Anouar Majid named a Fellow of the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies, an institution recently lauded by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Anouar Majid, Ph.D, associate provost for global initiatives and director of the Center for Global Humanities, has accepted an invitation to be a Fellow of the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM). TALIM oversees the administration of the Tangier American Legation Museum, the only U.S. National Historic Landmark outside of the continental United States, and the oldest U.S. diplomatic property abroad.
The Institute also serves as the associate center in Morocco for the American Institute for Maghrib Studies (AIMS), the American Overseas Research Center (AORC) in North Africa. TALIM also acts as a Moroccan-American friendship association with activities taking place largely in the Washington area. The Legation hosts a number of activities, including the annual conference of AIMS, and the annual Critical Language Scholarship Program, funded by the State Department. TALIM plays an important new role as a good neighbor in the Tangier medina, hosting the annual April Seminars on topics of economic interest to Morocco, as well as to the medina of Tangier. It serves as the seat of the National Council for the Rehabilitation of the Historic City of Tangier, of which His Majesty Mohammed VI is the honorary chair, and the Foundation Tanger al-Madinah.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new American Embassy in Rabat, Morocco on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012 alluded to the significance of this institution and relations between Morocco and the United States:
"Our relationship stretches back more than two centuries. Sultan Mohammad III became the first world leader to recognize America鈥檚 independence. We entered into a treaty of friendship that has stood the test of time. And in 1820, Morocco presented the United States with a gift, a legation building in Tangier, our very first diplomatic property anywhere in the world. I don鈥檛 know how far along we would have made it without Moroccan help, so you鈥檝e been thanked before, but let me thank you again. This is our only national landmark outside our own borders, so the connection between Morocco and the United States is deep and personal.
"Now, of course, the way we conduct foreign policy has changed a great deal since those days, and I think it鈥檚 fair to say the challenges we face are far more complex, but the opportunities are greater, and the world seems smaller. But that legation building in Tangier stands as a testament to the continuity of our relationship. It has lasted through wars and upheaval. It has remained steadfast in times of crisis. Today, it is a museum and a cultural center that focuses on the rich history between our countries. But what that building in Tangier preserves and symbolizes is the past. What we鈥檙e doing here today represents the future. And we are committed to renewing, in a profound way, our commitment in this new chapter of our long relationship."