CASABLANCA—In these perilous times in the Maghreb, it is easy to forget that more than 15 years ago, the brilliant Algerian novelist Rachid Mimouni sought refuge in neighboring Morocco. Threatened by Islamic fundamentalists in his own country, Mimouni saw Morocco as a bastion of creative and religious freedom in Arab North Africa. He died in exile, grieving over the tortures inflicted on his native land.
Younger Algerians who arrive here today are still relieved to breath the free air along the Corniche and stroll the glittering avenues. Barely 600 miles down the coast, in Algiers, the dark Islamist forces unleashed by the civil war still linger. But in “Casa,” there are bright lights and freedom. These visitors to Morocco are fully prepared to invest their trust in“M6”—Mohammed VI, the gentle son of a tyrant, ruler of a valiant member of the third world, guiding his country confidently toward a lifestyle...
