By Karima Rhanem 12/1/2004 | 6:43 pm GMT
The “Association Marocaine des Jeunes Contre le SIDA” (AMJCS) is one of the associations active in the field of prevention of AIDS. It was created in 1993 by a group of young Moroccans to fight the spread of AIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) in Morocco. For the world AIDS day, they organized a mobile kiosk to make the general public aware of the danger of AIDS. AMJCS president Abdessamad Oussayh gave Morocco Times an interview.
1-What is the objective of the mobile kiosk?
The objective of the mobile kiosk is to make people aware of the danger of AIDS in Morocco. We are here in the street to be closer to the general public, and transmit a simple message which is the theme of our campaign this year: “ SIDA kayna wa el wikaya bayna”, which means “AIDS exists and the means of prevention are obvious.” The kiosk is equipped with communication materials and documentation about AIDS.
In addition, our team distributes leaflets containing information on the precautions to take in order to avoid HIV infection, and the major reasons leading to it. The kiosk attracts a lot of people. They feel more comfortable with these kinds of programmes than coming to the association's prevention sessions. We are mobilized here to provide them with the necessary information and guide them to blood- testing centres.
2-Is your campaign limited to Casablanca?
At the moment, we are mobilizing our resources in different neighbourhoods in Casablanca, including shantytowns. However, we are planning to extend our activities to other cities, especially tourist ones.
3-What are your target audiences?
We divide the population into four segments:
a - Youth: (heterosexuals)
The focus on young people (both genders) acknowledges the fact that they are vulnerable to the risk of being infected. The majority of Moroccans, between 5 and 35 years old, lack sexual health education, and need to be informed about the disease and the possible ways to protect themselves.
b- Homosexuals:
We receive them anonymously in the association, inform them, and give them free condoms. We closely follow the cases of about 60 homosexuals, who call us or come to the association seeking advice. We also have a psychiatrist who helps us diagnose the psychological problems of these homosexuals. We try to understand them, and know the causes that lead them to homosexuality.
c- Prostitutes:
We go to their workplaces, informing them, distributing free condoms, and offering help. We have worked on a social development project for prostitutes, who will benefit from alternative jobs with a salary of around Dh 2000 a month. We had a pilot project with a sample of four prostitutes whom we trained to manage a small business. We contacted a small enterprise that helped us find markets for their products and teach them trade. It is true that targeting only four prostitutes is not sufficient, but it is a pilot project destined to low income prostitutes.
d- Street children:
We launched an information and prevention campaign for street children who are always at risk. We went to talk with them in the places where they usually gather, built good relationships with them, and brought them to the association. To motivate this group, we distribute food, clothes, and other basic needs. We often use entertainment-education (edutainment) and games to get them to listen to our messages. For example, we bring tapes of “ Cheb Bilal”, and listen to him with them, because they like him. Our group believes in Maslow's theory which states that basic needs such as food, shelter, security, medical care, and water must be fulfilled first.
4-What are your usual means of communication you are usually using?
We rely mainly more on edutainment, especially popular drama, which is very efficient in any AIDS campaign,. Theatre tells a story. It presents and dramatizes people's way of life. It adds entertainment value to an inspiring message and so keeps the attention of the audience. Popular theatre interprets and describes the reality of contemporary life while using traditional forms of expression. It is a medium which allows people to interact in matters concerning the community. Theatre encourages the audience to reflect on behaviour while identifying with specific characters, who find themselves in a well known and difficult situation.
In this way, the audience can find a model to adopt new behaviour, and integrate into their daily life. It is important to note that identification with the performers is made easier if there is some physical and psychological similarity. We also focus on interpersonal communication including individual counselling, telephone, peer education, group counselling, and opinion leaders. We use as well small media (flip charts, brochures, slides, posters, video, audio tapes); mass media (radio, television, newspaper); and edutainment (theatre, music, folk media). We will soon launch a new bilingual newspaper for young people to make them aware about AIDS.
We also participate in special events such as World AIDS Day and school fairs. But what is most important for us is listening. Active listening implies a capacity for restating the target's point of view so that the audience discovers the causes of the problem and possible solutions. This is different from a dogmatic, authoritarian approach of imposing ready-made solutions on the target.
5-What is the message that AMJCS wants to transmit to young Moroccans?
AIDS threatens our lives. Protect yourselves and your family by controlling your behaviour. AIDS exists; it is not the disease of the others; it can happen to you if you are not careful. Prevention is also obvious and known to you. Please live and let live.
What young AMJCS volunteers say about AIDS
Maria Jemjoumi, 26 year old computer technician.
I am an AMJCS volunteer because AIDS threatens our lives, our future and our career. It threatens the whole society. We work with target groups with different ages, gender, and social background. We are neither professionals nor doctors, but young people who need to be informed because we are more vulnerable to the risk of HIV/AIDS. However, it does not mean that we only work with youth; we also work with older people. To get a message across, we have to adapt the language we are using to the target's cultural background. For example you can't speak Arabic or French with someone who only knows Berber. With most of our targets, we use very simple language. The way you talk to a street child, or a countryside man, is not the same when you talk to an intellectual. Each category of these people has its own language and vocabulary. In terms of informing the public, we usually go to the people. The biggest problem we face is that AIDS is surrounded with taboos and stigma. We have to admit that we are still a culture of silence. To break these taboos, we have to speak. Parents, in particular, should have an open dialogue with their children about sexuality. Children should learn more about their body even before puberty. In that way, one might avoid sexual misconduct and behavior.
Abdellah Oussayh, a 20 year old student
I have been an AMJCS volunteer for several years. I used to go to the association's prevention sessions with my brother. I got motivated by their activities, especially when I met people living with AIDS, who used to come to the association for advice. I really sympathized with them when I saw them slowly dying. As our campaign theme tells “AIDS exits and prevention is known”. My message to young Moroccans, in this World AIDS Day, is “protect yourselves, and never think that AIDS is the disease of the others. It might happen to anyone if you don't take the precautions necessary to protect yourself, your family, and your life. Please control your behavior. We need you because you are the future leaders of tomorrow”.
Karimarhanem's blog
Description:
The blog contains most of my past articles at Morocco Times. It also includes some interesting subjects in different fields
By Karima Rhanem 12/1/2004 | 6:30 pm GMT
Morocco is one of the North African countries that has known AIDS since the middle of the 80's. The first case of AIDS was discovered in 1986 in a man infected by blood a transfusion during surgery in France.
Statistics up to 31.10.2004 reveal that the total number of cases in Morocco reached 1,557 of which 62% were men, and 38% were women.
According to the Ministry of Health, 13,00 – 16,000 people live with AIDS in Morocco.
The fast spread of the epidemic in the country has been accompanied by the rise of AIDS control associations such as the “Association de Lutte Contre le Sida” (ALCS), which was the first association set up in 1988 in the Maghreb and the Middle East to combat AIDS; and OPALS (Organization Pan-Africaine de lutte contre le SIDA: OPALS – Morocco), which was set up in 1994 by a group of doctors, professionals in the health sector and social science instructors to combat the rise of AIDS.
Another association that marked a difference in the field of AIDS prevention is AMJCS (Association Marocaine des Jeunes Contre le Sida). It was created in 1993 by a group of young Moroccans to fight against the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) in Morocco.
Today, the government has HIV/AIDS high on its agenda and has launched a National Aids control programme.
The STI/AIDS department in the Ministry of Health was created in February 1988. It is currently called the DELM (Direction de l'Epidémiologie et de Lutte contre les Maladies). Some of its major activities are to document AIDS cases and create a surveillance system; initiate HIV testing in blood transfusion centres; prepare immunology laboratories (CHU Casablanca, Military hospital); prepare a guide for physicians on STI/HIV identification and treatment; and produce brochures and educational programs to sensitize the whole public.
The prevention programmes of the Ministry of Health were successfully carried out thanks to the help and support of United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Despite the effort made by the Ministry of Health and non governmental associations to raise awareness about the danger of AIDS, HIV/AIDS is still an issue surrounded with stigma and taboo. People do not talk openly about friends or family members who might have died from AIDS. AIDS is perceived by many as a disease of "the others", a disease which comes from outside. The message "Fidelity or condoms" has been widely used. However, it has hindered the generalisation of the use of condoms, because asking for a condom consequently implies distrust of the partner. However, this year, and for the first time, the Ministry of Health broadcast an advertising spot urging the use of condoms on as a protection.
To achieve their objectives, the associations fighting AIDS have implemented many strategies to inform and educate people about AIDS. These include, identifying and utilizing communication networks, training field workers, locating and mobilizing opinion leaders, activating link persons, establishing rotating peer group discussions, and providing information and supplies at meetings.
According to many organizations working in the field of AIDS prevention, condoms are the only efficient solution for vulnerable groups who are at risk to protect themselves from sexually transmitted illnesses. However, most Moroccans or Muslims perceive the distribution of condoms differently from westerners.
For most Moroccan and Muslim religious leaders, the distribution of condoms encourages sexual misconduct. The gist of religious teachings in this respect is that religion encourages and advocates marriage and prohibits all other alternatives for sexual enjoyment. Religion also prescribes the preservation of the human rational faculties and prohibits the use of all kinds of substances, such as drugs and narcotics that may impair them, regardless of the manner in which these substances are taken or administered. Religion also urges cleanliness to protect human beings from risks of infection by destructive diseases, the most dangerous of which, in this day and age, are sexually transmitted diseases, and AIDS in particular.
At the time of the prophet, Muslims, both men and women, were never too shy to ask him about everything, including such private affairs as sexual life, so as to know the teachings and rulings of their religion. They asked the prophet directly, or through his wives, is a proof that sexual matters were not taboo but were fully acknowledged and respected. "Shyness is part of the faith" as the prophet taught, but he also taught "There is no shyness in matters of religion," even involving the intimate aspects of sexual life.
It is recognized that the level of education about sexuality and health in Morocco and other Arab and Muslim countries is much lower than in many other parts of the world. Conversations on sexual relations are always shrouded in embarrassment, which prevents frank discussion and leads to ambiguity.
HIV/AIDS is a critical problem among young men and women. Young people today are marrying later than the older generations but are starting sex very early. Despite the risks, few young men use condoms the first time they have sex. Young unmarried people often do not consider the long-term consequences of current actions, and they take more risks, often thinking "it can't happen to me.” These young people need guidance, encouragement, and access to condoms.
Sex is an important area of marital life, and when people are in trouble they have only the doctor to resort to, and unless the doctor has had some basic teaching of sex, he or she will be quite helpless to help out. Sexual education is essential within the appropriate considerations of age and educational standards, it must be complementary to health education and religious instruction. A balanced blend of these interrelated disciplines must be devised, with the ultimate aim of achieving a physical and spiritual balance compatible with the prevailing cultures and traditions of the country.
It is not shameful to talk about AIDS and sexual health, and every AIDS infected person has the right to adequate treatment. Patients must be made aware of how to prevent both the deterioration of their health and the infection of others. Religions do not allow the exposure of patients to discrimination, disgrace or neglect, for whatever reason and no matter how their infection has occurred.
Morocco is one of the North African countries that has known AIDS since the middle of the 80's. The first case of AIDS was discovered in 1986 in a man infected by blood a transfusion during surgery in France.
Statistics up to 31.10.2004 reveal that the total number of cases in Morocco reached 1,557 of which 62% were men, and 38% were women.
According to the Ministry of Health, 13,00 – 16,000 people live with AIDS in Morocco.
The fast spread of the epidemic in the country has been accompanied by the rise of AIDS control associations such as the “Association de Lutte Contre le Sida” (ALCS), which was the first association set up in 1988 in the Maghreb and the Middle East to combat AIDS; and OPALS (Organization Pan-Africaine de lutte contre le SIDA: OPALS – Morocco), which was set up in 1994 by a group of doctors, professionals in the health sector and social science instructors to combat the rise of AIDS.
Another association that marked a difference in the field of AIDS prevention is AMJCS (Association Marocaine des Jeunes Contre le Sida). It was created in 1993 by a group of young Moroccans to fight against the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) in Morocco.
Today, the government has HIV/AIDS high on its agenda and has launched a National Aids control programme.
The STI/AIDS department in the Ministry of Health was created in February 1988. It is currently called the DELM (Direction de l'Epidémiologie et de Lutte contre les Maladies). Some of its major activities are to document AIDS cases and create a surveillance system; initiate HIV testing in blood transfusion centres; prepare immunology laboratories (CHU Casablanca, Military hospital); prepare a guide for physicians on STI/HIV identification and treatment; and produce brochures and educational programs to sensitize the whole public.
The prevention programmes of the Ministry of Health were successfully carried out thanks to the help and support of United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Despite the effort made by the Ministry of Health and non governmental associations to raise awareness about the danger of AIDS, HIV/AIDS is still an issue surrounded with stigma and taboo. People do not talk openly about friends or family members who might have died from AIDS. AIDS is perceived by many as a disease of "the others", a disease which comes from outside. The message "Fidelity or condoms" has been widely used. However, it has hindered the generalisation of the use of condoms, because asking for a condom consequently implies distrust of the partner. However, this year, and for the first time, the Ministry of Health broadcast an advertising spot urging the use of condoms on as a protection.
To achieve their objectives, the associations fighting AIDS have implemented many strategies to inform and educate people about AIDS. These include, identifying and utilizing communication networks, training field workers, locating and mobilizing opinion leaders, activating link persons, establishing rotating peer group discussions, and providing information and supplies at meetings.
According to many organizations working in the field of AIDS prevention, condoms are the only efficient solution for vulnerable groups who are at risk to protect themselves from sexually transmitted illnesses. However, most Moroccans or Muslims perceive the distribution of condoms differently from westerners.
For most Moroccan and Muslim religious leaders, the distribution of condoms encourages sexual misconduct. The gist of religious teachings in this respect is that religion encourages and advocates marriage and prohibits all other alternatives for sexual enjoyment. Religion also prescribes the preservation of the human rational faculties and prohibits the use of all kinds of substances, such as drugs and narcotics that may impair them, regardless of the manner in which these substances are taken or administered. Religion also urges cleanliness to protect human beings from risks of infection by destructive diseases, the most dangerous of which, in this day and age, are sexually transmitted diseases, and AIDS in particular.
At the time of the prophet, Muslims, both men and women, were never too shy to ask him about everything, including such private affairs as sexual life, so as to know the teachings and rulings of their religion. They asked the prophet directly, or through his wives, is a proof that sexual matters were not taboo but were fully acknowledged and respected. "Shyness is part of the faith" as the prophet taught, but he also taught "There is no shyness in matters of religion," even involving the intimate aspects of sexual life.
It is recognized that the level of education about sexuality and health in Morocco and other Arab and Muslim countries is much lower than in many other parts of the world. Conversations on sexual relations are always shrouded in embarrassment, which prevents frank discussion and leads to ambiguity.
HIV/AIDS is a critical problem among young men and women. Young people today are marrying later than the older generations but are starting sex very early. Despite the risks, few young men use condoms the first time they have sex. Young unmarried people often do not consider the long-term consequences of current actions, and they take more risks, often thinking "it can't happen to me.” These young people need guidance, encouragement, and access to condoms.
Sex is an important area of marital life, and when people are in trouble they have only the doctor to resort to, and unless the doctor has had some basic teaching of sex, he or she will be quite helpless to help out. Sexual education is essential within the appropriate considerations of age and educational standards, it must be complementary to health education and religious instruction. A balanced blend of these interrelated disciplines must be devised, with the ultimate aim of achieving a physical and spiritual balance compatible with the prevailing cultures and traditions of the country.
It is not shameful to talk about AIDS and sexual health, and every AIDS infected person has the right to adequate treatment. Patients must be made aware of how to prevent both the deterioration of their health and the infection of others. Religions do not allow the exposure of patients to discrimination, disgrace or neglect, for whatever reason and no matter how their infection has occurred.
By Karima Rhanem | Morocco TIMES 12/1/2005 | 6:32 pm
Casablanca--- As the globe marks the World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, new HIV infections have surged in Morocco making the number of full-blown AIDS cases reach 1839. The Moroccan Ministry of Health said the number of HIV positive in the country ranges between 16,000 and 25,000.
Several associations working in the field of HIV prevention are alarmed at the spread of AIDS among women.
Today, in Morocco and worldwide, women are at the highest risk for contracting HIV/AIDS. In 1988 the percentage of Moroccan women living with AIDS was 8 %; in 2005 the number increased to 38 %.
Among the HIV-positive Moroccan women, 65 % have been infected by their husbands. The majority of these women were virgins at the time of their marriage and, on average, ten years younger than their husbands. They are primarily illiterate and unskilled workers or housewives.
There are numerous other reasons that compound to make women particularly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. The fear of discrimination and embarrassment is a major factor that prevents many women from accessing HIV information, from getting blood test and seeking treatment.
Another huge problem is that women find it difficult to access adequate healthcare because of the strong taboos around the subject of sexually transmitted diseases.
Aware of the danger of AIDS, Morocco has declared the fight against it a national cause. 2M channel along with the ALCS (Association Marocaine Contre le SIDA) joined in forces to organize the biggest ever communication campaign against AIDS, called Sidaction Maroc 2005 from Dec. 2 to 15.
Sidaction is an unprecedented event in Morocco and the MENA region, and the first of its kind to raise funds to fight against the spread of AIDS.
During the anti-AIDS campaign, 2M is scheduling debates, reportages and a 5 hour evening show including a telethon to raise funds for the fight of AIDS.
Anti-AIDS associations, war of words
However, this important event has stirred other AIDS control associations' disappointment. This event has brought to light the 'war' between the ALCS and the network of anti-AIDS associations.
Himmich, ALCS president, stressed that there is no war between anti-AIDS associations concerning the aid given by international organizations to fight against the disease. She added that this financial assistance is given to the Ministry of Health by the Global Fund to Fight Tuberculosis, Malaria and AIDS, which allocates the aid to all the associations working in the field.
Evoking the question as to why other anti-AIDS associations were not invited to the telethon, Himmich said that they were invited but they centered their attention to the aid more than the telethon itself.
However, the network of anti-AIDS associations seems not to agree with what Himmich said. Abdessamad Oussayh, president of AMJCS (Association Marocaine des Jeunes Contre le SIDA) told Morocco Times the conflict of the associations over financial support does not serve the cause of the fight against AIDS.
“This conflict will have a negative impact on HIV positive and AIDS patients who will lose confidence in these associations,” Oussayh said.
“We have been in the field for 12 years now, and our concern is to serve the health of the Moroccan youth, and not to fight for aid. We have done many anti-AIDS related projects with very limited or no means. The issue is not about financial assistance. Rather, we disagree on the way ALCS has proposed our participation in the telethon,” he added.
Oussayh stressed that the network of associations, in which AMJCS is part of, has refused to mislead the public that there is no conflict or no coordination between the anti-AIDS associations. He said that the only time they meet is at the Ministry of Health when they discuss the UNAIDS programme.
Oussayh said “we are also actors in the filed and not marionettes.”
Nadia Bezzad, president of the Pan-African Organization Against AIDS (OPALS) said that three anti-AIDS associations including hers did not accept to participate in the Sidaction campaign because they refused to play the role of a puppet for ALCS.
“Sidaction campaign as known worldwide is a national campaign which knows the participation of all the actors working in the field of AIDS prevention. We at the network, which includes along with 24 associations, three anti-AIDS associations refused to be just a puppet for one association. It is absolutely not because of the issue of aid,” Bezzad explained.
Bezzad stressed that the network of associations was opened to everybody who wanted to join in. “Our colleagues in ALCS had a different vision when they refused to join in, may be because they weren't the initiators of the idea. But we are still open to anyone who can help in the fight against AIDS in our country, and that's the most important thing,” she said.
OPALS, LMLMST, AMJCS have joined the network of non governmental organisations working on fighting the spread of AIDS in Morocco on Jan. 21, 2003. This network unites now about 26 associations, engaged in the social, medical and cultural development field.
It aims at allowing the exchange of experiences and the coordination of their activities.
To achieve their objectives, the associations fighting AIDS have implemented many strategies to inform people about AIDS. These include, identifying and utilizing communication networks, training field workers, locating and mobilizing opinion leaders, activating link persons, establishing rotating peer group discussions, and providing information and supplies at meetings.
Despite their limited budget, the network has fulfilled some of its objectives, including awareness-raising campaigns.
The major associations working in the field of fighting AIDS in Morocco include ALCS, the first association set up in 1988 in the Maghreb and the Middle East to combat AIDS; OPALS, set up in 1994 by a group of doctors, professionals in the health sector and social science instructors to combat the spread of AIDS; and AMJCS, created in 1993 by a group of young Moroccans to fight against AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STI).
AIDS still taboo subject in Morocco
Despite the efforts made by the Ministry of Health and non governmental associations to raise awareness about the danger of AIDS, HIV is still an issue surrounded with stigma and taboo. People do not talk openly about friends or family members who might have died from AIDS. AIDS is perceived by many as a disease of "the others", a disease which comes from outside. The message "Fidelity or condoms" has been widely used. However, it has hindered the generalization of the use of condoms, because asking for a condom consequently implies distrust of the partner.
According to many organizations working in the field of AIDS prevention, condoms are the only efficient solution for vulnerable groups who are at risk to protect themselves from sexually transmitted illnesses. However, for many Moroccans and Muslim religious leaders, the distribution of condoms encourages sexual misconduct.
The gist of religious teachings in this respect is that religion encourages and advocates marriage and prohibits all other alternatives for sexual enjoyment. Religion also prescribes the preservation of the human rational faculties and prohibits the use of all kinds of substances, such as drugs and narcotics that may impair them, regardless of the manner in which these substances are taken or administered. Religion also urges cleanliness to protect human beings from risks of infection by destructive diseases, the most dangerous of which, in this day and age, are sexually transmitted diseases, and AIDS in particular.
At the time of the prophet, Muslims, both men and women, were never too shy to ask him about everything, including such private affairs as sexual life, so as to know the teachings and rulings of their religion. They asked the prophet directly, or through his wives, and this proved that sexual matters were not taboo but were fully acknowledged and respected. "Shyness is part of the faith" as the prophet taught, but he also taught "There is no shyness in matters of religion," even involving the intimate aspects of sexual life.
It is recognized that the level of education about sexuality and health in Morocco and other Arab and Muslim countries is much lower than in many other parts of the world. Conversations on sexual relations are always shrouded in embarrassment, which prevents frank discussion and leads to ambiguity.
HIV/AIDS is a critical problem among young men and women. Young people today are marrying later than the older generations but are starting sex very early. Despite the risks, few young men use condoms the first time they have sex. Young unmarried people often do not consider the long-term consequences of current actions, and they take more risks, often thinking "it can't happen to me.” These young people need guidance, encouragement, and access to condoms.
Sexual education is essential within the appropriate considerations of age and educational standards; it must be complementary to health education and religious instruction. A balanced blend of these interrelated disciplines must be devised, with the ultimate aim of achieving a physical and spiritual balance compatible with the prevailing cultures and traditions of the country.
It is not shameful to talk about AIDS and sexual health, and every AIDS infected person has the right to adequate treatment. Patients must be made aware of how to prevent both the deterioration of their health and the infection of others. Religions do not allow the exposure of patients to discrimination, disgrace or neglect, for whatever reason and no matter how their infection has occurred.
5 million newly infected in the world in 2005
The Aids epidemic has claimed 3.1 million lives in 2005 and more than half a million were children, a UN report said.
Close to five million people were newly infected with the virus in 2005, the annual UNAIDS/WHO Aids epidemic update said recently.
The total number of people with HIV has reached an estimated all-time high of 40.3 million, the report said.
The number of people living with HIV has increased in the past two years.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains hardest-hit, and is home to 25.8 million people with HIV, almost a million more than in 2003.
Two-thirds of all people living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa, as are 77% of all women with HIV.
Casablanca--- As the globe marks the World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, new HIV infections have surged in Morocco making the number of full-blown AIDS cases reach 1839. The Moroccan Ministry of Health said the number of HIV positive in the country ranges between 16,000 and 25,000.
Several associations working in the field of HIV prevention are alarmed at the spread of AIDS among women.
Today, in Morocco and worldwide, women are at the highest risk for contracting HIV/AIDS. In 1988 the percentage of Moroccan women living with AIDS was 8 %; in 2005 the number increased to 38 %.
Among the HIV-positive Moroccan women, 65 % have been infected by their husbands. The majority of these women were virgins at the time of their marriage and, on average, ten years younger than their husbands. They are primarily illiterate and unskilled workers or housewives.
There are numerous other reasons that compound to make women particularly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. The fear of discrimination and embarrassment is a major factor that prevents many women from accessing HIV information, from getting blood test and seeking treatment.
Another huge problem is that women find it difficult to access adequate healthcare because of the strong taboos around the subject of sexually transmitted diseases.
Aware of the danger of AIDS, Morocco has declared the fight against it a national cause. 2M channel along with the ALCS (Association Marocaine Contre le SIDA) joined in forces to organize the biggest ever communication campaign against AIDS, called Sidaction Maroc 2005 from Dec. 2 to 15.
Sidaction is an unprecedented event in Morocco and the MENA region, and the first of its kind to raise funds to fight against the spread of AIDS.
During the anti-AIDS campaign, 2M is scheduling debates, reportages and a 5 hour evening show including a telethon to raise funds for the fight of AIDS.
Anti-AIDS associations, war of words
However, this important event has stirred other AIDS control associations' disappointment. This event has brought to light the 'war' between the ALCS and the network of anti-AIDS associations.
Himmich, ALCS president, stressed that there is no war between anti-AIDS associations concerning the aid given by international organizations to fight against the disease. She added that this financial assistance is given to the Ministry of Health by the Global Fund to Fight Tuberculosis, Malaria and AIDS, which allocates the aid to all the associations working in the field.
Evoking the question as to why other anti-AIDS associations were not invited to the telethon, Himmich said that they were invited but they centered their attention to the aid more than the telethon itself.
However, the network of anti-AIDS associations seems not to agree with what Himmich said. Abdessamad Oussayh, president of AMJCS (Association Marocaine des Jeunes Contre le SIDA) told Morocco Times the conflict of the associations over financial support does not serve the cause of the fight against AIDS.
“This conflict will have a negative impact on HIV positive and AIDS patients who will lose confidence in these associations,” Oussayh said.
“We have been in the field for 12 years now, and our concern is to serve the health of the Moroccan youth, and not to fight for aid. We have done many anti-AIDS related projects with very limited or no means. The issue is not about financial assistance. Rather, we disagree on the way ALCS has proposed our participation in the telethon,” he added.
Oussayh stressed that the network of associations, in which AMJCS is part of, has refused to mislead the public that there is no conflict or no coordination between the anti-AIDS associations. He said that the only time they meet is at the Ministry of Health when they discuss the UNAIDS programme.
Oussayh said “we are also actors in the filed and not marionettes.”
Nadia Bezzad, president of the Pan-African Organization Against AIDS (OPALS) said that three anti-AIDS associations including hers did not accept to participate in the Sidaction campaign because they refused to play the role of a puppet for ALCS.
“Sidaction campaign as known worldwide is a national campaign which knows the participation of all the actors working in the field of AIDS prevention. We at the network, which includes along with 24 associations, three anti-AIDS associations refused to be just a puppet for one association. It is absolutely not because of the issue of aid,” Bezzad explained.
Bezzad stressed that the network of associations was opened to everybody who wanted to join in. “Our colleagues in ALCS had a different vision when they refused to join in, may be because they weren't the initiators of the idea. But we are still open to anyone who can help in the fight against AIDS in our country, and that's the most important thing,” she said.
OPALS, LMLMST, AMJCS have joined the network of non governmental organisations working on fighting the spread of AIDS in Morocco on Jan. 21, 2003. This network unites now about 26 associations, engaged in the social, medical and cultural development field.
It aims at allowing the exchange of experiences and the coordination of their activities.
To achieve their objectives, the associations fighting AIDS have implemented many strategies to inform people about AIDS. These include, identifying and utilizing communication networks, training field workers, locating and mobilizing opinion leaders, activating link persons, establishing rotating peer group discussions, and providing information and supplies at meetings.
Despite their limited budget, the network has fulfilled some of its objectives, including awareness-raising campaigns.
The major associations working in the field of fighting AIDS in Morocco include ALCS, the first association set up in 1988 in the Maghreb and the Middle East to combat AIDS; OPALS, set up in 1994 by a group of doctors, professionals in the health sector and social science instructors to combat the spread of AIDS; and AMJCS, created in 1993 by a group of young Moroccans to fight against AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STI).
AIDS still taboo subject in Morocco
Despite the efforts made by the Ministry of Health and non governmental associations to raise awareness about the danger of AIDS, HIV is still an issue surrounded with stigma and taboo. People do not talk openly about friends or family members who might have died from AIDS. AIDS is perceived by many as a disease of "the others", a disease which comes from outside. The message "Fidelity or condoms" has been widely used. However, it has hindered the generalization of the use of condoms, because asking for a condom consequently implies distrust of the partner.
According to many organizations working in the field of AIDS prevention, condoms are the only efficient solution for vulnerable groups who are at risk to protect themselves from sexually transmitted illnesses. However, for many Moroccans and Muslim religious leaders, the distribution of condoms encourages sexual misconduct.
The gist of religious teachings in this respect is that religion encourages and advocates marriage and prohibits all other alternatives for sexual enjoyment. Religion also prescribes the preservation of the human rational faculties and prohibits the use of all kinds of substances, such as drugs and narcotics that may impair them, regardless of the manner in which these substances are taken or administered. Religion also urges cleanliness to protect human beings from risks of infection by destructive diseases, the most dangerous of which, in this day and age, are sexually transmitted diseases, and AIDS in particular.
At the time of the prophet, Muslims, both men and women, were never too shy to ask him about everything, including such private affairs as sexual life, so as to know the teachings and rulings of their religion. They asked the prophet directly, or through his wives, and this proved that sexual matters were not taboo but were fully acknowledged and respected. "Shyness is part of the faith" as the prophet taught, but he also taught "There is no shyness in matters of religion," even involving the intimate aspects of sexual life.
It is recognized that the level of education about sexuality and health in Morocco and other Arab and Muslim countries is much lower than in many other parts of the world. Conversations on sexual relations are always shrouded in embarrassment, which prevents frank discussion and leads to ambiguity.
HIV/AIDS is a critical problem among young men and women. Young people today are marrying later than the older generations but are starting sex very early. Despite the risks, few young men use condoms the first time they have sex. Young unmarried people often do not consider the long-term consequences of current actions, and they take more risks, often thinking "it can't happen to me.” These young people need guidance, encouragement, and access to condoms.
Sexual education is essential within the appropriate considerations of age and educational standards; it must be complementary to health education and religious instruction. A balanced blend of these interrelated disciplines must be devised, with the ultimate aim of achieving a physical and spiritual balance compatible with the prevailing cultures and traditions of the country.
It is not shameful to talk about AIDS and sexual health, and every AIDS infected person has the right to adequate treatment. Patients must be made aware of how to prevent both the deterioration of their health and the infection of others. Religions do not allow the exposure of patients to discrimination, disgrace or neglect, for whatever reason and no matter how their infection has occurred.
5 million newly infected in the world in 2005
The Aids epidemic has claimed 3.1 million lives in 2005 and more than half a million were children, a UN report said.
Close to five million people were newly infected with the virus in 2005, the annual UNAIDS/WHO Aids epidemic update said recently.
The total number of people with HIV has reached an estimated all-time high of 40.3 million, the report said.
The number of people living with HIV has increased in the past two years.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains hardest-hit, and is home to 25.8 million people with HIV, almost a million more than in 2003.
Two-thirds of all people living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa, as are 77% of all women with HIV.
By Karima Rhanem Morocco TIMES 10/17/2005 | 4:17 am GMT
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mohammed Benaissa, has denied charges that Morocco dumped sub-Saharan African migrants in its southern desert.
The Polisario said it had taken in more than 90 Africans wandering in the desert after Morocco expelled them. The migrants accuse Moroccan security forces of ill-treatment.
However, Benaissa said reports that Morocco had removed and then abandoned some of the migrants in the Sahara desert without food or water were untrue.
He added that the allegations were propaganda orchestrated by the Polisario Front and its ally Algeria.
''Both Algeria and the Polisario launch propaganda against Morocco on a so-called humanitarian basis. This is part of the publicity and the campaign Algeria is launching against Morocco to deviate attention from the real issue, the Sahara conflict," Benaissa stressed.
"The Moroccan government has never, ever dumped any individual, man or woman, anywhere.''
Morocco's government also accused neighbouring Algeria of responsibility for recent unrest on the frontiers between Morocco and Spain's two enclaves in North Africa, during which at least 10 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were shot dead.
Benaissa accused Algeria of failing to control the trafficking of illegal migrants across its borders.
Algeria backs the Polisario Front, the separatist movement of the disputed Sahara territory annexed by Morocco in 1975.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mohammed Benaissa, has denied charges that Morocco dumped sub-Saharan African migrants in its southern desert.
The Polisario said it had taken in more than 90 Africans wandering in the desert after Morocco expelled them. The migrants accuse Moroccan security forces of ill-treatment.
However, Benaissa said reports that Morocco had removed and then abandoned some of the migrants in the Sahara desert without food or water were untrue.
He added that the allegations were propaganda orchestrated by the Polisario Front and its ally Algeria.
''Both Algeria and the Polisario launch propaganda against Morocco on a so-called humanitarian basis. This is part of the publicity and the campaign Algeria is launching against Morocco to deviate attention from the real issue, the Sahara conflict," Benaissa stressed.
"The Moroccan government has never, ever dumped any individual, man or woman, anywhere.''
Morocco's government also accused neighbouring Algeria of responsibility for recent unrest on the frontiers between Morocco and Spain's two enclaves in North Africa, during which at least 10 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were shot dead.
Benaissa accused Algeria of failing to control the trafficking of illegal migrants across its borders.
Algeria backs the Polisario Front, the separatist movement of the disputed Sahara territory annexed by Morocco in 1975.
By Fahd Chafik 10/15/2005 | 12:00 am GMT
As the crisis along the borders between Morocco and the two Spanish enclaves of Sebta and Melilla started to hit the headlines around the world, the Moroccan civil society has finally decided to act.
Moroccan human rights NGOs have expressed their solidarity with the sub-Saharan Africans who go through the mill on the country's northern coasts, frequently used as a springboard into Europe.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) and Espace Associatif staged a sit-in on Thursday in Rabat, calling on the Moroccan government and the European Union (EU) to refrain from the security measures they have intensified on their shared borders and respect the rights of the sub-Saharans aspiring to cross the borders in search of a better life.
Dozens of human rights and peace activists took part in the demonstration, held at the Post Square, only a few metres from the Parliament in the capital's Mohammed V Avenue.
“The Moroccan Association for Human Rights denounces the barbaric violence which led to the death and injury of many African migrants,” said an AMDH statement.
“It condemns all the violations of human rights inflicted on our African brothers,” added the NGO's document, urging the Moroccan and Spanish authorities to open an immediate probe into the latest events that sparked a crisis on the two countries' shared borders, where thousands of sub-Saharan would-be migrants clash with police forces and frontier guards.
In late September, Rabat and Madrid decided to deploy troops to the borders between Morocco and the two Spanish-controlled cities, after the substantial increase in the number of massive attempts to cross into Sebta and Melilla over the last two months.
A number of migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, have died while storming the two enclaves by climbing their barbed-wire fences, in quest of a better lifestyle in the supposedly-eldorado EU countries, while many others have been reported injured.
In search of the culprit
Morocco has been criticised for its handling of the latest stampedes led by the would-be migrants on the country's northern coasts, as many international NGOs laid the blame for the deteriorating situation on the Moroccan authorities.
The government defended its use of force in restraining the huge numbers of migrants from crossing into Sebta and Melilla, the two Moroccan towns taken over by Spain more than five centuries ago.
Earlier this week, the Minister of Communication and Spokesperson for the Government, Nabil Benabdallah, admitted that Moroccan troops caused “unavoidable humanitarian problems”, as the country was pressurised into stemming the mass attacks on the borders with the two enclaves.
“We strongly object that Morocco act as a watchman on the frontier with Europe,” said Abdelilah Ben Abdeslam, a member in the AMDH administrative commission. “If Europeans want to protect their territory, that is their problem, not ours. They should not prompt Moroccans or anyone else to violate human rights.”
In the past, the Moroccan government was criticised for not taking enough measures to stem the flow of African immigrants to Europe. But now the Kingdom is berated for sending troops to the borders and retaliating against the migrants' stampedes by the “violent use of force.”
The government's spokesperson told the press “it is almost impossible to combat this phenomenon without causing humanitarian problems... It is extremely difficult for us (Moroccan authorities) to take up this responsibility on our own shoulders. Algeria is also responsible for this situation, and it does not want to take its part of responsibility.”
Morocco accuses neighbour Algeria of throwing the door wide open for sub-Saharan migrants, allowing them to cross into the Moroccan territory “without any surveillance.” The communication minister announced on Thursday that 90% of the sub-Saharan migrants transit through Algeria.
The government also reiterated that European countries are under an obligation to exert more serious efforts if they are to reach a practical solution to curb the flow of African migration.
Morocco was promised a 40-million-euro grant as part of an anti-illegal immigration programme, but the money is yet to be received, underscore government officials.
Mounting pressure
Answering to the international community's increasing criticism, the Moroccan authorities rap some Spanish NGOs and political corps for “politicising the tragic events” taking place along the fences that cordon off the two enclaves from the rest of Morocco.
The government has been facing mounting international pressure as it began to deport Africans who use the country's land as a gateway to Europe. The first deportees included a group of 140 Senegalese, who were carried on a Royal Air Maroc flight last Monday from the north-eastern city of Oujda to Senegal's capital Dakar. Other mass deportation operations have followed over this week.
International NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) accused Morocco of “abandoning the deported migrants in the country's south-eastern desert”, near the borders with Algeria, after Spain had sent them back to Morocco. But the Moroccan authorities denied these charges, affirming that the deportees “were well hosted and correctly treated.” The ones found in Morocco's southern desert “must be newly arrived refugees” who cross into the country through Algeria, maintain government officials.
However, the Moroccan human rights groups side with MSF, urging all the parties concerned to provide the migrants with decent and human treatment.
“We have staged this peaceful demonstration in outcry against the inhuman treatment of those decent-life seekers. The sub-Saharan Africans who get killed on the borders with Spain are only looking for their chance to uplift their living conditions and lead well-settled lives. They all come from very poor countries, and some of them flee civil wars. They are human beings, and deserve to be respected,” expounds Ben Abdeslam, who was among the sit-in organisers.
Although Africa is rich in natural resources, mainly minerals and precious stones, half of the continent's population lives below the USD 1-per-day poverty line. With nearly 13% of the world's population, Africa enjoys barely 1% of the world's wealth. Recent figures show that 40% of the African population suffer from malnutrition and famine and two thirds of the black continent's land is degraded, with vast numbers of Africans living without adequate shelter, safe drinking water or sanitation, to say nothing of the tribal conflicts, civil wars and epidemics that have devastated many African nations.
“We believe in the universality of human rights, and we strongly refuse that this concept be subject to Europe's double-standard policies,” underlines the AMDH activist.
“Migration is an international phenomenon that has always existed. The current situation is the result of the unfair distribution of the world's wealth. It is the product of European imperialism. Now Europe's immigration countries have to assume their full responsibilities. But their approach should in no way be repressive.
“The arguments advanced by Europe are contradictory to the international charters bearing on human rights. Individuals are free to look for other opportunities to ameliorate their social circumstances, and freedom of movement is an essential principle in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We do not want Morocco to be a frontier guard for Europeans,” emphasized Ben Abdeslam, calling to mind the European imperialistic history.
“When Europe was in desperate need of manpower, it went in search of African muscles inside the continent. But now it asks North Africans to guard European borders by hindering their sub-Saharan brothers from crossing. We can't accept that,” he concluded.
The Moroccan NGO Espace Associatif urged the governments of the region to adopt a broad and more realistic approach to the crisis.
“Reaffirming our categorical rejection of our government's involvement as a policeman or warden for European borders, we call for the authorities in Spain, Algeria, Mauritania and Europe to fully respect the international humanitarian law and all the international charters relating to human rights, and to adopt a comprehensive humanitarian and solidarity-based strategy to face this calamity, which European countries are to a large extent responsible for,” said a statement released by the organisation's executive office.
The Rabat-based group also arraigns some Moroccan and international media for holding racist views against the sub-Saharans who use Morocco as a transit point to sneak into the old continent.
“We call on all the people who praise the values of justice, solidarity and respect of human rights... to relentlessly repel the racist tendencies of some media, as well as oppose the so-called security measures adopted by the public authorities,” the release went on.
Protestors observed a one-minute silence in memory of the sub-Saharans killed on the borders.
“It is really a sad moment,” mourned a Morocco-based Congolese, apparently the sole sub-Saharan who joined in the demonstration.
“I came here to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in Morocco while trying to look for a brighter future in Europe,” he said, drawing attention to the absence of sub-Saharans in the sit-in.
“Perhaps there was a lack of communication; that is why they are not present. Or maybe they are afraid of coming. It is really sad.”
The feeling of fear was confirmed by a 24-year-old Liberian, who was wandering in Rabat's Medina (old town) only a few minutes after the demonstration.
“I can't express myself because I have no legal documents,” Samson told Morocco Times.
“I came here with a dream, but now I'm looking for money to go back home. I'm scared of going to Spain. I don't want to get killed. All I want is to lead a normal life,” he screamed out with overwhelming distress, recalling the shattered hopes of his compatriots and other sub-Saharans on Morocco's northern coasts.
As the crisis along the borders between Morocco and the two Spanish enclaves of Sebta and Melilla started to hit the headlines around the world, the Moroccan civil society has finally decided to act.
Moroccan human rights NGOs have expressed their solidarity with the sub-Saharan Africans who go through the mill on the country's northern coasts, frequently used as a springboard into Europe.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) and Espace Associatif staged a sit-in on Thursday in Rabat, calling on the Moroccan government and the European Union (EU) to refrain from the security measures they have intensified on their shared borders and respect the rights of the sub-Saharans aspiring to cross the borders in search of a better life.
Dozens of human rights and peace activists took part in the demonstration, held at the Post Square, only a few metres from the Parliament in the capital's Mohammed V Avenue.
“The Moroccan Association for Human Rights denounces the barbaric violence which led to the death and injury of many African migrants,” said an AMDH statement.
“It condemns all the violations of human rights inflicted on our African brothers,” added the NGO's document, urging the Moroccan and Spanish authorities to open an immediate probe into the latest events that sparked a crisis on the two countries' shared borders, where thousands of sub-Saharan would-be migrants clash with police forces and frontier guards.
In late September, Rabat and Madrid decided to deploy troops to the borders between Morocco and the two Spanish-controlled cities, after the substantial increase in the number of massive attempts to cross into Sebta and Melilla over the last two months.
A number of migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, have died while storming the two enclaves by climbing their barbed-wire fences, in quest of a better lifestyle in the supposedly-eldorado EU countries, while many others have been reported injured.
In search of the culprit
Morocco has been criticised for its handling of the latest stampedes led by the would-be migrants on the country's northern coasts, as many international NGOs laid the blame for the deteriorating situation on the Moroccan authorities.
The government defended its use of force in restraining the huge numbers of migrants from crossing into Sebta and Melilla, the two Moroccan towns taken over by Spain more than five centuries ago.
Earlier this week, the Minister of Communication and Spokesperson for the Government, Nabil Benabdallah, admitted that Moroccan troops caused “unavoidable humanitarian problems”, as the country was pressurised into stemming the mass attacks on the borders with the two enclaves.
“We strongly object that Morocco act as a watchman on the frontier with Europe,” said Abdelilah Ben Abdeslam, a member in the AMDH administrative commission. “If Europeans want to protect their territory, that is their problem, not ours. They should not prompt Moroccans or anyone else to violate human rights.”
In the past, the Moroccan government was criticised for not taking enough measures to stem the flow of African immigrants to Europe. But now the Kingdom is berated for sending troops to the borders and retaliating against the migrants' stampedes by the “violent use of force.”
The government's spokesperson told the press “it is almost impossible to combat this phenomenon without causing humanitarian problems... It is extremely difficult for us (Moroccan authorities) to take up this responsibility on our own shoulders. Algeria is also responsible for this situation, and it does not want to take its part of responsibility.”
Morocco accuses neighbour Algeria of throwing the door wide open for sub-Saharan migrants, allowing them to cross into the Moroccan territory “without any surveillance.” The communication minister announced on Thursday that 90% of the sub-Saharan migrants transit through Algeria.
The government also reiterated that European countries are under an obligation to exert more serious efforts if they are to reach a practical solution to curb the flow of African migration.
Morocco was promised a 40-million-euro grant as part of an anti-illegal immigration programme, but the money is yet to be received, underscore government officials.
Mounting pressure
Answering to the international community's increasing criticism, the Moroccan authorities rap some Spanish NGOs and political corps for “politicising the tragic events” taking place along the fences that cordon off the two enclaves from the rest of Morocco.
The government has been facing mounting international pressure as it began to deport Africans who use the country's land as a gateway to Europe. The first deportees included a group of 140 Senegalese, who were carried on a Royal Air Maroc flight last Monday from the north-eastern city of Oujda to Senegal's capital Dakar. Other mass deportation operations have followed over this week.
International NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) accused Morocco of “abandoning the deported migrants in the country's south-eastern desert”, near the borders with Algeria, after Spain had sent them back to Morocco. But the Moroccan authorities denied these charges, affirming that the deportees “were well hosted and correctly treated.” The ones found in Morocco's southern desert “must be newly arrived refugees” who cross into the country through Algeria, maintain government officials.
However, the Moroccan human rights groups side with MSF, urging all the parties concerned to provide the migrants with decent and human treatment.
“We have staged this peaceful demonstration in outcry against the inhuman treatment of those decent-life seekers. The sub-Saharan Africans who get killed on the borders with Spain are only looking for their chance to uplift their living conditions and lead well-settled lives. They all come from very poor countries, and some of them flee civil wars. They are human beings, and deserve to be respected,” expounds Ben Abdeslam, who was among the sit-in organisers.
Although Africa is rich in natural resources, mainly minerals and precious stones, half of the continent's population lives below the USD 1-per-day poverty line. With nearly 13% of the world's population, Africa enjoys barely 1% of the world's wealth. Recent figures show that 40% of the African population suffer from malnutrition and famine and two thirds of the black continent's land is degraded, with vast numbers of Africans living without adequate shelter, safe drinking water or sanitation, to say nothing of the tribal conflicts, civil wars and epidemics that have devastated many African nations.
“We believe in the universality of human rights, and we strongly refuse that this concept be subject to Europe's double-standard policies,” underlines the AMDH activist.
“Migration is an international phenomenon that has always existed. The current situation is the result of the unfair distribution of the world's wealth. It is the product of European imperialism. Now Europe's immigration countries have to assume their full responsibilities. But their approach should in no way be repressive.
“The arguments advanced by Europe are contradictory to the international charters bearing on human rights. Individuals are free to look for other opportunities to ameliorate their social circumstances, and freedom of movement is an essential principle in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We do not want Morocco to be a frontier guard for Europeans,” emphasized Ben Abdeslam, calling to mind the European imperialistic history.
“When Europe was in desperate need of manpower, it went in search of African muscles inside the continent. But now it asks North Africans to guard European borders by hindering their sub-Saharan brothers from crossing. We can't accept that,” he concluded.
The Moroccan NGO Espace Associatif urged the governments of the region to adopt a broad and more realistic approach to the crisis.
“Reaffirming our categorical rejection of our government's involvement as a policeman or warden for European borders, we call for the authorities in Spain, Algeria, Mauritania and Europe to fully respect the international humanitarian law and all the international charters relating to human rights, and to adopt a comprehensive humanitarian and solidarity-based strategy to face this calamity, which European countries are to a large extent responsible for,” said a statement released by the organisation's executive office.
The Rabat-based group also arraigns some Moroccan and international media for holding racist views against the sub-Saharans who use Morocco as a transit point to sneak into the old continent.
“We call on all the people who praise the values of justice, solidarity and respect of human rights... to relentlessly repel the racist tendencies of some media, as well as oppose the so-called security measures adopted by the public authorities,” the release went on.
Protestors observed a one-minute silence in memory of the sub-Saharans killed on the borders.
“It is really a sad moment,” mourned a Morocco-based Congolese, apparently the sole sub-Saharan who joined in the demonstration.
“I came here to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in Morocco while trying to look for a brighter future in Europe,” he said, drawing attention to the absence of sub-Saharans in the sit-in.
“Perhaps there was a lack of communication; that is why they are not present. Or maybe they are afraid of coming. It is really sad.”
The feeling of fear was confirmed by a 24-year-old Liberian, who was wandering in Rabat's Medina (old town) only a few minutes after the demonstration.
“I can't express myself because I have no legal documents,” Samson told Morocco Times.
“I came here with a dream, but now I'm looking for money to go back home. I'm scared of going to Spain. I don't want to get killed. All I want is to lead a normal life,” he screamed out with overwhelming distress, recalling the shattered hopes of his compatriots and other sub-Saharans on Morocco's northern coasts.
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