CAES Morocco: Leading Across Differences

After being in Morocco for a few days, I now realize just how different the Moroccan culture is from my own. The Moroccans so far have been very welcoming and accommodating.  As soon as we got out of the airport with our luggage we were greeted by our taxi driver, and whenever I attempted to place my luggage in the car he stopped me and insisted on doing it for me. We also tried to stack our plates after dinner one night at a restaurant and they insisted on us not stacking our plates for them. Many of the places we have visited have also greeted us with mint tea and tons of sweet pastries and juices. The Moroccan culture values generosity, and kind gestures are important aspects of their culture (IIEM - International Institute of Engineering & Management, 2024). Yesterday, a few of us were going to get crepes and churros from a restaurant before having to get back on our bus, but had already paid for them and could not get them in time. However, we came back several hours later...

     Coming to this place for the first time, it was immediately apparent that things were different here: religion is everywhere, people’s lives are supremely governed by their faith, and I could feel the impact of the religious routines despite being an outsider in the area.  This place was Athens, Georgia.      Growing up in a household that did not contain religion, immersing myself in the world of Southern Christianity for the first time was a never-ending line of to-be-expected culture shocks that were still surprising all the same. Never before had I been surrounded by faith to this extent. I went from being friends with agnostics and some pseudo-Buddhists to now maintaining a circle of people quite devout to their faith, a faith that I always felt like an outsider around. I also began to feel this change in my own activities and routines: all of a sudden, my typical Sunday activities were now limited to a greater extent thanks to the greater ac...

     I am  going to be bold, visiting Morocco, I have definitely been pushed past my comfort zone. Growing up in the south of the US as a Christian, I have been introduced to all kinds of opinions of Islamic Cultures. It is not a surprise that my traditional Methodist church was afraid of cultural or religious differences.  Preparing for this study abroad, I heard all types of “warnings” or “concerns” from those around me as I shared my travel plans. I tried my best to not let those opinions feed into my perspective but because I’m human, I started to let them seep in.       Contrary to what I had heard, the Islamic religion holds very similar beliefs to those of Christianity. They believe in One God that commands the angels and the divine decree: everything is governed by God and we are to be trusting and faithful to his will. While of course there are many things that differentiate between the two, there are many pieces of our core val...

     Cruising through Morocco's bustling streets, I encountered something remarkable: young children, barely school-aged, hustling to make ends meet. As a supporter of instilling a strong work ethic in children, these encounters made me reflect on the societal dynamics at play. Unlike the lemonade stands or school fundraisers I'm used to back home, these children weren't just seeking pocket money; they were often selling goods to survive and working to support their families.      This reality raised questions about education policies in Morocco.  According to a report by Human Rights Watch, although Moroccan law prohibits children under 15 from working, exceptions are made for those engaged in economic activity. The report highlights that approximately 1.2 million children in Morocco are engaged in economic activity, with 372,000 of them being under the age of twelve. This statistic highlights the frequency of child labor in the country and the c...

     On our first day in Morocco, we had the opportunity to tour the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. This was my first real interaction with the Islamic faith in my life. Before this program, my knowledge on Islam was very limited, but even just in our visit to the mosque, I learned many new and interesting things about the faith. One of these is that there is a thorough washing process that is completed before prayer to purify oneself. Another is that there are separate prayer areas for men and women inside the mosque.      I felt very thankful for the opportunity to tour the inside of the mosque, as it is the only mosque in the country that allows non-muslims to go inside. Additionally, it is considered the highest religious building in the world ( Mosquèe Hassan 2). Before visiting this mosque, I had never seen a building so beautiful. I was in awe as we learned how much detail had gone into the handcrafting of every piece of the mosque. Looking over ea...

               I love food! Sharing meals or partaking in certain foods often plays a significant role in individuals' and communities' religious and cultural identities. I have found this to be the case as a visitor in Morocco. While dining in a restaurant in Morocco this week, I attempted to order couscous (a dish made of pasta granules served with various meats and vegetables). Surprisingly, my request was immediately shot down and redirected to another dish. Although this was unexpected, I happily and confusedly ordered something else recommended by the waiter, a dish called tajine. From this experience, I learned that these particular foods have religious and cultural significance in Morocco, which I was unaware of.  Upon discussion with my fellow travelers and through a little research, I found that couscous may only be eaten on Fridays - I had tried to order it on a Wednesday. In most Arab and Muslim countries like Morocco, Holy F...