On Friday 30 January, the Frontline Club hosted a screening of Casablanca Calling, which was followed by a Q&A session with director Rosa Rogers and producer Hilary Durman. The documentary focuses on three Morchidat: women who work in schools, prisons, mosques and communities across Morocco to educate the population about the true meaning of Islam, with a particular focus on the role of women. The Morchidat provide support and advice to women and girls, many of whom are experiencing difficulties at home or at work. The training of women in this capacity was an initiative implemented by King Mohammed IV of Morocco as part of a series of legislative reforms which strengthened the rights of women, and assigned them greater protection under family law. The Morchidat were first introduced in 2006, following the Casablanca bombings of 2003, partly in response to concern over the way religion was being taught and interpreted within many mosques around the country.

Rosa Rogers and Hilary Durman answer audience questions following the screening of Casablanca Calling

Following the screening, Rogers explained that as herself and the producer were both women, they were frequently limited in their access to the opinions of men in Morocco: “We had access to the women’s world in a way that we didn’t have access to the men’s world….which is something that we would like to see more of…I think that’s another film, maybe.”

On the subject of the Morchidat, Durman called them:

“Our window into understanding the texture of society and the struggles of women and girls in that society.”

A number of audience members were keen to know more about how exactly the Moroccan people had responded to the introduction of the Morchidat. As the Morchidat are a very small group, numbering approximately 600 nationwide, much of the Moroccan population are still not aware of their existence. As a result, Rogers explained, the response has been generally positive:

“A lot of people think they are a really good idea….There were protests about it when the initiative was first introduced, but it has been introduced quite quietly.”

Rogers commented on the rigorous training process for the Morchidat, and regretted that she had not been able to include elements of this within the film. Highlighting her comment that it is “an incredibly competitive field to get into”, Rogers explained that there are often hundreds of applicants, and that women have to both know the Qu’ran by heart and have a university degree. Furthermore, successful applicants must undergo a year of full-time training which focuses on a broad range of subjects, including religious studies, international affairs, psychology and mediation.

An audience member commented on the disturbing rise of Islamaphobia in the West, and praised the film’s positive portrayal of female religious leaders who use the Qu’ran to demonstrate the crucial role of women in society and Islam. The director and producer were then posed the question of whether the film would be used for educational purposes, to which Durham responded that the film is currently being used by schools in the US and Morocco, and will be shown as a “pilot” in East London in April.

Thanks @frontlineclub for Casablanca Calling screening and lively Q n A!

— M Francois-Cerrah (@MFrancoisCerrah) January 30, 2015

Another member of the audience expressed the point that the film does not directly address poverty as an underlying cause of gender inequality in Morocco, which is particularly present in rural areas, and questioned whether a widespread misinterpretation of Islam was solely responsible. She argued that King Mohammed IV of Morocco, himself an extremely wealthy man, had purposefully shifted the blame onto misinterpretations of Islam in order to abdicate his regime of any responsibility, and that to a certain extent Casablanca Calling could be seen as a “mouthpiece for the government.” Rogers responded:

“The political situation there is very complex, and… I don’t feel that what we have done is a propaganda piece for the government at all. I feel that it is very much a film about the work that the women are doing on the ground and how that has changed things… I think that the political situation is extremely complex, and to try and bring all of that in and deconstruct that takes it off in a different direction. I’m not sure this film is necessarily the right place to do that. I absolutely agree that poverty is the biggest issue… Amongst the urban elite there’s a very strong idea that this [Morchidat] is a tokenistic programme, and what they’re doing doesn’t make much difference, but we just felt after spending lots of time with them on the ground that it is making a difference. [But] it’s not enough on it’s own, it’s not going to change things on its own at all.”

The Q&A concluded with a comment from an audience member from Morocco, who agreed with the film’s premise that education and a greater understanding of Islam remain the most important routes to the positive development of Moroccan society. She stated that, in her experience, Morchidat had significantly influenced the way that Moroccan women view themselves and their role in both a societal and a familial context.

Further details about Casablanca Calling and upcoming screenings can be found on the film’s website here.

In Morocco, the world’s first female Muslim leaders are setting out to change their country: empowering women through the teachings of Islam and challenging the attitudes which breed extremism. Casablanca Calling takes us into the heart of this quiet social revolution through the lives of the women at its forefront.

In a country where 60% of women have never been to school, a new generation have started work as Morchidat. Working within some of the country’s poorest communities and separating the true teachings of Islam from some of the prejudices emanating from a largely conservative culture, they work to support education for girls, and campaign against early marriages. They also encourage young people to build a more progressive Morocco, as opposed to pursuing the agenda that many young people in the country do, which is aspiring to a life in the West.

Through personal stories, family dramas and everyday lives, Casablanca Calling gives a unique perspective on women’s lives in contemporary Morocco. It tells the story of committed people, social change and a sacred mission.

Directed by Rosa Rogers
Duration: 70′
Year: 2014

By Nicole Hunt

After a false start on 9 February and another postponement on 15 February, euro zone Finance Ministers are using their regularly-scheduled meeting on Monday to discuss whether to release the next tranche of Greece’s bailout loan in light of the new austerity measures approved in Athens last week. Ministers are also expected to sign the Treaty for the European Stability Mechanism, so that the ESM can take effect from 1 July, six months earlier than planned.

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency begin their second visit to Iran in as many months to meet with Iranian government officials. The visit comes on the heels of Iran’s 15 February announcement that it had inserted domestically-produced nuclear fuel rods into its reactor, raising western concerns about the progress of its nuclear programme.

Monday also marks the one year anniversary of the beginning of protests in Morocco, one of the more peaceful campaigns of the Arab Spring movement. There have been rumblings of protests to mark the anniversary by members of the February 20 Youth Movement unhappy with the speed of democratic reforms.

Just over a year after the beginning of considerably less smooth protests in Yemen, which saw nearly 2,000 people killed by the time a power-transfer agreement was brokered in November 2011, Yemenis go to the polls to officially approve the transfer of power from long-time President Ali Abdullah Saleh to Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi. Hadi runs unopposed as the consensus candidate for the country’s major parties, and will lead the country through a transition period before further elections can be held.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who has been tipped to replace President Hu Jintao in the leadership shuffle this autumn, continues an overseas jaunt that has seen him visit the US and Ireland with a short trip to Turkey to meet with President Abdullah Gul. The meeting could be a bit tense, though, as Turkey have been vocal proponents of international action on Syria, while China recently joined Russia in blocking a UN Security Council resolution condemning President Bashar Al Assad’s regime.

The Committee to Protect Journalists launches its annual Attacks on the Press report right here at the Frontline Club.

The Pakistani Supreme Court Commission investigating the so-called ‘memogate’ incident sits again on Wednesday, hoping to finally hear testimony from Mansoor Ijaz, the man responsible for revealing the existence of the memo in an FT op-ed. Ijaz has failed to appear before the Commission on three previous occasions, citing safety concerns, and has been allowed to record his testimony from the Pakistani High Commission in London this time around.

Megaupload founder Kim DotCom (aka Kim Schmitz) is back in court in New Zealand, this time to face his first extradition hearing, having been twice denied bail since being arrested in January. DotCom is fighting extradition to the US on suspicion of ‘running an international organised criminal enterprise allegedly responsible for massive worldwide online piracy’.

London hosts the International Conference on Somalia on Thursday. Ministers from around the world convene to discuss piracy, protection of ships in the Gulf of Aden, Islamic extremists, the causes of conflict and instability in Somalia, and how to support surrounding countries. Kenya hosted a regional conference on 9 Febraury as part of preparations, while Foreign Secretary William Hague visited Somalia on 2 February, becoming the first UK Foreign Secretary to do so in 20 years.

Following his much-publicised preliminary hearing in December, Private First Class Bradley Manning returns to Meade, Maryland for a formal arraignment hearing, the first step in his eventual court-martial for allegedly passing information to WikiLeaks.

Tunisia hosts the first Friends of Syria meeting on Friday, with confirmed attendees including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. The meeting is reminiscent of the Libya Contact Group conferences that were organised as the campaign against Muammar Gaddafi intensified there, though the first LCG on 13 April, 2011 came just two months after the protests in Libya began; the Friends of Syria will meet as the Syrian protests approach their one year anniversary.

G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors hold their first meeting of the year in Mexico City on Saturday and Sunday. As always these days, the European debt crisis is likely to be high on the agenda, though ministers will also be discussing a $500bn increase in IMF funding to help the Fund cope with the demands of the crisis. Mexican Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade said earlier this month that a consensus on the funding was ‘unlikely’ this month.

Normally-quiet Sunday is actually a day of big decisions this week, though some are considerably bigger than others. In Los Angeles, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces their Oscar-winning choices.

In Senegal, voters decide who will be the country’s President for the next seven years, or at least who will take part in a second round runoff. Incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade’s candidacy was approved by the Constitutional Court last month, despite protests from his opponents that he should be ineligible for a third term. Senegal’s constitution limits leaders to two presidential terms, but Wade argued that since the term limit was introduced after he’d already been elected the first time, it shouldn’t apply to his first term.

Finally, Syrian President Bashar al Assad announced on 15 February that the country’s constitutional referendum, not expected until March, would take place on Sunday. The new constitution would allow for changes to Syria’s electoral system, which currently reserves the majority of parliamentary seats for supporters of Assad’s Baath party.

By Nicole Hunt

Monday looks to be the biggest day of what should be an interesting week internationally. Kicking off with the ongoing EU debt crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosts French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Berlin to iron out amendments to the new EU fiscal stability treaty that was agreed last month.

Italian bank Unicredit opens its €7.5bn rights issue, having discounted shares by about 43 per cent in a bid to raise funds. Investors will be watching the sale closely to gauge market support for European banks.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak begins a three-day visit to China at the invitation of President Hu Jintao. Discussions are expected to focus heavily on regional security in the wake of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial, which has dragged on for nearly two years, finally comes to an end as the jury is scheduled to deliver its verdict in Kuala Lumpur. In addition to Ibrahim’s freedom – he faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty – the verdict will also determine who will run against Prime Minister Najib Razak in the country’s next elections, which are not due until June 2013 but look increasingly likely to be called this year.

Attentions turn Stateside on Tuesday as New Hampshire Republicans cast their ballots in the presidential primary. Following the 3 January Iowa Caucus, in which Mitt Romney beat Rick Santorum by just eight votes, Michelle Bachman announced that she was dropping out of the race.

In Washington, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists announces whether to move the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock, which represents how close humanity is to ‘catastrophic destruction’. The last time the clock was moved, in January 2010, the BAS’ outlook was somewhat positive, moving the minute hand back one minute from five to six minutes before midnight.

Tuesday also marks the 10th anniversary of the arrival of the first detainees at the Guantánamo Bay detention centre.

The High Court in London is expected to rule on Wednesday whether the Occupy London protesters can remain in their camp outside of St Paul’s Cathedral. Despite legal action from the City of London Corporation, the camp has been in place since 15 October.

The World Economic Forum releases its annual Global Risk Report ahead of the Davos Forum, which opens on 25 January. Last year’s report found that the financial crisis had ‘drained’ the world’s ability to deal with shocks.

The European Central Bank’s Governing Council meets in Frankfurt on Thursday to decide whether to raise, lower, or maintain the euro area’s interest rate. After last month’s meeting, during which the interest rate was decreased to 1 per cent, ECB President Mario Draghi announced major refinancing operations to support bank lending and market activity.

Alleged al Qaeda member Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who pled guilty in October to attempting to set off an explosive device in his underwear on a Detroit flight on Christmas Day in 2009, is sentenced in Detroit.

India is hoping to celebrate a milestone anniversary on Friday. If no new cases of polio are reported between now and then, the country will mark its first-ever year without any new cases. The World Health Organisation considers a disease to be eradicated when no new cases are reported for three consecutive years. Apple is set for a massive sales boost as the iPhone 4S goes on sale in China and 21 other countries in South America, the Caribbean and Africa.

Apple is set for a massive sales boost as the iPhone 4S goes on sale in China and 21 other countries in South America, the Caribbean and Africa.

Saturday marks the one year anniversary of the resignation of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, whose 23-year rule was ended after nearly a month of protests dubbed the Jasmine Revolution. The success of protests in Tunisia spurred similar movements across the region, with widely varying results in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, Algeria, Morocco and Syria.

In Taiwan, voters go to the polls to elect a new President for a four year term. Incumbent Ma Ying-jeou faces challenges from China-sceptic Tsai Ing-wen and pro-Beijing James Soong.

Elections also take place in Kazakhstan on Sunday, following President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s snap decision to dissolve Parliament on 16 November. The vote is expected to see at least one opposition party enter Parliament, usually dominated by Nazarvbaeyev’s Nur Otan party, though that party is likely to be close ally Ak Zholl.

 “We know that somebody is watching us. We don’t know where.”

How many of us have a full realisation of the torture the people of Western Sahara endure on a daily basis? It’s a story that has simply not been heard. It is this fact that made last night’s screening of El Problema, the first in a series of three films to be screened at Frontline Club as part of the Film Africa 2011 festival, such a gripping experience. The film addresses the beatings, kidnappings, rape and imprisonment the Saharawi population of Western Sahara have suffered, and continue to suffer at the hands of the Moroccan authorities.

A conflict that remains unresolved since 1975, when Morocco occupied the region, has robbed the Saharawis not only of their human rights, but has also resulted in, what can be considered, a cultural genocide. It is an issue that has been ignored by the United Nations, and until now, has not been brought to the attention of the general public.

Filmed from 2004 to 2009, Jordi Ferrer and Pablo Vedal’s award-winning documentary incorporates testimonies of Saharawi people with footage of the clashes in the city, forming what one of the post-screening discussion panelists, Danielle Smith referred to as:

“The most powerful and coherent film to date, as it depicts the scale and seriousness of the problem, and allows Saharawis to be heard.”

In a region where Saharawis are not allowed to display their identity, documenting the crackdown of the Moroccan authorities is simply out of the question, which is what makes this forbidden footage a groundbreaking initiative. It traced the history of the conflict to the time of Spanish colonialism and then delved into the chaos that erupted, as well as the response it has received from the world.

“It is a visual representation of the violence and repression the people of Western Sahara are subjected to, as well as the political gains that have kept this conflict off the map.”

The film not only highlighted the torture inflicted upon the Saharawi people, but also the significance of their resistance, which Noam Chomsky referred to as the first Arab uprising.

Despite the regulations forbidding any expression of nationalism, Saharawis continue to demonstrate and prefer to be tortured than surrender their spirit. Footage of protests in Al-Aauin and the University of Marrakesh, as well as that of the conditions in the secret prisons took the audience to the core of the suffering of the people, while stories like that of a mother naming her baby ‘Al Hurria’, or freedom, brought to the surface the essence of their endurance and their faith in their cause.

The film takes you inside the secret prisons and refugee camps and memories of the victims, things they would much rather forget but the world needs to learn.

Following the film the audience asked of the panel, Richard Dowden, Saeed Taji Farouky, and Danielle Smith, why the issue had not been publicised in the international community, what the international community was doing to stop the ongoing human rights violations, and where this issue is placed in the modern Arab spring.

One former Polisario Front member stood up to give his view on the issues and why he believed world leaders were ignoring the problem. Some reasons he mentioned were that the Spanish authorities were happy not dealing with the issue while they have access to the rich fishing waters off the western Saharan coast and phosphate. In addition, he mentioned one former supporter of the Saharawis, Muammar Gaddafi, stopped supporting Saharawi students after being paid off by the Moroccan authorities.