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Marrakech Declared Islamic World's Capital of Culture in 2024

ICESCO Director General Salim al-Malik (ICESCO)
ICESCO Director General Salim al-Malik (ICESCO)
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Marrakech Declared Islamic World's Capital of Culture in 2024

ICESCO Director General Salim al-Malik (ICESCO)
ICESCO Director General Salim al-Malik (ICESCO)

Rabat is the Culture Capital of the Islamic World for 2024, announced ICESCO Director General Salim al-Malik.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) announced the closing ceremony of its year-long program of activities, including artistic and cultural events and celebrations, such as the International Museum and Exhibition of the Prophet's Seerah and Islamic Civilization.

Malik reviewed the 260 key activities held during the celebration of Rabat as the Culture Capital in the Islamic World.

He thanked King Mohammed VI, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, and all Moroccan ministries, institutions, bodies, associations, and individuals who did not hesitate to contribute to this celebration.

Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, lauded the distinguished cooperation between the Ministry and ICESCO, which resulted in the organization of several activities as part of the celebration of Rabat as the Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022, and the inscription of 27 Moroccan heritage elements on ICESCO's Islamic World Heritage Lists.

Bensaid stated that after a year of distinguished cultural and artistic activities, the closing of Rabat Celebration as Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022 is an occasion to highlight the efforts aimed at making Rabat a metropolis at the international level.

The closing ceremony took place with the presence of high-profile Moroccan government officials, ambassadors accredited to the Kingdom, public figures, writers, thinkers, artists, and the general public.

Several artists performed at the event, such as Samira al-Qadri and Said Belkadi, who entertained the audience with traditional Moroccan poems. The Andalusian Music Choir, conducted by Amin al-Dubbi, and the Symphony Orchestra, by Samir Tamim, also played at the ceremony.

During 2023, Marrakech will host several groups of cultural, intellectual, and artistic events that highlight Islamic civilization.

It will be an opportunity to show the richness of the Red City, as Marrakesh is one of the cities included in UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The city is witnessing urban and cultural development, and the "Marrakech, Capital of Culture in the Islamic World" event will be an opportunity to highlight its attractions, intangible heritage, and archaeological sites.

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Varieties

Cute carnivores: Bloodthirsty California Squirrels Go Nuts for Vole Meat

This handout photo obtained from the University of California on December 18, 2024, shows ground squirrels eating voles in Davis, California. Sonja Wild / University of California, Davis/AFP
This handout photo obtained from the University of California on December 18, 2024, shows ground squirrels eating voles in Davis, California. Sonja Wild / University of California, Davis/AFP
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Cute carnivores: Bloodthirsty California Squirrels Go Nuts for Vole Meat

This handout photo obtained from the University of California on December 18, 2024, shows ground squirrels eating voles in Davis, California. Sonja Wild / University of California, Davis/AFP
This handout photo obtained from the University of California on December 18, 2024, shows ground squirrels eating voles in Davis, California. Sonja Wild / University of California, Davis/AFP

Squirrels might look like adorable, nut-hoarding furballs, but some are ruthless predators that hunt, tear apart, and devour voles.
That's the startling finding of a new study published Wednesday in the Journal of Ethology -- the first to document widespread carnivorous behavior in these seemingly innocent creatures.
"There is always something new to learn and wild animals continue to surprise us," lead author Jennifer E. Smith, an associate professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire told AFP.
"In a changing world with many technological advances, there is no replacement for direct observation of natural history, including watching the squirrels and birds that often visit our backyards."
The observations were made this summer, during the 12th year of a long-term study conducted at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County, California.
Between June and July, researchers recorded 74 interactions involving California ground squirrels and voles, with 42 percent of them involving active hunting of their fellow rodents.
Co-author Sonja Wild, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, admitted she was initially skeptical of the reports brought to her by undergraduate students who first witnessed the behavior.
"I could barely believe my eyes," said Wild. But "once we started looking, we saw it everywhere."
It was previously known that as many as 30 species of squirrels opportunistically consume meat, ranging from small fish to birds. However, it was unclear whether this behavior stemmed from scavenging or active predation.
The new study is the first to confirm that hunting is, in fact, a common behavior.
Researchers observed squirrels crouching low to the ground before ambushing their prey, though more often, they chased voles, pounced, and delivered a neck bite followed by vigorous shaking.
The study also found that the squirrels' carnivorous behavior peaked during the first two weeks of July, coinciding with a surge in vole populations reported by citizen scientists on the iNaturalist app.
Other animals, such as raccoons, coyotes, and spotted hyenas, have been known to adapt their hunting strategies in response to human-induced changes in their environments.
"In a changing world, it can be daunting to consider all of the challenges that human presence, habitat loss, and climate change impose on animals," said Smith.
"Our study offers an exciting silver lining, demonstrating the incredible flexibility that some animals possess."
Several questions still remain unanswered.
Researchers hope to investigate how widespread hunting behavior is among squirrel species, whether it is passed down from parents to pups, and how it affects their broader ecosystems.