Though outmoded images can dominate Western perceptions of North Africa, recent political and economic reforms aimed at modernization and democratization may be changing the way the world sees Morocco, the country's ambassador told an audience at the Watson Institute for International Studies Monday.
Aziz Mekouar, the Moroccan ambassador to the United States since 2002, addressed a filled Joukowsky Forum on Monday afternoon, discussing the changing political and economic landscape of Morocco. The main focus of his lecture was contemporary issues facing the country, namely the push toward democratization, education reform, economic changes and increasing the focus on human rights.
Morocco, from its inception as a political state in the eighth century, "grew up in a different way than the other countries" in North Africa, Mekouar said. Of particular importance, he said, were Morocco's religious plurality and the fact that Morocco, unlike its neighbors, was never part of the Ottoman Empire.
Today, a reform-oriented Morocco is making strides, he said. Elections in 2002 and 2007 that Mekouar called "clear" and "transparent" are one sign that Morocco is moving increasingly toward progressive politics, he said. Morocco adopted a constitutional monarchy in 1972, but its progress toward democracy has been somewhat erratic since then.
Mekouar said that the current king, Mohammed VI, whom he called "very popular" among Moroccans, had also been very involved in initiatives to expand women's rights within the domestic sphere and to ensure the protection of human rights.
The issue of women's rights, Mekouar said, was particularly notable because it "shows that there is no contradiction between Islam and the equality of women in the family and in the society."
"We changed (earlier Moroccan family law) because, I think, we wanted it," he said. "When society is ready, you have to push."
But Mekouar also noted inefficiencies in the country's political process. He said that Morocco has almost achieved democratization, but said that the most recent election's 37-percent voter turnout was troublesome, and indicated that Moroccans may not believe in the political process.
"The challenge is ... to convince people that they have a stake in this political game, in this democracy," he said.
Education is a big issue for many Moroccans, he said. The current educational system is antiquated, in that it doesn't "match the needs of the business community," he added.
He said that there was a lot of work to do on education reform so that Morocco can face the challenges of the world economy.
But, he said, "the good thing is that we know what we need to do and we know the challenges."
"There is a will and there is a vision," he continued. Change, he said, is still very possible, adding, "I think it is happening."
On the economic front, Mekouar said that becoming "completely integrated into international trade" was an imperative step for Morocco. An action like opening borders or lowering tariffs, he said, would serve as "a signal from Morocco to the rest of the world and from Morocco to Moroccans themselves" that the country is ready to modernize and enter the global economy.
"The time of borders is over," he said.
He said that, economically, Morocco is making gains. The country had a balanced budget last year and has high currency reserves and a growing GDP per capita, he said.
Still, he said, "not everything is rosy. If you travel around Morocco, you will see poverty, you will see big differences between the rich and the poor."
Ultimately, these reforms simply take time, Mekouar said. It is unwise to "change everything overnight," he said, calling the process instead "an evolution."
Assistant Professor of Political Science Melani Cammett '91 introduced Mekouar, and opened with a brief primer on Moroccan-U.S. relations. She said that the two countries have a "very long history of good relations," noting that Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States as an independent nation.
