.~. "

Eliminating" Arabphobia ~_. p. 5Rugs & Weavings: p. 6

Ash Kharbana?: p. 11 9:

.. ~.L_I.~:~ !

The King was accompaniedby a daughter and aniece.

:t!-

Morocco/USA

The visit included discus-sions of past and futurecooperation as well asthanks from PresidentBush to Morocco for sup-port that "demonstratedits commitment to sharedideals by sending itstroops to the defense ofSaudi Arabia... [ demonstrat-ing; that the two countriescan] work together topromote peace andstability in the MiddleEast and the gulf and inWestern Sahara, building anew world order."

Over Two-hundredYears of Friendship

.- --. , '" ti .J...a ,

...,;'Frl_nd- ~~ ~~r~cc~

.tl

His Majesty King Hassan II King Hassan stated that Am e r i can bus in e s s ,made an official state visit President Bush's successes politics, sports, and enter-to the United States in were due to his "personal tainment.late September 1991. He ability" and in part to Bar-also made a stop in New bara Bush for "constantYork City to talk with support and sincerity sothe n U. N. S e c r eta r y indispensable to a head ofGeneral, Javier Perez de state."Cuellar.

The visit included severalsocial functions and recep-tions hosted by both theMoroccan Embassy and theWhite House. The officialstate dinner on 26 Septem-ber 1991, saw not only dig-nitaries and officials fromMorocco and the UnitedStates, but also guestsfrom the worlds of

President Bush reaffirmedthe friendship and coopera-tion between the UnitedStates and Morocco thathas lasted for over 200years (Morocco was thefirst government to recog-nize Americanindependence) .

A final musical t9ast atthe state dinner was dedi-cated to President andMrs. Bush and to King Has-san by Roberta Peters.

~~

...A.

t

.. ...:-;::;.

;,~:. ~. .~. . I~ .. W .1

Suite 300, Washington DC20008, it offers a C8talo~eof Near Eastern and NorthAfrican crafts and jewelry.It features such Moroccangoods as multi-colored bas-kets, Berber weavings,leather goods, andjewelry.

---~ .- '. . ...,- . . .As we wrote in the lastnewsletter, Friends ofMorocco is tryina to POJIl-pile a source list forthings Moroccan that can,we hope, .lead to the crea-tion of a source book forour members. We askedthat readers send us thenames (and addresses) ofrestaurants, retailers otMoroccan goods, sourcesof Moroccan musical record-ings, speakers trom orabout Morocco, exhibits ofMoroccan art and artifacts,sources for cookingspices, books, tours, etc.

90296. r

;".

Marrakesb. A Moroccanrestaurant in Portland OR,at 122 N.W. 23rd. The res-taurant states that itsfood "makes a .flavorableimpression." It o.f.fers ban-quet rooms as well as out-side catering..

International' Fcx1d Sa""'.The Portland OR, storecarries Middle Easternloods, including Moroccanolives. Find it at 915 S.W. 9th.

.We have a long way to goto publish a directory 80whenever you run acrosssomethin&" send your bitof information to BillGaisser, FOM NewsletterEditor, 219 Oak Street,Evansville, Indiana 47713-1254.

The information hasstarted rollina' in, ofwhich the following is asampling:

..Society .for MoroccanStudies. A t the 08n tre o.f

Near and Middle EasternStudies, SOAS, London,England. Among other ac-tivities, it sponsors lec-ture series concerningMorocco andMorocco/European under-standin... Its US at.fice isin care at Dr. Henry Mun-son, Jr., An thropologyDept., Stevens Hall South,University 01 Maine, OronoME 04469.

.Lot.fi's Couscous. TheseNew York City restaurantsare .found at 28 CorneliaStreet (Greenwich Vill.ale)and 135 W. 45the Street,2nd .floor (Mid-town). Itis rumored that at theGreenwich Village location,if you Speak MoroccanArabic, that you will beserved a .free dessert.

.Ha.8Juni& At 311 CameronStreet, Alexandria VA.Mamounia is operated byHamid Mernissi, and is asource for all kinds 01Moroccan crafts, clothing,and jewelry. .The Arabic Yellow Pales.A national direc torT of

Arab-Americans, includingentries relating to tourism,countrT information, busi-ness services, etc. It in-cludes some Moroccan-related entries. Contactthe publisher at P. O. Box5335, Playa Del ReT CA

.The Biblical ArchaeoloS',ySocietr. With offices at3000 Connecticut Ave., N.W.

UNICEF has a I'reetlngcard available thatreproduces a tile patternfrom the royal palace inMarrakech. The detail isactually reproduced fromTraditional Islamic Craft inMoroccan Architecture byAndre Paccard. Thoughnot listed in currentcatalogs, it is avaiJable bycontactinl' a UNICEF office

or chapter.

-- .'8I~January 1992 i\ 3

~

. I~ CorpB confirmed In October 1991, that volunteer. wtll be Bent to the (former)Soviet Union. President Kennedy once 8aJd that he hoped the dBY would coBle whenth. U8aR would be a hoat country. .Morocco 18 on8 01 8everal new non-permanent membere 01 the United NationeSecurtt7 Council. It will ..rye in that poBition durin. the 1991 calenda!' year. A Treasure Hunter's Guide

to Morocco, by A1f Taylor,is a wonderful, detailed,and unusual guide toMorocco--taking thereader through Moroccovia its art and culture.

MoI'OCCO waa one of the featured countries In the December Iseue of the Bur.-er Kin..Kid. Club Adventure. aa.aalne. It Included a short de.crlptlon of A.bur. In aator,. about world boUda,...

For tJlose who eager},. look tor the latest Arab-AlDerlcsn Affair. in ,.our .aUbox oron the new8stand, ,.OU will not til\d it after the PaU 1991 i88ue. Its editor. haveannounced that It will be renamed Middle Ea.e PollcT, com.encin. with the thewinter 1992 i.BUe.

It covers many aspects ofMorocco with its 180 colorplates and 191 pages,gives a brief, but verycomplete, feel for history,art, architecture, andeveryday life. It includescomplete lists of festivals,holidays, sites, andmethods of travelingwithin the country.

Pre.ldent and Mr.. Rea.an made a private vl.lt to Morocco In October 1991.Yi8lt8d Fez, Marrakech, and Rabat, where they dined with Kin. aa-n U.

TheJ'

D8i8catea repr..entlng the Ha.hreb trom Morocco. Tuni8la. and AJ.erla met In PerlaIn mJd-November 1991. with the French Htniatr,. of F6rel.n Aftalr.. The question of"aid bud.eta and the tradiUon of cooperation" _a dlacua8ed. Mauritania and Libya.the two other Ha.hreblan countriea. ware not Invited to participate in the dlacu8-aloo. .

"i. WorJd . 1 (February 19911, a volulalnoue and monthly review of "the world," In-cludee a rather Infor_tive and varied art!r.)e entitled "lela.. and the Modern World,"The el.hty-s~ven pa.e article I. broken Into eight part8, Includlnl writlnge, draw-In,.e, and photo,.raphe relating to Art, the Koran, Ielamtc Fundamentall.m, Social con-diUD88, Interviewe, Hue"..e and Jewe, and much more,

It is not the usual guidein that it skips the normallistings of hotels, res-taurants, and "how to getthere from New York (orParis or wherever)" pages.

Moroccan flower a have attained their mark In tha International marketplaca.Pro.reasln. with constant Investment In new techniques and tschno~y, floricultureIs becomln. sn Important .rowth Industry lor Morocco. The p~I 01 Its ImportanceIs s.phaslEed by the Third International Floriculture Exposition, BxifJor, held In Mar-rskech (11-19 January 1992). The exposition, hosted by AmpexfJuers (the MoroccanAssociation 01 Flower Growers end Bxporters) brou.ht to.ether membera 01 theDower Industry lro. around the world. Ths expoeitlon was the scene of H.lnara,exhibits of the lateat _teriala and techniques, and exchan..s of the neweat Ideas InDorlculturs.

The text is in bothEnglish and French. Itdoes include a shorttraveler's guide to basicMoroccan Arabictt conversation..t

The Italian Chamber of Co18_rce in Morocco celebrated its eevsnt7'-ftfth anniveraarTin October 1991. In oooperatton with the Banque ~_rcl8le du Maroc (BCH}. thechamber staaed an exhibition of ftft7' Moroccan and Italian _nufacturere. Thi. wasthe overture of a debate and dlacuulon held in November with aU of the forelanchamber. of commerce in Morocco. The debate - moderated bT Moha..ed N'»qhriA81ui. Minister of Forelan Inveetmenta.

The book, in paperback, isavailable at the AmericanMuseum of Moroccan Art,P. O. Box 50472, TusconArizona 85703-0472. Thecost is $25.00, includingmailing costs. .ti - j

, -.a.J.J ",ti~ J.,

Frlend- o~ "orocco

The ftrst perlo~nce 01 a western opera In Arabic we. sun. in the New Cairo OperaHouse In December. The opera, Mozart'. The Marriale of Fipro, Included RaoulZaldan, one 01 gg,.pt'. best known operatic baritone.. What'. next? In Februar,.1992, Mozart'. Don GiovannI, also tranalated Into Arabic, will be sung in Cairo.Oriental Rug Review

The December .1991 issue of N.tJon.l Geogr.phlc H.gasine Includes a nearl,. flft,.page, beautifull,. photognphed (88 would be expected from HGI article of Abou Abdal-lah Mohammed ibn Battuta, legendary Moiooccan traveler. hietorlan and explorer. Of-ten called the "Marco Po\C) of Morocco," ibn Battuta set out in 1352 for the Sudan.describing life, .eo.npb,., and all elae that be .., alon. the we,.. Be spent JDOetof hi. life traveUn. to Asia, Ru88la, China, North Africa, and Spain. Born In Tan-giers In 1304, he died 73 ,.eara later at Fec. A future edit\c)n of the new.letter willb'-b...bt 8O8e 01 Ibn Battuta'. travela.

4 January 1992

Mr. Vreeland has servedat the U. S. Mission to theUnited Nations in NewYork City, and was tem-porarily assigned to theNational Security Councilin the White Bouse.

Mr. Vreeland has b,eenDeputy Assistant Secretaryof State for the Near Eastand South Asian Bureausince the beJ'inning of1991. In that position hehas had supervisoryresponsibility for NorthAfrica and the Levant, aswell as relations with theU. S. Congress.

As a travel writer from1988 to 1990, he was con-tributing editor of CondeHast Traveler maaazine,for which he wrote aboutMediterranean tourism andculture, specifically includ-ing Morocco. He i8 co-au thor of Rome Access, aauide publi8hed in NewYork in 1987 and 1991.

In 1989 and 1990, Mr.Vreeland served as VicePresident of John CabotUniversity, an AmericanInstitution of higher learn-

ing in Rome, Italy. Heserved as the Director ofthe Aspen Institute inItaly from 1985 to 1987.Prior to that, he was withthe Central Intelli8'enceA8'ency, retirin8' in 1985.

Mr. Vreeland received aBA degree from YaleUniversity in 1951, andserved in the U. S. NavalReserve during the period1945-47.

Choukri's Genet' Tanger,written in 1968, was in-spired by a conversationwith Genet when he asked"Why do you go to a hotellike the Minzah, you whoare prefer only the com-pany of the poor?...Because I am a dirtydog, I go to the Minzah orthe Hilton because I loveto see those elegant per-sons serve a dirty doglike myself."

He has served in a varietyof foreign posts in both He speaks French, I~n,

and German.

Quai Voltaire has also an-nounced the translation ofThe Spider's House of PaulBowles. It concerns theAlgerian War as seen byan American from Tan-..iers.~

An English translation(from the Arabic) ofMohamed Choukri's 1979reminiscences ~ be avail-able in 1992, from Quai Vol-taire. It will include,among other materials, con-versations with Americanplaywright Tennessee Wil-liams. The book was writ-ten in honor of a visit toTangiers by author JeanGenet, who was the inspira-tion for an ear tier workby Choukri.

Moroccan author DrissChraibi is ready to releasetwo new works. One, ac-cording to Mr. Chraibi,that is going to II cause alot of noise," is entitledThe Man o.f the Book(L'Romme du Livre). Thebook recounts twenty-fourhours in the life of the-

The new American am bas- Europe and the Middlesad 0 r to Mor oc co is East.Frederick Vreeland.

prophet Mohamed prior tothe revelation of theKoran.

The second book, yet tobe titled, is a police noveldue to be released by Edi-tions Denoel in June 1992.It will concern a casesolved by Inspector Ali, acharacter created in hislast novel.

5January 1992

The following' is a letterfrom a MorocC'.an teacherof Arabic. Thou..h onlyrecently received by thenew.letter, its messagecontinues to ring' clear,even a ~ after the GulfWar.

Dear FOM,

As a former Arabic teacherwho served in PeaceCorps, I am writing to ex-press my sadness and dis-may aRcribed to the quiteunexpected decision toevacuate the 130 AmericanVolunteers who servedhere and who, I believe,have made of Morocco.their second home. Thisabrupt decision has, infact, disappointed many of

us. It was a real pain tohave found out that allthose people I happenedto know and respect hadbeen sent home. I neverthought I wouldn't begiven the opportunity tosee them for the last timeand as well say bye topeople like Scott Johnson,

Jennifer Trapp, Rob Mat-thew, Julie Foster, and the

list is long.

Anyway, I am writing fromthe perspective of onewho believes In friendshipwhatever may occur. Youare to know that you havegained a warm place Inour hearts and Morocco is

I feel extra special in myDear Najib, situation in Washington.

There are so many Moroc-Than k you for you r cans here...In 80me waY8,letter... I feel that I have not

even left Morocco! I canNow that the war is over, still enjoy endless hoursI am hopeful that ~ce in of discussion and mint teathe rel'ion will b8 the with my Moroccan friends.primary focus of ourI'overnment--and I think Again, thank you for yourit is. I also feel that the wonderful letter...

Iwar 8erved to bring theSincerelyNoreen Polk

thirty-minute video and acollaborative book.

).For more information con-tact Louise Mackie, RoyalOntario Museum, 100Queen's Park, Toronto, On-tario, Canada M5S 2C6.

r;J'a. ".Jj':iA study of textiles wovenin and around Fez, thework is based on researchby Lotus Stack and Mark

andthe

of a

To be completedreleased in 1992,study will consist ~

"ti~'Frl_nda ~~ ~~r~~~~

always ready to receiveyou once again. Considerus as your brothers andsisters overseas.

Now I urge you to take allthe 8teps nece88ary tole88en the drastic effectof the~- Arabphobia, caused

by the sen8eless war inthe Gulf. You are in agood position to help theAmerican communitie8 un-der8tand the Arab and con-ceive them a8 human, too.I was shocked to h_r thepre8ident of a ,reatcountry defining the endof the war as the victoryof the "human race" andat the same time reje"ctin.the fact that the peoplehe was fi.htin.--victimsof Saddam'8 lack of in-sight, are them8elve8human. You, a8 formerPCVs whtJ had been indirect contact with manyArabs, could well projectwho we are. Our worldtoday needs more under-8tanding and love, not die-crimination and hatred.So, be our amba8sador8and 8peak for U8. Withyour experience8 and cul-tural understanding, ~ amsure you will, in.hallah.brin. many Americans totheir senses and makethem accept our culturaldifferences. I am confi-dent you will contribute to

a better understanding ofour culture and as well

serve aa a barrierobstructing misunderstand-ing and suspicion that thewar may have implanted inthe American mind. Ifthere were more peoplelike you in the world, howmuch easier life would be,and how limited theproblems that separatepeople and largely loomupon the horizon of ourlife would be.

I wish you all good luckand on behalf of all Moroc-

cans, I send you my bestregards. Once again, youare always welcome here.Please transmit my sym-pathy and respect to allthe evacuees.

Yours Sincerel,.,

Najib

frhe !ll!in~ i" e!rptedI'rom a reBpon- to Najib'Bletter from Noreen Polk(TEFL, Errachidia 1984-86),FOM B~rd Member.

Middle East issues to. theforefront of mostAmericans' minds. Unfor-tunately, Americans are8till sufferinl' from Arab-phobia, but believe mewhen I tell you that we,as Returned Peace Corpsvolunteer8, work everyday to di8pel the myth8and misconceptions aboutArab8. It has become apersonal cru_de for me toexp08e my coworkers andfriends to the warmth andgenerosity I experiencedas a volunteer in Morocco.

It is in thi8 way that I'relive my Peace Corp.experience--I was a "littleAmba8sador" in Morocco,representing Americs andnow I feel as though I ama "little Ambassador" inAmerica. I am sure thatmy friends I'et tired of myreferences to Morocco, butI will never tire of thefeelinl's I have forMorocco and Moroccans. '

The Minneapolis Instituteof Arts in Minneapolis, Min-nesota, and the Royal On-tario Museum in Toronto,Ontario, Canada, are col-laborating on Threads ofTime: Wedding Textiles inFez, Morocco.

Stanley (Min-neapolisInstitute), Louise Mackie(Royal Ontario Museum),Frieda Sorber(Texteilmu seen-Belgium),and Susan Davis,(anthropologist andMorocco RPCV, HaverfordFA).

6 January 1992

On 28 February 1992, a major exhibitionof Moroccan carpets and textiles, Win-dows on the Maghrib... Tribal and Ur-ban Weavings of Morocco, will open un-der the sponsorship of the Frank H.McClung Museum at the University ofTennessee, in Knoxville. The exhibit willbe cosponsored by the Near Eastern ArtResearch Center, Inc., of WashingtonDC.

Approximately sixty-five pieces will bedrawn from the museum and private col-lections in North America. They willpresent an overview of tri681 and ur-ban material produced throughout themajor weaving areas of Morocco and willinclude flat-woven and knotted pile car-pets, capes, tent bands, horse trap-pings, pillows, and embroideries.

Published as a catalog foran exhibit at the TextileMuseum in Washington DC,in 1980, it is one of veryfew books on the subject,

~~ - written in English, that

exists today.

. Its chapters cover not

* just the weaving and tech-nical aspects of rugs, butdelve deeply into thesociology, culture, and his-tory of the people whoproduced such textiles.

The exhibition will be documented by afUty-two-page ca~og, (see adjacent ar-ticle) published by the Frank H.McClung Museum and the Near EasternArt Research Center.

Written by Patricia Fiske,Russell Pickering, andRalph Yohe, it is availablefrom the Textile Museum inWashington DC, for $37.50.

The McClung Museum was established in1963 and is part of the College ofLiberal Arts at the University of Ten-nessee. It is a general museum withcollections in anthropology, archaeology,and decorative arts. The Near EasternArt Research Center was founded in1964 b,. Joseph V. McMullen, one ofAmerica's foremost collectors, to furtherprojects relating to Islamic carpets. Thecenter has published four books andsupported nearly thirty programs.

~ The exhibit will continue into April

~

Considered by many to bethe best book for thosewho are just discoveringMoroccan rugs and Moroc-Can rug collecting, Fromthe West: Carpets andTextiles of Morocco, hoasbeen called the most "eye-opening presentation ofOriental rugs everpresented. tt

January 1992 7

Lavishly photographed andwith a very informativetext, this publicationwould be a wonderful addi-tion to the library of anyMoroccophile--or anyone8'enerally interested in theart of textiles.

The main text is by Jeffer-son Hyde and W. RussellPickerin&,. Mr. Hyde hastraveled extensively inMorocco, studying thetribes and weavings. Mr.PickerinJ' has collectedMoroccan textile s since1971 and is co-editor ofFrom the Far West: Rugsand Textiles o.f Morocco.

Published by the Frank H.McClun8' Museum at theUniversity of Tennessee inKnoxville, and the NearEastern Art ResearchCenter, Inc. in WashingtonDC, it is edited by Jeffer-son S. Hyde, JaniceHarmer, Miriam Lorimer,and W. Russell Pickering.The fifty-two-pa8'esottcover publication, con-tains thirty.:.tour colorplates, a weavin8' map, andthree black and whiteweaving illustrations. Itcosts $18.00.

The text reviews the cul-tural background and his-tory of Morocco, as well asthe weavings of Arab andBerber tribes which in-habit the plains of Mar-rakech and the Hiah andMiddle Atlas Mountains.Also discussed are therugs a~d embroideriesproduced in the urban cen.ters of Fez, Mediouna,Rabat, and Tetouan.

Sections on embroideriesand technical analysis areby P. Lynn Denton, Assis-tant Director of the TexasMemorial Museum, Austin,Texas. Mrs. Denton stageda major exhibition ofMoroccan carpets at theTexas Museum in 1987, andis currently working onher PhD on weavings otMorocco.

For more information con-tact W. Russell Pickerina,Chairman, The Near East-ern Art Research Center,4200 Cathedral Avenue,Suite 1112, Washington DC20016.

The thirty-four plates areaccompanied by descrip-tions and structuralanalyses and include ex-amples of knotted pile andflat-woven rugs, blankets,capes, shawls, tent bands,and saddle covers, saddlebags, and pillows.Eighteen tribes and con-federations are repre-sented, and the influenceof Middle Eastern and An-dulusian weavin.s on both

An extensive bibliographywas compiled by James F.Jereb of Santa Fe, NewMexico. Mr. Jereb basspent many years inMorocco studying tribalarts and has written exten-sively on Moroccan carpets ~

~ I;.li .J-IIIII# ,Frl_nda ~t' ~~r~cc~

.!.tl

A new publication, Win-dows on the Ma~hrib...Tribal and Urban Weavin,sor Morocco, has beenreleased to commemorate acarpet exhibit of the samename.

.'urban and tribal carpetsand embroideries is inves-tigated.

The catalog includes apreface by Alex Haley,author of Roots and an in-troduction by Dr. Jeffer-son Chapman, PhD, Direc-tor of the McClungMuseum.

and North African artsand textiles.

Dedication statements arewritten by the HonorableMohamed Belkhayat, Ambas-sador of Morocco to theUnited States, and by theHonorable Michael Ussery,former United States Am-bassador to Morocco.

January 1992

It has reproductions ofsixty colored paintingsand drawings of Berberand Arab tribal costumesas well as descriptive andexplanatory text. Thebook is based on Mr.Besancenot's travelsthroughout Morocco from1934 to 1939.

Priced at $87.50, the bookcan be obtained in theUnited States from Rout-ledge, Chapman, &:. Hall, 29W. 35th Street, New YorkNY 10001 (tel. 212/224-3336).

The Oriental nu, Review, a bl-monthly journal of oriental rug. and textiles, devotedmoat of ite Aprii/May 1991 i..ue to Moroccan ru.. and other handwoven .oods.

Included are photo.raph. and drawtn.s of old and modern rug. and ru. weaving,with detailed Information on weaving technique. and Moroccan ru. collectln. In.eneral. The followin. i. a .yn°p.8i8 of _e of the article.:_. '

Rug CoI!ecting in Morocco (Brooke Pickerin., W. Ru..ell Pickering, A Ralph S. Yohe):a very good guide for collecting that .roup. the ru.. by re.lon, .tyle, and period.;where to find them; what to look for when buyln. rug.; how to price them: andmuch more valuable Information lor both the ssrlou. and casual collector.

..Corsairs, Commerce, and Colnomens (Michael Bazinet): a.ood and concise history ofMoroccqn carpet making, it covers key i..uea that explain why the indu.trydeveloped as It did. It .oea on to dlscu.. tribal geo.raphy and the importance 01the RB..e. given to variou. weavin...

.-Continuity and Cban..e: Handwoven TexUlea in Fes, Morocco (Susan Schaefer Davia--a Morocco RPCV): a look at textile art In Morooco locu.ln. more on the producersthan the product. Coverin. drawloo.. weavin., Jalaba weavin., and knotted carpet.,the article derives much 01 its depth and interest from Interview. with l8a.terweaver., their children, and apprentice..

.-Welt-twined nu... and Related TexUlea 0/ Nortb Africa and the Middle Es.t (David W.Fraesr): explains, with many excellent example., a type of ru. weavin. that create.the "f1atwoven" appearance in M9roccan ru.a. It differ. lrom the often &een pIleruge .uch .. the Rabat and Middle AtI- Mr. Fr..er dla.ram. _nJ' of the weave.found in .uch rug.--all leading to very intricate de8ign..

--Shawls 01 the Berber. 0/ the Atlas Mountains (Valerie Ju.Un): talk. about an oftenoverlooked art in Moroccan weavin., explalnin. the .ubtle difference. in color,fabric, and .ymboll.18 01 thl. burn~related .ar_nt. The article pointe out thatthe burn(X)86 (khaidus in Arabic) wa. actually the habit 01 Chrl.tian 180nk. wholived In Arab countrie..

.101- .Textll... lrom Vani.hin.. Cultures (Harrlat P. Swedlund): relatea the contente of atravelln. textlle exhibition that wa. put to.ether by the South Dakota Art Museum inBrookln.s, South Dakote. The exhibit p1acee great Il8portance on labric. and ru.sfrom Morocco, with other example. frol8 the re.t of North Africa, South-CentralEurope, Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey.

.-Oriental Ru... in a United Germany (Mohtashem): reveals the prevlou.ly unknown orlittle known treasure. of Middle Ea.tern and North African woven art to be found Inthe 18u.euma and markets of Berlin and the lormer Ea.t Germany. It traver.e. Ger-many, city by city, west and east, describing what was found. It include. severalreference. to and photo.raph. 01 Moroccan ru.e and fabrics.

The Journal Includes a very, very extensive blbllo.raphy of Moroccan weaving com-piled by Michael Bazinet. It also lists l8any 8Ourcs. for Moroccan weavln.. andrug. In the United States and Canada.

ftBerber of Telouet,ft drawing by Gaa-ielie-Rousseau, 1934.One of over sixty illustrations relating to Moroccan weavings in 77Je Orisntsl Rug ReWew.

~

Costumes of Morocco, byJean Besancenot, has beenrepublished in English byKegan Paul International(London, 1990).

9

American-Arab Affairs(Summer 1991) printed anarticle by Robert J, Book-miller about futureprospects for the WesternSahara. He states thatthe results of a referen-dum are not all that sure,though the politicalbalance currently seemtilted in the favor of be-coming a part of Morocco.Part of his thesis is thatthe rest of the world hasbeen preoccupied withmore demanding problemsdue to the Gulf War, thecollapse of communism inEastern Europe and the

""-

former USSR, and theMiddle East peace con-ference. President Bushdid however, in his Sep-tem ber 1991 speech listthe Western Sahara as oneof five "diverse andtroubled lands" where theU.S. and the U.N. areworking together topursue peace. In thesame month, the EuropeanParliament passed a resolu-tion relating toEuro/Moroccan cooperationuntil the referendum takesplace.

Founded in 1991, it cur-rently has forty-fivemembers--primarily collec-tors, museum curators,and rug dealers.

According to the MiddleEast Times (26 Nov./2 Dec.1991), the United Nationspeace p~ for the WesternSahara is falling behindschedule by at least threemonths. The originallyscheduled mid-Januaryreferendum may bedelayed because of a lack01 U.N. peace keepers(only 450 of 2,000 havearrived) and a lack ofpolitical campaign in whichpeople are to choose be-tween independence andincorporation into Morocco.All parties apparentlyagree that one of theproblems is the lack of anaccurate listing of who isan eligible Saharanvoter---both sides claim-ing that a 1974 Spanish-compiled census wasflawed.

The purpose of the societyis to further knowledge'and recognition of Moroc- I

can rugs and textiles. Itihas established a centralcommunications point forthose interested in thesubject and provides aquarterly newsletter formembers. The organiza-tion encourages and sup-ports exhibitions, publica-tions, research, and otherprograms relating to Moroc.can weavings.

Jeune Afrique (23/29 Oct.1991) noted that King Has-san, speaking to the open-ing of Parliament upon hisreturn from the UnitedStates, stated that "Wehave every chance of win-ning the referendum.This comes not from asimple impression, butfrom conviction. tt Jeune

A.frique goes on to saythat the referendum willtake place, but within atimes pan' set by theUnited Nations. In the

Dookey 'Mule Manger

Membership is $15.00 an-nually. More informationis available from W. Rus-sell Pickering, President,The Moroccan Rug and Tex-tile Society, 4200 CathedralAvenue, N. W., WashingtonDC 20016 (tel. 202/686-5108).

Jeune A/rique (Oct.30/5Nov.) noted that Algeriahas dropped all "free"transport of Saharans toPolisario refugee camps.

,.

.;'""t\ ",ti~\Frlend- C>~ -'c>rc>ccc>

The following is a co11Jpila-tion of excerpts fro11Jseveral journals rela ting..to the Western Sahara.

meantime, if the referen-dum is not held soon, bothsocial and politicalpatience will wear thin.

The Moroccan Rug and Tex-tile Society is an organiza-tion composed of in-dividuals interested in theweavings of Morocco.

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iilf'ii!\ffi10 January 1992

Architectural Digest(August 1991) includes anarticle entitled "MidsummerNight's Dream," about theLong Island retreat ofdesigner Thomas Britt.

A recent release by LeTemps apprivois~ (Paris,$90.00 approx.), by IreneMenjili-de Corny was justreleased (currentlyavail-able only in French). En-titled Jardins du Maroc, itis a beautifully designedand informative book.

The retreat, sporting manyMoroccan decorativetouches, is highlighted bythe realization of a fan-tasy: "to have a Moroccantent for d.ining andentertaining." The tent isfilled with 19th-centuryMoroccan brass plates, sil-ver cups, lanterns, candle-sticks, pottery, and rugs.

Ms. Menjili-de Corny, anarchitect practicing inMorocco since 1970, allowsthe reader to explore thesumptuous gardens inMorocco--gardens filledwith symbolism.

Describing Marrakech andthe gardens, Ms. Messervyquotes Jahangir, a Mughalemperor: "If there beParadise on the face ofthe earth, it is here, it ishere, it is here."

The new American Museumof Moroccan Art, the firstsuch museum in theUnited States, opened in1991, in Tuscon, Arizona.

Founded by Mr. a:. Mrs. AlfTaylor, the museum hostsexhibits of Moroccan tex-tiles and artifacts, con-ducts tours to Morocco,and acts as an informationcenter for Americans visit-ing Morocco and Moroccantourists visiting theUnited States.

In 1992, the exhibit willappear at the UniversityArt Museum, Berkeley,California (January 22-March 29); and theSpringfield Museum ofFine Arts, Springfield, Mas-sachusetts (April 24-June28).

It includesfeaturing Moartifacts, and

For more information con-tact the AMMA, P. o. Box50472, TuBcon, Arizona85703-1472, (Tel. 602/529-0232 FAX 602/529-2791.),\:

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The May/June 1991 issueof Garden Design ran abeautifully photographedcover story about the Jar-din Majorelle in Mar-rakech. Author Julie MoirMesservy, a lands.capedesigner andMIT teacher,excerpted the article fromher own book, Contempla-tive Garden&

the book includesphotographs, plans, his-tories, "stories," com-parisons, and much more.It can be read as aresearch book or a coffeetable book.

a gift shoproccan rugs,pu blications.

The Here and theHereafter: IIIJages ofParadise in Is1aIlJic Art, isa traveling exhibit or-ganized by the HoodMuseum of Art atDartmouth College, inHanover NH. Its many ob-jects span the Islamicworld from Morocco toIndia--including weavings,manuscripts, and ceramics.

January 1992 11

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~We occasionally receive anote or letter asking forlllore listings in the ABhKhabarna column of theFOM NewBletter. We wouldlove to oblige. Unfor-tunately, the column can-not be ezpanded (or evenplaced in the newsletter)if you don't send us theinformation. So please, tocontinue what appears tobe one of our mosteagerly awaited columns,send us news (wbat youare doing', where you aregoing, where you havebeen, etc.) about you,your friends, other PeaceCorps volunteers, formerPeace Corps related per-sons, or any other Moroc-copbile.

tivist I'roups such as AIDSCoalition to Unleash Power(ACT UP) and Project In-form to lobby for moreI'overnment action on ac-quired immune deficiencysyndrome and cancer.Blenore is survived byher sister, Linda D. Ta&,-&,art, of Pensacola FL; andher three children, Li8aPred-Sosa, of Boston MA,Jody D. Pred, of Celo NC,and Julie P. Gottschalk, ofCharlotte8ville VA.

would like to help, or justwant to let LibbT. knowwhat you are up to andwhere you are, contacther at 815 Phelps Avenue,Rockford 1161108. Youcan reach her by phone at815/399-6813.

---'Blenore Pred (TEFL, 1987-88), died on 3 October1991, in San Francisco,California. She had beena pioneering advocate forbreast cancer patients andfounder of the organiza-tion Breast Cancer Action(July 1990). She became anationally recognizedleader in the effort to &,et

medical policy-makers topay more attention to thedisease, which now strikesone in nine Americanwomen. She was featuredin the Au&,ust 1991 U. S.News and World Report asone of eight "NationalHeroes of 1991," il! a storyabout her political activismon behalf of women bat-tling the disease. Shealso worked with AIDS ac-

Bovard Alcock (Morocco,1971-73), died on 15 Oc-tober 1990. Boward hadbeen living in Solvanl',California.--- .- .

RPCVS DJana Doulc>n (1987-89), Natasba Baugues( 1987 -90), and A.D68.1a Hem-burger (1987-89), ran inthe 27 October 1991 "Racefor the Cure" in San Fran-cisco CA. The run washeld to bring attention toplight of breast cancer inwomen.

Libbr (Abi",ren) Gartner(1990-91), wants t9 contactthose RPCVs and PCVs whowere evacuated fromMorocco durin. the GulfCrisis. - She is interestedin creating a newsletter orother medium to keep theevacuees in touch. If you

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Among notable films fromMorocco was Chroniques

. Valencia, Spain, can prob-

ably lay claim to the title"Capital of Arab Film," dueto its recent hostina ofthe Festival of Mediter-ranean Film, and the largenumbers of winners fromNorth Africa.

d'une vie normale, bySaad Chraibi.The festival, started in1980, lists Moroccan JilaliFerhati's Poupees deroseau, as the first Arabfilm to receive the GoldenPalm award (in 1982).That film portrayed thestatus of women in .Morocco. .:.;.iJ.' $.ti...l..-,

Frl.nd- ~~ ~~r~co~

12 January 1992

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Friends 01' Morocco Newsletter is pu b-lished quarterly by the Friends ofMorocco and circulated to their membersand other interested parties. The or-ganization was formed in 1988 toreunite PCVs who have served inMorocco, to inform members about cur-rent events and conditions in Morocco,to promote a better understanding ofMorocco and Moroccans on the part ofAmericans, and to fund or otherwisesupport development activities inMorocco. Membership dues are 815 an-nually. FOM is governed by a nine-member national board. Mailing ad-dress: Friends of Morocco, PO Box2579, Washington DC 20013-2579. Forfurther information, contact presidentTim Resch at 703/660-9292.

World-wide human rightsorganizations, includingAmnesty International andthe Moroccan Organizationof Human Rights, point topositive measures, includ-ing the release of 435political prisoners since1981, improvement of thejustice system, and theclosing of the Tazmamartprison.

Editor:Bill Gaisser

Jeune Afrique, The NewYork Times, and Le Mondereport similar improve-ments. Le Monde suggeststhat as many as 5,000people have been releasedsince January 1991, andgives much credit forthese developments to thehelp of U. S. Secretary ofState James Baker.

Editorial Office:FOM Newsletterc/o Bill Gaisser219 Oak StreetEvansville, Indiana 47713812/423-3777 or 423-7625

FRIENDS OF MOROCCOP.O. Box 2579Washington DC 20013-2579(AddreS8 Correction Requested)

Morocco has been recentlyrecognized for the improve-ment of human rights, ac-cording to a report in -theChristian Science Monitor.