Centering the Peripheries: Haratin and Southern Moroccans as Nationalists in Casablanca

In this talk, Moyagaye Bedward of Rutgers University examines Moroccan nationalism from a subaltern perspective. In contrast to previous historiography, nationalism in northern, urban sites such as Casablanca was also supported by southern Moroccans influenced by their pre-colonial experiences. Moyagaye discusses ordinary Moroccans, and in particular the Haratin, within the decolonization process, and demonstrate the … Read more Centering the Peripheries: Haratin and Southern Moroccans as Nationalists in Casablanca


AIMS at MESA: The I. William Zartman North African Award

The American Institute for Maghrib Studies (AIMS) is pleased to announce that it continues its annual awards for student members and for North African-based scholars presenting at MESA. While MESA 2020 may be all-virtual, the disturbances and difficulties placed on our lives by the coronavirus pandemic have not stopped scholars of the Maghrib from showing … Read more AIMS at MESA: The I. William Zartman North African Award


Eric Calderwood: Colonial Andalus

In this episode, Eric Calderwood (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) speaks about his recently published book Colonial al-Andalus: Spain and the Making of Modern Moroccan Culture (Harvard University Press, 2018).  Calderwood offers an overview of his book and also reflects on how the time he has spent in Morocco (especially in Tetouan) has shaped his research topic and his understanding of Moroccan history and literature.

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Mediterranean Crossroads: The 2016 AIMS Conference

The 2016 AIMS Conference, titled “Mediterranean Crossroads: Spanish-Maghribi Relations in Past and Present” kicked off on Saturday May 14th at the Grand Hotel Villa de France, with three panels that cast a new light on the history and people of this region.

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Saharan Crossroads: Views From the Desert-Edge

Herein we broadcast the Call for Papers (CFP) from the joint AIMS (American Institute for Maghrib Studies, of which TALIM is the research center in Morocco) WARA (West African Research Association) conference for June 2013.  Please note that the deadline for submission of applications and abstracts is December 30, 2012. – – – – – … Read more Saharan Crossroads: Views From the Desert-Edge


1942 – 2012: Operation Torch, 70 Years On

Today, Remembrance Day in Britain, Armistice Day in France, and Veterans Day in the US, has a special resonance here in the Maghreb.  70 years ago today, American and British forces were in the midst of a battle to free Vichy-held French North Africa.  Operation Torch. 70 years ago today, General Patton's representative in Fedala, … Read more 1942 – 2012: Operation Torch, 70 Years On


Radio Medi 1 Across the Maghreb

Though its studios are in a pleasant old villa in central Tangier, Medi 1's antenna farm in Nador, near the Moroccan-Algerian border, points east (photo, right).  Medi 1 is shorthand for Radio Maghreb International, and its broadcasts in Arabic and French cover a wide audience all across North Africa. With US presidential elections only weeks … Read more Radio Medi 1 Across the Maghreb