It's been a pretty busy few weeks here, which has been a nice change. In addition to some real work days (!), a last-minute trip covered at the end of this post, and some brief visits with new and old PCV friends, I've been gearing up for my first official vacation in the country: my family's coming tomorrow! I'm very excited to see them, and show them a few of the places I've been in the country. Pictures to come after they leave ...
In the meantime, I thought I'd share a random Morocco anecdote.
I've thought many times that Morocco often feels like a country of contradictions. It's deeply conservative Islam mixed with European cosmopolitanism, traditional Berber life mixed with Arab pride, unbelievable hospitality competing with aggressive harassment, jellabas and skinny jeans, veiled hair and high heels, proper French and slangy Moroccan Arabic, people who grow up speaking three languages fluently but can't read or write any of them, I can't hug my male friends in public but I have to tolerate practically sitting under three strange men in the back of a taxi ... I could go on and on.
I don't really want to touch the subject of "women in Morocco", because, really, there's too much to say and I don't understand enough of it. But there is one particular contradiction that fascinates me more than all the rest. Because the vast majority of Moroccans are Muslim, and Islam prescribes that women be covered to a certain extent, women here don't show very much skin. There aren't too many chadors and face veils, and lots of women don't cover their hair, but even in relatively liberal Azrou, you almost never see a Moroccan women show even a forearm in public, much less a sternum or calf.
There is one and only one exception: it is completely acceptable to breastfeed in public. The first time I saw it, I was on the way back from souk in my old site during the summer, which involved a mile-long walk entirely up a steep hill in 100 degree heat and direct sun carrying a week's worth of food in my bag. Needless to say, I took the tranzit, or gutted van meant to hold maybe 15 people that instead carries about 35, so everybody is squished in shoulder to shoulder, men and women. And to my surprise, the woman next to me adjusts her jellaba, whips out a breast, and feeds her baby, in full view of all the men around us. Nevermind that she can't show them her hair.
I've heard this and similar stories from all my friends here (think awkward male PCVs staring at their tea cups while their host sisters breastfeed.) The best explanation I've heard for it (from another PCV, not from a Moroccan) is that a mother's breast is completely desexualized, as its purpose is to feed the baby, and so it's not offensive for others to see it. This is backed up by how many female PCVs have told me about having their own breasts evaluated, either with looks or a few squeezes, by the women in their community, with judgments about how well they're suited to breastfeeding.
Anyway, I've always thought we're way too squeamish in the States about breastfeeding, so I certainly have no problem with it. It's just another contradiction to wrap my mind around here.
And on a totally unrelated note, here's a picture from Secretary of State Clinton's last-minute visit to the U.S. Embassy in Rabat a few weekends ago.
She only spoke for about three minutes, but she did say the following: "I also want to thank the Peace Corps volunteers, because wherever I go, they always can bring a crowd of enthusiasm. When in doubt, bring on the Peace Corps and we'll get the energy going." She was right--we were almost half the crowd. The "meet-and-greet" was a little anti-climactic, but given that she's more or less who I want to be when I grow up, so to speak, it was worth it.
Stay well, family and friends, and enjoy the beginnings of spring. Love from the Maghreb.
In the meantime, I thought I'd share a random Morocco anecdote.
I've thought many times that Morocco often feels like a country of contradictions. It's deeply conservative Islam mixed with European cosmopolitanism, traditional Berber life mixed with Arab pride, unbelievable hospitality competing with aggressive harassment, jellabas and skinny jeans, veiled hair and high heels, proper French and slangy Moroccan Arabic, people who grow up speaking three languages fluently but can't read or write any of them, I can't hug my male friends in public but I have to tolerate practically sitting under three strange men in the back of a taxi ... I could go on and on.
I don't really want to touch the subject of "women in Morocco", because, really, there's too much to say and I don't understand enough of it. But there is one particular contradiction that fascinates me more than all the rest. Because the vast majority of Moroccans are Muslim, and Islam prescribes that women be covered to a certain extent, women here don't show very much skin. There aren't too many chadors and face veils, and lots of women don't cover their hair, but even in relatively liberal Azrou, you almost never see a Moroccan women show even a forearm in public, much less a sternum or calf.
There is one and only one exception: it is completely acceptable to breastfeed in public. The first time I saw it, I was on the way back from souk in my old site during the summer, which involved a mile-long walk entirely up a steep hill in 100 degree heat and direct sun carrying a week's worth of food in my bag. Needless to say, I took the tranzit, or gutted van meant to hold maybe 15 people that instead carries about 35, so everybody is squished in shoulder to shoulder, men and women. And to my surprise, the woman next to me adjusts her jellaba, whips out a breast, and feeds her baby, in full view of all the men around us. Nevermind that she can't show them her hair.
I've heard this and similar stories from all my friends here (think awkward male PCVs staring at their tea cups while their host sisters breastfeed.) The best explanation I've heard for it (from another PCV, not from a Moroccan) is that a mother's breast is completely desexualized, as its purpose is to feed the baby, and so it's not offensive for others to see it. This is backed up by how many female PCVs have told me about having their own breasts evaluated, either with looks or a few squeezes, by the women in their community, with judgments about how well they're suited to breastfeeding.
Anyway, I've always thought we're way too squeamish in the States about breastfeeding, so I certainly have no problem with it. It's just another contradiction to wrap my mind around here.
And on a totally unrelated note, here's a picture from Secretary of State Clinton's last-minute visit to the U.S. Embassy in Rabat a few weekends ago.
She only spoke for about three minutes, but she did say the following: "I also want to thank the Peace Corps volunteers, because wherever I go, they always can bring a crowd of enthusiasm. When in doubt, bring on the Peace Corps and we'll get the energy going." She was right--we were almost half the crowd. The "meet-and-greet" was a little anti-climactic, but given that she's more or less who I want to be when I grow up, so to speak, it was worth it.
Stay well, family and friends, and enjoy the beginnings of spring. Love from the Maghreb.
No comments:
Post a Comment