A press release issued by the US Embassy in Rabat on May 3 announced the continuing closure of the US Consulate in Casablanca to any Moroccans needing to apply or renew visas. If a Moroccan employee of General Electric needs to go to the U.S. for technical training, for example, he must submit his application at "neighboring" U.S. Embassies' consular sections...Spain, France, Italy, Tunisia. Maybe they overlooked the US Embassy in Algiers, whose consular section continues to operate on regular hours...or perhaps it might look a bit embarrassing that the US Embassy in Algeria - a country that has endured attacks of a greater scale with much more political and security implications than Casablanca - continues to do business as usual. I offer the caveat that I don't have "all the information available to U.S. authorities." My comments are only personal ones after living in Morocco for almost 9 years -4 as a diplomat. During the first 3 years of my tour (1998 - 2001) I developed a strong attachment to this country and its people. On September 11, 2001 the grief and horror I felt for the victims of the terrible attacks in New York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania was accompanied by another wave of sadness for the innocent countries and people of this part of the world who I could see were going to be thrown into the wave of xenophobia that I knew would be stirred up by the Bush administration and their neo-con fear-mongers. It wasn't surprising that diplomats arriving post-9/11 had a different view coming into Morocco than I'd had. They were less adventurous, didn't seem to go out much, kept pretty much together - quite unlike their French, Spanish, British, Belgian, Canadian, Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, Greek, Croatian, Ghanaen counterparts. Three years passed and a new group came, more open and gregarious. Meanwhile, after 9/11 I had decided to stay in Morocco and open Rick's Cafe as really a political statement - to show that life does go on in spite of tumult and violence in the world and it's important for cultures to mix and continue to seek dialogue and understanding. The May 16 attacks at 5 sites in Casablanca, which were coordinated, politically motivated and caused the deaths of over 40 people, took place 2 months after construction had started at Rick's. I shared the grief of the country at these attacks that had been committed by their own people, and joined in demonstrations of solidarity against such extremism, never once feeling afraid for myself or my project - because I knew the minute one gives in to fear, all hope is lost. After the recent events of March 11, April 10 and 14 life at Rick's goes on. We are inaugurating our "Live in Casablanca" webcasting to show you the real Casablanca and people who are not letting fear control their lives. I am both embarrassed and angry at the move to essentially close the Consulate over acts for which there have been NO indications of higher terrorist organizational directives. Rather, two brothers loaded themselves with explosives, blew themselves up in the street and caused NO OTHER physical or collateral damage. The security of the Consulate was never threatend, it was a Saturday morning and NO EMPLOYEES were at work. Ironically, the Consulate immediately closed to the public, but the American Language Center (a private organization), scene of the second kamikaze, stayed open and continues to welcome Moroccan language students. One of the cautions we were always sensitized to as diplomats was the double standard - avoid taking measures to protect American diplomats that would not be extended to American expatriates. This double standard has been flagrantly and inexplicably abandoned in an unreasonable, insensitve and badly thought-out capitulation to fear. Let them have their bunker - we're living our lives and showing the real spirit of Casablanca here at Rick's Cafe. Join us on our webcast - and stay tuned, there's more to come. |
