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| Image of the Madrid Train Bombing of 2004 which was planned by a group of Moroccan terrorist extremists. Reveals that terrorism roots exist in other regions of the globe besides the Middle East. Source: http://tomdiaz.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/the-case-against-terror-suspect-najibullah-zazi-fbi-affidavit-reveals-elegant-work/madrid-bombing-large-01-2/ |
I knew setting out on the task that the results wouldn’t be pretty. I figured names would be butchered, maybe a few who couldn’t recall an event from the past century but little did I know the true extent of the American public’s knowledge of Morocco.
Deciding to ease the interviewee in to the questions, I asked what to me, seemed like a fairly simple question, “What continent is Morocco located in?” Two out of the seven students of which I interviewed were able to correctly state Morocco’s continental location. I received a multitude of answers ranging from China, to and island or simply “I don’t know.” An animal science sophomore said, “I feel like it’s a city, I have no idea.” Many were flabbergasted and embarrassed, searching my eyes for a hint or answer or even staring out in to the crowd in hopes of a glimpse at a map. Although 29 percent were able to answer the correct continental location of Morocco, no one was able to name the capital of the region. It is clear that Americans are not comfortable with the concept of geography and have little perspective of other countries outside of the United States
One of the most interesting and thought provoking questions I brought forth was, “What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Morocco?” this question captured a raw glimpse of the imagination and interworking of the American mind. I received an astonishingly diverse array of answers vague enough, that they could describe various regions around the globe. A freshman electrical engineering student stated that the first thing that came to his mind was simply rocks. One student freely spoke her mind and said, “I feel like its and Indian country, Indiana Jones, vibrant colors, I’m thinking Bollywood.” Overall, students truly did not have a grasp on any idea of what Morocco could be like and some tried to play it safe by saying, “its not in the west but the east” or “really hot weather.” Overall, the answers received were not specific enough to reveal a concrete understanding of the country as a whole.
In the next part of the interview I decided to if they could name any event that happened in or involving Morocco within the past 100 years. Every time I proceeded to ask this question I was given the same response over again, “I can’t think of anything.” These were the words that began to make the situation very clear, that we Americans really can’t think of anything because we haven’t taken the time or even cared to think of anything but us, ironically, the U.S. Is the acronym a convenient coincidence or a simple truth right in front of us? Why can’t we think of anything that has to do with Morocco, not one single event? Is it because we don’t have access to information or is it just that the want to know isn’t there? I believe it’s a combination of both and it is contributing to the United States’ growing population of people who are more informed about their favorite celebrity’s last tweet than about the youth riots for democracy in Morocco. There is an ever-widening gap between America and the international community due to the simple fact that we don’t care. We chose not to inform ourselves about what is happening outside of us or U.S. and then we vote but cannot make fully reasoned decisions because we simply haven’t cared all along for when it matters at the ballot box.
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| Moroccans protesting for a democratic government in place of their monarchial system. Many people are not even aware that Moroccans are currently protesting. The reason tthey are holding generally peaceful gatherings which is not something American news media outlets tend to give coverage time to. Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476604576157613018552154.html |
At the conclusion of the interview, around 57 percent thought that Morocco had a democratic government. It was interesting to see how quickly they responded that Morocco was democratic, almost as though it were a given, when in fact, Morocco has a monarchial government. When I asked the respondents if they could name any events that are happening currently in Morocco they could not name any, however the people are currently protesting for a democracy. Many of us are quick to assume that everyone else is living parallel to us and we can’t grasp that the world is completely different than our bubble of life.
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| Moroccans protesting in the streets for a new democratic government. The protests are failing to receive much international news attention, however this is news that needs to be delivered to the people. Democracy is a hot button issue and has divided the country over its conflict in values with Islam. Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476604576157613018552154.html |
It is critical that Americans understand that international news is in fact important because we are a world of global networks and communication. For example, the Madrid Train Bombing of 2004 was planned and executed by Jamal Zougam and Jamal Ahmidan, two Moroccan men, along with the help from a group of other Moroccan men. Events like these impact the world and can have lasting effects on a region and international community for an entire generation. Not knowing that there are extremist terrorist groups in other countries besides Iraq and Afghanistan is a major hurdle that Americans must overcome. Only until we come to terms with the reality of what is happening in global news, can we make more informed decisions and take a step towards a more interconnected and understanding world.
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| Image of Moroccan and American flag meshed to form a globe. This was taken from a Moroccan-American Community Television Vimeo site. They strive to inform the public about issues that are facing Moroccans today and work with the United States government and its relationship with Morocco. Reveals that there are outlets to connect the American public to Moroccans and are easily accessible through Vimeo. Source: http://vimeo.com/moroccoboardtv |
Interviews:
(Didn't include in word count)
1. Amy Leung, Female, 19, business sophomore
2. Jaime Serrano, Male, 18, aerospace engineering freshman
3. Nichole Jones, Female, 18, biology freshman
4. Nathan Brink, Male, 19, material engineering sophomore
5. Bradley Zeller, Male, 21, business junior
6. Scott Chau, Male, 18, electrical engineering freshman
7. Liz Schteiden, Female, 19, animal science sophomore
8. Kelly Cannon, Female, 20, nutrition sophomore
9. Sheri Kitta, Female, 47
10. Pat Banse, Female, 72
11. Jonathan Tipton-King, 20
