Clarification

I want to make sure that I am understood. I have had many disconcerting experiences with men here, but that does not mean that all of my experiences are negative. It also does not mean that this is a "Muslim" or "Middle Eastern" problem. I have avoided using any associations with Islam since I consider myself a Muslim and have a very positive view of my religion. I also do not believe that Morocco is the only country with women's issues. I could experience similar types of harassment in Italy, for instance. I make sure to stand up for women's rights in all contexts. I tried to address the rape culture that pervades many facets of American society on my own college campus.

The feminist voice is rather loud here. This is due to a number of tactics used to push their agenda into the political realm through associations, gender theory (the most famous sociologist, Fatema Mernissi, comes from a well-known and respected family), and the use of ideology to pressure lawmakers into reforming laws. All of that aside, women still have issues here that cannot be ignored (nor should they be ignored in any context ever). I will avoid listing all of my experiences so as not to give you the wrong impression, but instead I'd like to tell an experience in which a wonderful man has helped me out:

He attached specific directions to the invitation, but somehow I was still unable to find his house. Joe, our program director, arranged a Wednesday night dinner with his Tunisian wife for our entire group. The plan was to meet up with some other students at the art gallery and share a cab to his house. I waited for a good half hour before deciding to go by myself. I hadn’t heard from my friend, I didn’t live too far away from his house, and I certainly didn’t want to be late. Luckily being late was not an option for me when the directions I was given were wrong and no one in the vicinity knew where it was. I hopped into a cab and drove away from Joe’s house, but at the time I didn’t know, I was just following directions.

The cab driver dropped me off at Hotel Oumlil. I paid the driver and jolted down the dark sidewalk, following the directions I was given. I felt a bit uneasy since I kept finding unlit streets and hoards of lurkers wherever I went. I even walked down an avenue of trees, reminiscent of the pathways that lead to chateaus. But I kept on reassured myself that I would find it.

Somehow I ended up back where I started. I stared down at the directions for a good five minutes. What? Then I directed that same question in French to the closest guard. The street is this way, he pointed. So I went this way. I asked the next guard if I was going in the right direction. No, he said. It’s that way. Oh, I wonder why the other guard told me it was this way… So I went back down that way and asked a different guard. He didn’t know which street I was talking about, so I looked around for street signs, which were nowhere in sight.

I was about ready to send off smoke signals when a benevolent and friendly man walked my way. Where is this place? I asked him, slightly shoving the directions in his direction. Oh, he said. I’ll go with you. And he did go around with me for a whole two hours. We asked every single person who could help us where we were going. We received a slew of misleading directions and as a result, meandered back and forth down the same streets. After a while, we had no idea which was way was left and which way was right. I feel like that’s a problem for me normally, but tonight was especially knotty.

I gave up. Thank you, thank you, I kept repeating to my new friend. At least I wasn’t alone. I got home safely that night and slept very well to boot. Each day teaches me something new about Morocco. I learned that sometimes people will misdirect you and you have to figure out your own way. I also learned that some Moroccans will go to the ends of the Earth to do something good for you when you really need the help.