Jillian York is a freelance writer who focuses on the MENA region, with an emphasis on Morocco.
After graduating with a BA in Sociology from Binghamton University, Jillian volunteered with AmeriCorps before moving to Morocco to teach English for two years.
Since 2005, Jillian has maintained The Morocco Report, a blog about Moroccan politics and culture, and currently covers Moroccan and Palestinian blogs for Global Voices Online.
She is also the author of a Culture Smart! Morocco, a guide to Moroccan customs and writes for INTHEFRAY Magazine. Jillian is particularly interested in the effort to promote citizen media from countries which are given a negative focus in the Western media.
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07/14/2008 - 11:24 a.m. CST -- by Jillian York 
This past May, Dunkin' Donuts caused a stir amongst conservatives as an advertisement featuring daytime TV darling Rachael Ray wearing a keffiyeh almost aired. On the front lines of the conservative attack was Michelle Malkin, whose yips and yowls contributed to Dunkin' Donuts' decision to pull the ad. The story received significant media coverage, with many journalists clearly opposed to Malkin's ridiculous rhetoric. Dunkin' Donuts' official line on the controversy, according to the [Read More]
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03/19/2008 - 4:43 a.m. CST -- by Jillian York
At approximately 11:00 GMT on March 18, a blogger announced that Fouad Mourtada, the young Moroccan engineer imprisoned last month for impersonating Morocco's Prince Moulay Rachid, had been released. Shortly after, Global Voices Advocacy became the first English source to break the news. For the next few hours, bloggers continued to release commentary, while major news sources remained silent. It wasn't until the next morning that BBC News became the first major source to reference Mourtada's release, while still providing precious few details.
This isn't the first time that the blogoma (Moroccan blogging community) has broken a story before the media; last year, when popular video s... [Read More] |
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09/23/2007 - 3:58 a.m. CST -- by Jillian York
From far away, the Moroccan election results appear fair, but closer to the surface lies controversy - why did so few people vote? And were those who did vote influenced by lobbying? The elections, held on September 7, had a surprising outcome for most. The PJD (Party of Justice and Development), a moderate "Islamist" party, had been expected to win, however, Istiqlal overtook them by just five seats. The makhzen and urban elite were pleased with the results, the PJD itself cried foul, but for the most part, the entire process was anti-climactic. And now - The EU calls the elections a transparent success, the US "a step forward." What that translates to is "we're glad the Islamists didn't win" (I'm s... [Read More] |
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08/28/2007 - 6:40 a.m. CST -- by Jillian York
Ask any Moroccan what he thinks about King Hassan II and he will either cringe or cheer. The same can be said for Driss Basri, more commonly known as “Butcher Basri,” who served as Morocco’s Interior Minister for twenty years. Some, such as those of his hometown Settat, admired him for the economic progress he made while others hated him for the torture and imprisonment which he allegedly inflicted upon thousands during his tenure. This period of repression, commonly known as the "Years of Lead,” stretched from the 1970s to the late 1990s, ending with the death of Hassan II in 1999.
Although Basri was a powerful figure who was highly trusted by Hassan II, King Mohammed VI did not feel the same way, removing him from power on November 9, 1999, only three months after his accession to the throne. Basri was given the... [Read More]
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