were arrested in Lleida, a city in northeast Spain. However, the leader of the group is still on the run.

According to the same source, the suspects had created a partly fictitious service company between 2008 and 2010, which employed around 126 people, mostly of Moroccan origin, who had never worked nor reported their work to the authorities.

The company subsequently claimed contracts for its Moroccan employees so that they could legitimize their legal situation in Spain and enjoy unemployment benefits or subsidies.

According to the same source, the police of Lleida are still on the lookout for the head of the fictitious company. In the meantime, the arrested suspects are accused of fraud and counterfeiting between 300,000 and 450,000 Euro.

The investigations that led to the arrest of the 25 Moroccans began after some irregularities were spotted by labor inspectors and social security services in Lleida. The fake company showed no capital movement that would justify normal commercial activity.

Edited by Jessica Rohan

Rabat - Children of Moroccans living in Belgium may be given their mother’s surname instead of their father’s, under a new bill in the Belgian government. The new rules may cause legal and religious problems for the Muslim community in Belgium, including Moroccans.

The Justice Commission in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives recently approved a proposal to amend Article 335 of the Civil Code regarding the free naming of children.

Under the amended Article 335, parents will be able to choose whether to give their child his or her mother’s surname, father’s surname, or both. If parents do not come to an agreement, the child will have both surnames by default.

The rule may cause religious problems to the Moroccans and Muslims living in Belgium, because Islam requires the father’s surname only.

Legally, the rules may also cause some inconvenience to children with one Belgian parent and one Muslim parent or with both parents from a Muslim state, where individuals must go by their father’s surname. This change could potentially hinder their right of free movement and their rights in places where only father’s surnames are recognized.

Initial statistics say that Belgians rarely use the new law and give children their mother’s surname. Only 8 cases have been registered thus far, according to daily Alyaoum 24.

Many Belgians currently inquiring about the possibilities the new law provides without actually using it. This includes a Moroccan who requested doubling his child’s surname, before changing his mind to avoid legal problems in Morocco.

Geneva - The coordination of families of the Polisario Sahrawi victims called on Wednesday the UN special rapporteurs to ask Algeria to investigate last January's death of two Sahrawis who were shot by the Algerian army.

In a letter addressed to four UN rapporteurs, the association says investigation should be conducted immediately to shed light on circumstances of this tragedy.

Two Sahrawi youth were shot by Algerian soldiers in the locality of of Oudiyat Toutrat, near the Mauritanian border, as they were driving to Mauritania to buy goods that they intended to sell in Tindouf (stronghold of the Polisario in southwestern Algeria).

Another man was seriously wounded in the shooting.

The association members who went to Geneva which is hosting the UN human rights council's 26th session also said those responsible of this attack should be prosecuted and asked the UN rapporteurs and competent agencies to move to end the pressures on the victims' families to dissuade them from seeking justice and compensation.

The attack survivor, Salek Boujemaâ, who was seriously wounded in the head, said he found himeself surrounded bdy armed men whom he identified as Algerian soldiers.

The letter was sent to the special rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the special rapporteur on the right of peaceful assembly and association, the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and the special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

The association will also submit the case to other UN Rapporteurs, including the special rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, repair and guarantee of non-recurrence and the special rapporteur on torture, other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Rabat  - Morocco is becoming a gateway for foreign investors to Africa, owing to its experience in partnership with Francophone Africa, said on Wednesday Fiona Woolf, lord-mayor of the City of London, one of world's leading economic and financial centers.

"The United Kingdom can learn from Moroccan know-how in the region where Morocco is a pioneer", she said at a press conference following a two-day visit to Morocco.

The Lord-Mayor, who called Morocco to develop its stock market legislation, noted that "the United Kingdom pledges to help Morocco develop its laws to increase Casablanca Stock Market attractiveness for foreign capital"

The two-day visit was an opportunity to "explore cooperation perspectives and create synergies between the financial institutions of Morocco and the United Kingdom", went on Fiona Woolf, the second woman to serve as lord-Mayor of the City of London.

During her visit to Morocco, Woolf who was received by King Mohammed VI, toured the Casablanca stock market and met with several officials and entrepreneurs.

Madrid  - King Felipe VI of Spain, who was enthroned this Thursday, reaffirmed his country's "will" to "collaborate closely with Arab, Mediterranean and Mid-eastern countries.

 Citing "long-standing" ties with these countries, the new King of Spain said in his coronation speech, Spain has the capacity to be the privileged interlocutor (of these countries) on the basis of respect and will to collaborate in all fields of common interest and on international issues.

He underlined that these regions "have a strategic political and economic importance" for his country whose duty is to "contribute to a strong and united Europe that preserves social cohesion, consolidates its status in the world and reinforces its leadership based on democratic values".

Flanked by his family and before Spain's Parliament, Felipe VI was formally proclaimed the new King of Spain Thursday, following the abdication of his father, Juan Carlos.

Fez - Prime Minister Benkirane is under fire for his statements to Parliament regarding the role of women earlier this week. The prime minister, and head of the Justice and Development Party, made an impassioned speech suggesting that a women’s place is in the household rather than in the workplace.

“Today many women cannot find time to get married, be a mother or bring up children,” Benkirane said in Arabic to the Moroccan parliament. “Why do we refuse to acknowledge this sacred role?” he continued.

Prime Minister Benkirane and his Islamist party have often been criticized for their conservative values and traditional view toward the role of women in society. “Benkirane is time and again seen trying to spread his Islamic views in Moroccan society with recourse to his traditional religious discourse. He thinks women should always behave the same socially, irrespective of the ages, primitive or modern,” Abdu Rabih, PhD candidate at Ibn Tofail University, said.

Many see the prime minister’s comments as an insult to the progress women have made in terms of human rights and their role in Moroccan society.Kaoutsar Entifi, a working mother and small business owner, said Benkirane has shown no sympathy for women who juggle between work and family.

“He has no compassion for women who have to be mothers, housekeepers, cooks, drivers and tutors and executives, secretaries, nurses, doctors, teachers etc. He does not seem to have thought a minute about the double shift working mothers have to endure, the second one starting after they reach home in the evening,” Entifi said.

The prime minister went on to refer to the household as “dark” if the mother leaves to take a job in the workforce. “When Morocco’s women went out for work, houses grew dark. Before that, you lived in houses equipped with chandeliers [mothers], there you felt the warmth of your mothers,” Benkirane said.

“Today’s children have to depend on themselves from an early age as their mothers are out at work,” he added.

“Benkirane’s words regarding houses being ‘dark’ because of working mothers have done a great deal of damage and have alienated just about half of the population,” Entifi said.

Yet some Moroccans agreed with the prime minister’s statements that encourage women to stay at home. “Today's women do not provide enough care so often to their children. This generation of children therefore lacks Moroccan principles of caring. Leaving them home will create frustration and a break in the child-parent relationship,” Hamid Ait El Caid commented online.

The Justice and Development Party was one to oppose changes to the Moroccan family code in 2004 that granted more rights to women in the areas of marriage and divorce. Some Moroccans fear the comments are a sign that the party could backpedal on women’s rights in the future.

Others argue that what the prime minister said holds true and women should be valued for their hard work in traditional roles in the household where men and women play different parts. “One has to work, while the other has to settle at home looking after the children. Each part plays a certain role in the family framework. This will maintain the unity of the family and will bring up a good generation,” El Caid added online.

Still, the comments may have come across as a threat to women’s rights and many Moroccan women feel the need to stand up against such remarks. “The majority of educated working mothers are more aware of their children's needs. It's quality time that counts not quantity,” retired teacher, Batoul Daoudi Mootassem, said.

“Moroccan women are superstars, they work at home, help their men, educate their kids and take care of themselves. Women have proved to be as good as men in handling tough situations which makes it hard for men to compete. Now, lets work seriously on issues that affect our kids and our society,” Najia Kemmou, a Moroccan American business owner, added.

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Rabat- The relations between Morocco and France maybe once again witnessing a new diplomatic row.

The Moroccan Director General for Studies and Documentation, Mohamed Yassine Mansouri, received Thursday the French Ambassador of to Morocco, Charles Fries, to express the Kingdom’s strong “disapproval” of the way General Abdelaziz Bennani, former Inspector General of the Moroccan Army and Commander of Southern Zone, was treated at the hospital of Val-de-Grace in Paris.

Mohamed Yassine Mansouri protested the moral assault on the part of Mustapha Adib, who left “a cheap bouquet of flowers with a note full of insults” in the room of the Moroccan general Bennani.

According to the Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), “This unacceptable act, which comes in addition to numerous incidents that marred, in recent months, the Moroccan-French relations, may further complicate the process of normalization of bilateral relations” between the two countries.

On the same day, the Moroccan Ambassador to Paris, Mr. Chakib Benmoussa, informed  the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Morocco’s denunciation of the same act.

In response, the French authorities expressed their “sincere emotion for what happened and announced the opening of an inquiry by the Ministry of Defense.