CAES Morocco: Leading Across Differences

  The identity I am choosing that is different from my own is that of the Islamic religion. The Islamic religion is the dominant religion of Morocco. It is a monotheistic religion that believes in a god called Allah who is the creator, sustainer, and judge. This religion is a holistic religion that “connects every aspect of life with a divine purpose,” (super Muslim). Some of the major pillars of this religion include faith, prayer, charity, and fasting. Some practices of the Islamic faith include women wearing hijabs, praying 5 times a day, and completing fasting while the sun is up during Ramadan. With these practices and faith can come some issues with society. I think the most potent issue is Islamophobia. Because Muslims are often very open and outwardly express their faith through things like their clothes, eating practices, or daily prayer, it can become easy for them to stick out and seem different when they are in the minority. Because of this people often immediately judg...

  Prior to visiting Morocco, I did not have much experience regarding the Islamic religion or culture. Since growing up a Christian, I have only been heavily exposed to this specific ideology, traditions, and practices. With Morocco being primarily Muslim, we have frequently discussed and experienced the Muslim ideology and practices throughout our tours. While religion has been a large part of my life, it has been interesting to see religion practiced in such unique and vastly different ways. The most outstanding part of this to me has been the role of religion in public spaces and religious expression in general. A clear example of this would be the call to prayer. This exemplifies the strong role that the Islamic religion has within each city that we have visited in Morocco. An important societal issue related to this identity is the idea of maintaining religious practices while also being open and welcoming to residents who are non-Muslim. As Morocco continuously grows through ...

During my time in Morocco, one cultural difference that stood out to me was the presence of portraits of King Mohammed VI in public spaces. I first noticed them in Casablanca, but as we traveled through Rabat and Tangier, I continued seeing the same portrait displayed in hotels, businesses, and restaurants. Coming from the United States, where political leaders are not commonly displayed in everyday spaces, this immediately stood out to me. The identity I focused on for this reflection is Morocco’s collectivist cultural identity, which differs from the more individualistic culture I am used to in the United States. In my previous classes, I have learned how individualistic cultures tend to emphasize the individual or “I,” while collectivist cultures place greater importance on community, social cohesion, and respect for authority. One article I read explained that Moroccan society often values social unity, hierarchy, and loyalty to the broader community (Aruna et al., 2018). Tying thi...

Before traveling to Morocco, I had assumptions about gender roles and the types of careers woman might typically hold. But visiting Morocco challenged those assumptions and changed my perspective.For example when we visited the Blueberry farm I noticed several women actively working in research and scientific positions at the farm. Seeing women involved in agricultural science and laboratory work in Morocco was inspiring because these are often considered male-dominated fields in many parts of the world. One moment that stood out to me was in the dairy farm, seeing a woman working in the laboratory testing milk samples from the cows.Her role seemed highly technical and important to the quality and safety of the dairy production process. It reminded me that women contribute significantly to science, agriculture, and research, even in industries where men are traditionally more visible in Morocco. According to UNESCO, women around the world include Morocco are increasingly participating ...

  During our travels through both Tangier and Chefchaouen, I was curious about Morocco's overall tolerance of different identities. In Tangier, we were informed of Black soldiers conscripted to wage war as a product of slavery conducted by both Portugal and Morocco, while at Chefchaouen, we learned of the incredible religious tolerance practiced by King Mohammed V and the overall citizenry of Morocco. These two facts led me to question the treatment of Black populations within Morocco, as a way to see if this tremendous level of religious tolerance also extended to the category of race.  The Black populations of Morocco consist largely of Black Amazigh natives, descendants of trans-Saharan slave routes, and a developing population of sub-Saharan African migrants. Altogether, these groups make up roughly 10 percent of Morocco’s population, with most residing in the country’s southern regions (Minority Rights Group, 2023). Unfortunately, the Black populations of Morocco are subj...

      Before arriving in Morocco, my understanding of the Muslim culture was very limited, shaped largely by the media and the one religion course I had taken in college. I have never considered myself uninformed, but looking back, I recognize that the information I had was surface-level. What I have discovered through my firsthand experience while studying abroad has challenged my prior assumptions, expanded my perspective, and left me with a profound respect for a community that has often been reduced to a stereotype.       Across the three categories of race, identity, and culture, the Arab Muslim experience, I believe, is one of the most layered, misunderstood, and resilient identities there is. Arab refers to an ethno-linguistic identity. According to the Arab American Institute, Arabs are a very diverse group of people connected by the Arabic language and a shared cultural heritage. Muslim, on the other hand, is a religious identity. A Muslim is ...