Notes: Farthest West Kingdom

This series of stories really came together quite easily. I even decided to experiment with my style. Except for one story, the main character never spoke a single word. Instead, she used physical gestures and inner thoughts to convey her point of view.

It was also good re-emphasizing an Islamic culture, both by the antiquated and modern points of view. While Ameena's mother held to tradition, her father embraced the new cultural patterns facing Morocco today. I did this for two reasons: First off, the standard expectation of male oppressors needed a jolt. Secondly, her father came from Islamic Spain, while Ameena's mother grew up in rural Morocco, where traditions are firmly ensconced even in the 21st century.

It was refreshing to also explore the Ottoman Empire's contribution to culture, which is so often overlooked in American History teaching. It is unfortunate that these biased Histories (which all cultures seem to suffer greatly from) rewrite and redact the true story of man. This is also problematic in another way: Kings, Presidents, and Dictators attempt to remove history for the sake of their own egos. Napoleon blasted cannonfire at the negroid nose of the Sphinx, Ottomans erased Malay and Indonesian cultures until the Dutch rectified the Pacific Island warlords. However, the Dutch uprooted both North and South Africans for their infamous slave trade.

With all that said, I do dream of going to Essaouira or Marrakesh one day, just to see how close I was to portraying the real Morocco.