Azerbaijan Cultural Days inaugurated in Morocco

[ 04 Mar 2008 20:02 ]


http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=45152

Baku. Turan Huseynova-APA. The Azerbaijan Cultural Days were opened in the headquarters of Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). APA reports that Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, the Director General of ISESCO, Abulfaz Garayev, Azerbaijani Minister of Culture and Tourism and the Secretary General of the Moroccan Ministry of Culture attended the inauguration.
Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri said that the Azerbaijan Cultural Days reflected an advanced form of cultural dialogue.
The Director General strongly condemned the savage Israeli aggression and called upon the international community to assume its moral and legal responsibility to deter Israel and force it to stop its aggression and to abide by the international law.
The Director General stated also: “while we celebrate the Azerbaijan Cultural Days and promote dialogue among cultures and alliance of civilizations, we are deeply saddened to see the ongoing savage aggression led by the Israeli forces against the disarmed Palestinian people in Gaza.

Ex-Moroccan minister Bin Eisa wins Zayed book award

WAM
Published: March 01, 2008, 21:23

Abu Dhabi: Former Moroccan foreign minister Mohammad Bin Eisa has won the Shaikh Zayed Book Award for 2008 in the category of the Cultural Personality of the Year.

In a press release, Secretary-General of the Shaikh Zayed Book Award Rashid Al Uraimi said Bin Eisa has been awarded in recognition of his contributions to the cultural movement as well as for his role as a co-founder of Morocco's Aseelah Culture Season which was launched in 1978 as a forum for Arab, African and western cultural achievers and creative individuals and thinkers.

Bin Eisa will be presented a cash award of Dh1 million along with a certificate of appreciation.

Bin Eisa was born in Aseelah city, Morocco in 1937. He was Morocco's minister of culture between 1985-1992. He then became Morocco's minister of state for foreign affairs and culture between 1999-2007.

A prestigious ceremony will be held at the iconic Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi to honour winners of the second edition of the Shaikh Zayed Book Award (2007-8). The ceremony will be held on the sidelines of the upcoming Abu Dhabi International Book Fair from March 11 to 16.

Another Moroccan researcher and PhD holder won the Shaikh Zayed Book Award in the category of Young Authors for his book Future of international relations in the light of civilizations clash, which was described by the secretary-general as a remarkable contribution to Arab politics and philosophy.

The translation award went to Jordanian Fayez Al Sayagh, while the Arts Award went to Iraqi architect, Rafa Al Jaderji, and Publication and Distribution Award went to the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research.

The Libyan novelist Ebrahim Al Kowni won the Literature Award, while Huda Al Shawwa, a Kuwaiti, won the Child Literature Award.

In all, 512 candidates from 30 Arab countries contended for the second edition of the Shaikh Zayed Book Awards.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/nation/Heritage_and_Culture/10194100.html

Belly dancing as art

BELLYDANCE SUPERSTARS
8 tonight
Beckman Auditorium
Caltech
322 S. Michigan Ave.
Pasadena
$20-$30 adults and $10 children
(626) 395-4652 www.events.caltech.edu, www.bellydancesuperstars.com

Chiffon veils and costumes lush with coins and jewels are what usually comes to mind when you think of belly dancing. Some may also think of Barbara Eden in television's "I Dream of Jeanie" or perhaps women shimmying in a Middle Eastern restaurant, but the centuries-old art is much deeper.

"I think that one of my personal missions is not only to entertain people with the shows, but also to educate people about this art form," said Jillina, artistic director and main choreographer for Bellydance Superstars. "There's a lot of misconceptions about it and it's really a beautiful, respectable art form."

Pop music promoter Miles Copeland sponsors the show, which will unfold tonight at Caltech. Copeland originally contacted belly dance teachers and dancers across the United States, asking them for their favorite songs. He whittled down the selections and put out the CD, "Bellydance Superstars" (Mondo Melodia), in 2002. The record release party, complete with dancers performing, sold out the Roxy in Hollywood. This led to a stint with Lalapalooza and other tours followed. Today, the group has found itself performing on the same stages as prestigious ballet companies.

Jillina, who goes by a single name, said she thinks the interest in the troupe's shows is connected with the public's curiosity and interest in the Middle East, especially in this time of war.

"Most of what we see that comes from the Middle East is a very negative image," she said. "I think what's important and interesting for people is to come and see the beautiful side of the culture, the music and the art and another side of the Middle East."

In the beginning, the troupe's dancers were selected by Copeland, who didn't know about their training. Now auditions are held and those who pass second and third tryouts attend an intense weekend with Jillina, during which they are taught a massive selection of choreography.

"It's to see not just how fast they can pick up the choreography or what their training background is, but also to get a feel for their energy, their attitude," Jillina said.

She said she pushes the dancers past their limits, knowing that they won't be able to remember all the choreography. She watches for women who try their best and keep a good attitude. Most importantly, as most belly dancers perform alone, they have to be able to work as team, where they may not be the lead dancer or even a soloist.

The dancers must also be able to adapt to change, as on tour, the stages can be different at every stop and the choreography must be reworked accordingly at the last minute.

The current Bellydance Superstars lineup includes Jillina, as well as Sonia, Rachel Brice, Adore, Petite Jamilla, Sabah, Zoe Jakes, Mardi Love, Jayna, Kami Liddle, Hannah Nour, Colleen, Nathalie and drummer Issam Houshan.

Caltech's show will feature a variety of belly dance styles.

"Belly dance comes from so many different places, there's so many different types of music used in this art form, the costuming, stylization," Jillina said. "We also have some fusion pieces, pieces that are not just belly dance, so we branch out. Expect the unexpected."

Jillina concentrates on the cabaret numbers. Cabaret is the style of belly dance that you will often see in restaurants, where the performers wear jeweled and beaded costumes.

The tribal pieces are choreographed by Rachel Brice and Mardi Love. Tribal style originated in California and the dancers have more of an ethnic look, with costumes often boasting many intricate pieces and trims over a black base.

Jillina also oversees the costuming for the cabaret and troupe selections.

"Sometimes I buy fabric and I'll send it to Egypt to have it made or I'll contact my designer there and have them ship me out something," she said. "I'm pretty particular about what I want, the look, so sometimes I'll send him a sample of what I want or a sketch and cross my fingers and hope it comes back close to what I want."

"The tribal girls, they put all their stuff together themselves," she said. "That's part of what they do, the individual costuming, which is great because it adds so much texture to the show, to the look, to their dance."

Bellydance Superstars are on a tour of the U.S. and Canada, and after that, plan to travel to Italy to make a film. They have scheduled a performance in Casablanca, Morocco, which will be the first time the group performs in the Middle East. The group also hopes to make a stop in Dubai.

"I'm personally excited about it because I come from an Egyptian background and I've been to Egypt so many times," Jillina said. "The music, the culture and the style is all very close to my heart, so I can't wait to show what we've done with their art form, kind of bringing it back to them."

michelle.mills@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2128

Finding Harmony In Jewish, Christian, Arab Music Traditions

http://www.huliq.com/51399/finding-harmony-jewish-christian-arab-music-traditions
In one of its most innovative programs of the season, Seattle Symphony presents modern composer Osvaldo Golijov’s visionary song-cycle, Ayre, composed specifically for the incomparable Dawn Upshaw. This cross-cultural masterpiece will be performed by Upshaw and an ensemble of musicians known as Orquesta Los Pelegrinos, on Friday, February 29, at 8 p.m.

The Pacific Northwest premiere of Stephen Hartke’s Meanwhile, Incidental music to imaginary puppet plays, and George Crumb’s Vox Balaenae for amplified flute, cello and piano also will be performed.

Inspired by a time when Jews, Christians and Arabs coexisted in 15th century Spain, Ayre (A Medieval Spanish term meaning “air” or “melody”) finds harmony in the shard musical histories of these, at times, combative cultures. Mixing texts and melodies from each tradition, Golijov uses old-world and modern musical techniques, such as laptops and recorded sounds, to melt away the cultural barriers between these faiths. Amplified by Dawn Upshaw’s unmatched vocal capacity, Ayre both embraces the musical distinctiveness of these cultures and also expresses their common humanity.

Based on the mysterious beauty of Asian puppet theater, Stephen Hartke’s Meanwhile makes its Pacific Northwest debut, using creatively abstract elements – such as a stocking full of BB’s in the piano – to create exotic sounds and enchanting melodies. Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award–winner George Crumb’s Vox Balaenae uses imaginative techniques, including the ‘spoken flute’ (the musician speaks while blowing into the instrument) and amplified cello to interpret the hypnotic “voice of the whale,” for which the piece is named.

Beginning her career at the Metropolitan Opera in 1984, Dawn Upshaw has premiered more than 25 works in the past decade, including Ayre. With more than 50 recordings and four Grammy Awards, Upshaw was named a Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation last year; this five-year award noted her as “a new model of a performer who is directly involved in the creation of contemporary music.”

Single tickets from $15 to $65. -- www.seattlesymphony.org

Morocco dismantles widespread domestic terrorist network

Magharebia
Published on Magharebia‎ (http://www.magharebia.com) ‎
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/02/21/feature-01
Morocco dismantles widespread domestic terrorist network

21/02/2008

Investigations into a suspected terrorist network in Morocco led to the arrests of three senior political party officials, Morocco's interior ministry announced on Wednesday. The group, trained in part by Hezbollah, is believed to have links to al-Qaeda.

By Sarah Touahri and Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Rabat – 21/02/08

[Sarah Touahri] Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday (February 20th) Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa said Moroccan investigators have dismantled a "major Jihadist terror network" established in Tangier in 1992.

Moroccan authorities announced Monday (February 18th) that security services had dismantled a "major Jihadist terrorist network, which was preparing to perpetrate acts of violence in the country." Painstaking intelligence work led to the identification and subsequent arrest of the group's main active members.

Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa told the press on Wednesday that the investigations had uncovered a number of branches of the network, originally established in 1992 in Tangier. The group had connections to terrorist organisations active in Morocco and abroad, including al-Qaeda. Benmoussa said the network was preparing to assassinate top-level civilian and military officials and Moroccan Jewish citizens.

In all, 32 people representing a broad cross-section of society have been detained. Many are educated professionals, one is a police superintendent and three more are senior political party leaders. The network is reportedly led by Moroccan Abdelkader Belliraj, a resident of Belgium.

The interior ministry said searches of the residences and workplaces of members of the "Belliraj Cell" in Casablanca and Nador led to the seizure of large quantities of weapons, ammunitions and explosives, as well as supplies intended to conceal the terrorists' identities.

The ministry added that police helped to identify the sources of financing for the Belliraj cell, including armed robbery, sale of stolen goods, and direct contributions by members. The terrorist organisation also reportedly smuggled some 30 million dirhams into the country in 2001 that were invested in money-laundering endeavours in tourist, real estate and commercial projects in several Moroccan cities. Real estate purchased by the group was also used to house some of the terrorists.

The interior minister also revealed that the group received explosives and arms training from Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2002.

The Moroccan public was perhaps most shocked by the arrests of Secretary-General Mustapha Lmouaatassim and El Amine Regala of the Al-Badil Al-Hadari (Civilised Alternative) party, as well as Mohamed El Merouani, leader of the unrecognised Al Oumma (The Nation) party.

According to the interior minister, the terrorist network was found to be instrumental in the creation of the Al-Badil Al-Hadari party. As a result, Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi decreed the dissolution of the party, under Article 57 of the law governing political parties.

Al-Badil Al-Hadari contributed to the creation of an Islamist association in 1995 before becoming a full-fledged party in 2005. The party fielded candidates in the September 2007 legislative elections but failed to win any seats.

Al Oumma began as a partisan offshoot of Al Haraka Min Ajli Oumma (Movement for the Nation). Founded in 1998, the party applied for government recognition in 2007 but has yet to be approved.

"The creation of the Al-Badil Al-Hadari association in 1995 and Al Haraka Min Ajli Al Oumma in 1998," Chakib Benmoussa explained, "was just a front for the members of the [terrorist] network."

Saad Al Othmani, Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party expressed his surprise at the arrests, saying the political leaders were "all known for moderation, rejection of violence and extremism, and for working within the framework of institutions and established national principles."

"We are sure that there is some sort of an error," he said, "and we hope it will be corrected."

Meanwhile, Mohamed Moujahid, leader of Morocco's Unified Socialist Party, said the charges are "in contradiction with their stances that call for modernity, democracy and human rights".

Mohamed Ziane, leader of the Moroccan Liberal Party, commented on the case, saying, "Political struggle has nothing to do with violence. The proponents of a culture of violence have no place in politics. This rule applies to both leftist and rightist ideologies."

In a statement issued Tuesday, Ibrahim Borja, Vice-Secretary-General of Al-Badil Al-Hadari condemned Mustapha Lmouaatassim's arrest, describing him and El Amine Regala as proponents of democracy and rejecters of all forms of extremism and terrorism, and called for their immediate release.

He said the arrests were a crackdown on people trying to effect a real democratic transition in Morocco. Mohamed Ben Hammou, leader of the Citizenship and Development Initiative party, said if the allegations prove true, then it is both shocking and frustrating. "Morocco is our country. We should defend it, particularly when we accept a position of political responsibility. We have to be vigilant when it comes to extremism. No one has the right to go down any route other than the democratic one," he declared.

Haddad Adel: Islamophobia major concern of contemporary era

Tehran, Jan 30, IRNA
Iran-Egypt-Haddad Adel
Majlis Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel said on Wednesday that 'Islamophobia' which has escalated in the West in the aftermath of September 11 incident is regarded as a major concern in the contemporary era.

The speaker arrived in Cairo on Tuesday heading a high-ranking delegating to attend a biennial inter-parliamentary meeting of the Islamic countries where he is to give a keynote speech.

Addressing the fifth inter-parliamentary meeting of the Islamic countries, he underlined that it is about hundred years that world Muslims have fallen victims to terrorism.

The enemies try to depict a rough and inhuman image of Islam and Muslims through false propaganda and vicious slanders, Haddad Adel pointed out.

Another challenge threatening world Muslims is attempts by their enemies to sow discord among them, he said and invited fair western intellectuals to sit at negotiating table with Muslim intellectuals to help remove such unfounded slanders.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has designated the current Iranian year as the "Year of National Unity and Islamic Solidarity" to urge world muslims to forge unity, he said.

"We should prepare grounds for parliaments of Islamic countries to play a much more active role in the world of Islam," he said.

Referring to massacre of the Palestinians by the Zionist forces, he said "We are now witnessing heinous atrocities by the Zionists in the Gaza Strip being perpetrated with support of certain big powers," he said.

The Iranian Majlis speaker also pointed to the threats posed by the Zionist regime against Lebanon and its supporters in Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur and other Islamic regions.

On Iran's peaceful nuclear activities, he said Iran and IAEA have had very good cooperation and the reports issued by IAEA along with the report released by 16 US intelligence agencies confirmed the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program.

He strongly criticized the Zionist regime for possessing hundreds of nuclear warheads and for refusing to abide by international rules and regulations.

1430**1412
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http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0801301475154147.htm