Was this morning’s knife attack against scantily-clad females in France evidence of a trend among Moroccans?
I ask this question because of the juxtaposition of this story about a campaign against women who wear bikinis on Moroccan beaches. The ANSAmed article arrived in our inbox just after the report on the attack in the Maritime Alps:
Online Photo Campaign Against Moroccan Women in Bikinis
Covert photo operation criticises and threatens women
(ANSAmed) — RABAT, JULY 18 — Moroccan police have undertaken an investigation to determine those responsible for posting photos online of Moroccan women in bikinis on beaches throughout the country.
The photos were taken secretly and posted on a Facebook profile under the false name Aicha Amal, in a campaign calling on the women to turn to religion.
The group said it has taken 10,000 photos and has threatened to publish them all online.
In captions accompanying the photos it has already published, the group wrote: “rediscover the high road and turn to God”; “this is what happens in Morocco, land of Islam, principality of believers”; and “watch out, young Moroccan women, we have eyes that are filming you on the beaches and we will show your photos to prevent the deterioration of the country”.
The photos were taken on beaches in Rabat, Salé, Kenitra, Agadir and Casablanca.
Hat tip: Insubria.
I hope their tourism industry is totally destroyed then. Eastern Europe has some beautiful holiday destinations.
Morocco has applied to re-join the African Union.
I have visited many E. European vacation spots in the past 15 yrs. , they are very enjoyable.
I really hope people would pay more attention, and realize where not to go!
Moroccan style visual elements have for too long been promoted in the west, within interior decoration, in particular.
What do you mean by “Moroccan style visual elements”? I can remember when Navy jet pilots used to bring home various mementos, just like this one, on ebay, and plonk them in the living room.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Mid-Century-CAMEL-SADDLE-PILLOW-Moroccan-Leather-/152138575398
Many more brought back carpets, some so light and fine they made good table cloths (wine spills didn’t show nearly as much)
http://riadzany.blogspot.com/p/beginners-guide-to-moroccan-carpets.html
I remember knowing about Berber carpets long before I knew about Berbers – that’s an area of study I’ve yet to venture into. Some of them managed to hold onto their Christian beliefs…
And on that carpet page, a link to Morocco’s news:
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/
One can only hope that Morocco doesn’t end up like Libya…but then again, Algeria is between them, and Obama is leaving office SOON it will be difficult for the US to continue destroying and destabilizing MENA.
If Morocco falls to Islamism, then we know conclusively that Islam can’t work anywhere.
Morocco is + or – 10% California in population, size, coastal area (also facing west), mountains, valleys, agricultural potential, etc. It has giant and accessible mineral phosphate reserves, rich fisheries, and on and on.
It also has a very pro-Western king who married a Berber woman who wears western dresses with her flowing hair down on her sometimes bare shoulders, a clear challenge to the Islamists to criticize them, because he is a direct lineal descendent of Mohammed (they believe.)
Morocco’s beaches have been a major source of tourism Euros, and western bathing suits have been tolerated there for decades. A knife jihad on a Moroccan beach would be a direct challenge to the authority of the King. He is not squeamish about locking up radical imams. That’s why I say if Islam can’t work in Morocco, it can’t work anywhere. Morocco would and should be as rich as California, but for Islam.
Matt-
Unlike California, young male surfers in Morocco campaigned *against* foreign women wearing bikinis during Ramadan last year.
Surprisingly, the local authorities banned the poster, realizing that it endangered their moderate image:
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/06/161598/morocco-bans-poster-calling-on-tourists-not-to-wear-bikinis-in-ramadan/
One thing that has concerned me recently is how hard Western popular media have recently pushed Morocco as a desirable, exotic locale. This was evident in the most recent James Bond and Mission:Impossible films.
Having lived in the region for the past 3+ years, I found both films’ Hollywood portrayal of sophisticated secret facilities utterly laughable.
Let’s see …. could it be that this is a not-so-“veiled!” threat that if the women do not cover up, they will be attacked?
I spy a little girl in the picture above without a headscarf or burkha . She is too scantily clothed for a ‘modest ‘ Muslim girl..scandalous !
Or maybe okay for a small muslim girl, just not infidel ones ?
The mind boggles.