Saturday, October 01, 2005

In Morocco, a Rights Movement, at the King's Pace

In Morocco, a Rights Movement, at the King's Pace - New York Times: "The Makhzan - the combination of the royal court, the security services and the ruling elite known by the Arabic word for storehouse - remains impregnable. In one infamous case last year, a journalist was charged with insulting the king by suggesting a beachfront royal palace was to be sold as a luxury hotel.
The prosecutor hauled a chunk of stone into the courtroom and argued successfully that any stone in the kingdom became sacred and thus inviolable as soon as the monarch used it. If building stones are holy, reformers note wryly, it is impossible that the entire record of Hassan will ever come under scrutiny by the Reconciliation Commission or any other forum."

No comments: