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24 May 2009 Rabat - Eleven people were killed in
a stampede at a stadium in the Moroccan capital Rabat
overnight when thousands of spectators hurried to
leave at the end of a concert wrapping up the city's
landmark music festival.
The stampede caused a fence to give way, killing five
women, two teenagers and four men. Forty other people
were injured.
The victims were among 70 000 spectators at a concert
by Moroccan pop star Abdelaziz Stati at the Hay Nahda
soccer stadium in Rabat.
The concert was part of a week-long annual Mawazine
music festival in Rabat which ended in the early hours
of Sunday.
Mawazine is one of a growing number of well-funded
music festivals aimed at promoting an image of
tolerance and modernity in the Muslim north African
kingdom.
This year's festival featured Kylie Minogue, Ennio
Morricone, Khaled, Alicia Keys and Algerian diva Warda
al Jazairia, and drew tens of thousands of spectators.
Mawazine, which is backed by King Mohammed, aims to
liven up the sleepy capital Rabat and ward off the
growing cultural influence of powerful opposition
Islamists.
Moroccan Islamist politicians have denounced pop
concerts as encouraging immoral behaviour. They argue
it would be better to spend the money in creating
jobs.
EsinIslam.Com
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