The flag of Morocco is red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Sulayman’s (Solomon’s) seal in the center of the flag; red and green are traditional colors in Arab flags, although the use of red is more commonly associated with the Arab states of the Persian Gulf; the pentacle represents the five pillars of Islam and signifies the association between God and the nation; design dates to 1912
Ahlan
News and Upcoming Events for Moroccans in Cleveland
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Cleveland Moroccan Community on One World Day 2024
The Cleveland Moroccan Community demonstrated their proud heritage at One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. The Moroccan Community participated in the Parade of Flags which had 1500 people from over 53 countries. They later hosted visitors to a site which may become the Morocco Cultural Garden.
Moroccan community in the Parade of Flags on One World Day
The Cleveland Moroccan community demonstrated their proud heritage at One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. Over 50,000 people visited the gardens on One World Day 2023.
The Moroccan community participated in the Parade of Flags which had 1500 people from over 53 countries.
Watch the video of the Parade of Flags.
Moroccan community in Parade of Flags on One World Day
African Heritage Day - Cleveland Cultural Gardens World on Stage
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation 2023 World on Stage events in the Gardens are showcasing various heritages. The first 2023 event was African Heritage Day on July 1, 2023.
MC Sia Nyorkor with Ethiopian coffee
Audience members came from a variety of African countries including Liberia, Ghana, Congo, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia. One attendee from Pretoria, South Africa said, "This is the first time I've felt like home since I came to Cleveland."
There was delicious West African food, an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, drummers, dancers and fun for families.
It was a great day to celebrate the heritage of the Cleveland People from the 54 countries of Africa.
Djapo Cultural Arts Institute dancer
2021
Fun with Maps - North Africa
Casablanca, Marrakesh, Algiers, the Barbary Coast, Morocco, the Sahara Desert, Darfur, Benghazi, Tunisia, Tripoli.
You've seen these exotic locales in movies, TV shows and the news but do you know where they are or much about them? In this episode of Fun with Maps, host Dan Hanson looks at North Africa.
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent and contains 54 fully recognized sovereign states (countries). This first episode in a series covering Africa includes Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco (including Western Sahara), Tunisia and Sudan.
After watching you will never listen to Bob Dylan, Crosby Stills and Nash or even the US Marines Hymn the same.
Fashions from Morocco at Cleveland multicultural party
A highlight of the 8th Annual ICC-WIN Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at the Global Center for Health Innovation in Cleveland was the International Fashion Show featuring almost 100 models from about 30 countries.
Loubna Blail and Bahareh Gharehgozlou represented Morocco.
Loubna Blail and Bahareh Gharehgozlou representing Morocco
The caftan, or kaftan, is the traditional dress of Moroccan women. In the era of the Sultans, the caftan was worn by both men and women, the design of the caftan was a symbol of rank, with everything from the patterns to the buttons symbolizing the wearer's place in the Sultan's hierarchy. When the caftan came to Morocco, it became primarily an article of women's clothing.
The caftan is a long dress in the style of a robe. Caftans are made of either cotton or silk. They are ankle-length and can be fastened up the front with buttons. A sash around the waist completes the outfit. This piece is made of two layers: a dress covered by a button-up robe. It is worn for special occasions such as weddings.
Loubna Bilali is originally from Morocco. She is a Ph.D. candidate in the Translation Studies program where she's currently working on her dissertation. She also teaches language and translation-related courses at the MCLS department.
Bahareh Gharehgozlou is originally from Iran. She is a Ph.D. candidate in the Translation Studies program where she's currently working on her dissertation. She also teaches language and translation-related courses at the Kent State Honors College.
Cleveland Moroccans at Cleveland Multicultural Event
The Cleveland Moroccan Community was represented at the 7th annual International Community Council - Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) holiday party on December 14, 2016.
120 people participated in the fashion show and each walked the runway to music from their country. Click on the white arrow to watch the short video of the Moroccan models, Loubna and Mona Mirheydari and Dina Al-Ramadan.
In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, a series of Moroccan Muslim dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad al-Mansur (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. The Alaouite Dynasty, to which the current Moroccan royal family belongs, dates from the 17th century.
In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new country that same year.
Sultan Mohammed V, the current monarch's grandfather, organized the new state as a constitutional monarchy and in 1957 assumed the title of king. Since Spain's 1976 withdrawal from what is today called Western Sahara, Morocco has extended its de facto administrative control to roughly 80% of this territory; however, the UN does not recognize Morocco as the administering power for Western Sahara. The UN since 1991 has monitored a cease-fire between Morocco and the Polisario Front - Western Sahara's liberation movement - and leads ongoing negotiations over the status of the territory.
King Mohammed VI in early 2011 responded to the spread of pro-democracy protests in the region by implementing a reform program that included a new constitution, passed by popular referendum in July 2011, under which some new powers were extended to parliament and the prime minister but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch. In November 2011, the Justice and Development Party - a moderate Islamist party - won the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections, becoming the first Islamist party to lead the Moroccan Government.
In September 2015, Morocco held its first ever direct elections for regional councils, one of the reforms included in the 2011 constitution. Nationwide parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 2016.
Profiles of Moroccans in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio
If you know of a Cleveland Moroccan who should be profiled, please let us know.
ClevelandPeople.Com - Moroccan Ambassadors
Read more about the Moroccan and other Ambassadors. If you are interested in being considered to be an official ClevelandPeople.com Ambassador to the Cleveland Moroccan community, please contact us.
