Morocco sex debate rages after imam's death call

[NY_BX 397]

Morocco sex debate rages after imam's death call

AFPBy Omar Brouksy | AFP – 3 hrs ago

The call by a radical Moroccan imam for the death of a journalist who spoke out in defence of sexual freedom has ignited a fierce debate between Islamists and secularists in a country torn between modernity and religious tradition.

Abdellah Nhari, an imam in the northeastern Oujda region, who is well known for his controversial pronouncements, declared in a recent sermon that Elmokhtar Laghzioui was a "dayoute," or cuckold in colloquial Arabic, and that in Islam "the 'dayoute' should be killed."

Nhari was reacting to Laghzioui's remarks, on a satellite television channel, indicating that he supported personal, and in particular sexual freedom, even in the case of one's "mother or sister."

Around 100 journalists held a sit-in on Thursday outside the headquarters of the newspaper in Casablanca where Laghzioui works, to protest against Nhari's comments, denounce "terrorism in the name of religion," and voice their support for freedom of expression.

The imam has since insisted that his words, which were swiftly disseminated by social networks and the local press, did not amount to calling for the death of the journalist.

But the public prosecutor in Oujda has ordered a judicial inquiry into the case, fuelling the debate on sexual freedom that was rekindled with the opening last month of a theatre production in Rabat openly supporting freedom for women.

The production was a Moroccan adaptation of "The ####### Monologues," an award-winning play by US author Eve Ensler that celebrates female sexuality and focuses on the abuses women suffer.

The mostly secular defenders of sexual freedom in Morocco want to see the abolition of article 490 of the penal code, which stipulates a prison sentence of one year and one month for anyone caught having extra-marital sex.

In reality, sex outside marriage is common in Morocco and largely tolerated, with unmarried couples behaving discreetly.

"I don't understand why the state sets itself up, through this article, as the champion of chastity while claiming to have a democratic constitution," Zineb El Rhazoui, founder of a civil society group promoting individual liberty, told AFP.

"The reluctance to decriminalise extra-marital sex amounts to an admission of hypocrisy both by the state and society," the activist said.

Khadija Ryadi, who heads the Moroccan human rights association, agrees that the law is an anomaly.

"We know that sexual relations outside marriage are common in Morocco. The fact that all that is hidden encourages abuse, and attacks on individual liberty," she said.

For their part, the Islamists continue to denounce calls for sexual freedom outside marriage.

Attajdid, the newspaper of Morocco's ruling Party of Justice and Development (PJD), has weighed in on the debate repeatedly, denouncing the sophistry of the liberals.

"There is an intellectual terrorism being exercised against the Islamists to prevent them from communicating their point of view with respect to art and creation," the Islamist daily complained in an editorial last month.

Secular movements "use provocation and permissiveness in their calculations... in order to attack the Islamist movements," it added.

El Moukri Abouzeid, an MP and PJD member, made the point more bluntly.

"Any sexual act outside marriage is considered an act of debauchery, a crime.

"The permissive philosophies, which were born in Europe, have they improved social and family relations there? I don't think so," he said.

Let me get this straight... you can publicly invite faithfuls to kill or encourage the killing of someone for their opinion, but you can't burn the Koran let alone draw the prophet?! There has got to be something terribly wrong about this; reason enough for me to continue my quest against organized religion. (Of course, that's not attacking believers. You're free to believe and practice whatever you want)

[Boiler 46,121]

If it is God's will that the Dayoute should be killed, what is the problem?

God is great.

[Linds&Youssef 56]

VERY interesting!! I've started reading the Koran over the past few days (as my fiance is Muslim and I am not--just to have a better understanding), and this is something I've always wondered about in the religion as well as in politics and governance in Morocco. I've always thought it kind of bizarre that sex before mahttp://static-forums.visajourney.com/public/style_images/master/rte_icons/font_color.pngrriage is common in Morocco, and yet you can be arrested for even just kissing... will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[X Factor 1,112]

Let me get this straight... you can publicly invite faithfuls to kill or encourage the killing of someone for their opinion, but you can't burn the Koran let alone draw the prophet?!

Where is common sense?

[nurse1967 287]

Lots of oxymorons in Islam from what I have witnessed! Of course, hubby would disagree.

[bombyjuly 13]

Khadija Ryadi President of the AMDH - Under the theme 'The role of the freedoms and human rights movement in Morocco' said that the roundtable was an opportunity for AMDH to send a call for the abolition of Article 490 of the Moroccan Penal Code, criminalizing sexual relations between adult men and women who are not bound by the bond of marriage.

Khadija Ryadi, President of the AMDH, reported by the site Pure Player Moroccan Arab, argued at the meeting for a mobilisation of "democratic forces for a continuing struggle until the secularisation of the state and the establishment of an enlargement of individual freedoms in Morocco, "stressing that" sexual freedom, faith, abortion, eating in public during Ramadan or the right to freely dispose of one's body form the bulk of the claims of the revolutionary Moroccan youth. "

For his part Moroccan sociologist Abdessamad Dialmy present at the roundtable called for what we consider sex between two consenting adults outside marriage as a crime "this should be, instead, a freedom guaranteed by the law, "he pleaded, denouncing the way the double language of the state which he believes should contain principles of law since it violates itself by deriving its legitimacy from religion.

Reacting to these statements, Islamist leader and member of the PJD Abouzaid Mokrie El El Idrissi lambasted the initiators of this call as "secular media aping the West in its most degrading practices."

For Abouzaid, "the West suffers of the decay of moral values ​​and family which in no case serve as a model for our society" calling "to return to Islamic values ​​such as adopted by the Moroccans for centuries."

Mohamed Hilali, vice chairman of the reform movement and uniqueness WALL, parent organisation of the PJD, treated those who called for sexual freedom as "vestiges of despotism and corruption" for him, they objectify their claim to bring Islamists to power in "a counterproductive debate shuns the true vocation for which they were elected by the people, namely clean government and fight against corruption and absolutism."

[sandinista! 1,816]

Really? What exactly does this particular a$$hole in Morocco have to do with me, or any other adherents to organized religions that know rubbish when they see it?

You realize that there is undoubtedly a fair percentage of Muslims amongst the journalists and activists speaking out against the archaic Moroccan law, and the imam cited, right?

Where does this offensive and repugnant "quest against organized religion" leave them? Wow, thanks for so graciously throwing us a bone here, letting everyone know that despite your "quest" you're not attacking anyone and we can still believe and practice what we want. How magnanimous and benevolent of you.

Meanwhile I know plenty of non-believers or adherents to other organized religions not engaged in fantasy battles or "quests" in their heads against my beliefs-their's are just different or non-existent, and they don't bark about their opposition to others' like an old lady's yippy little chihuahua.

[JohnR! 5,495]

1341764491[/url]' post='5510543']

Where is common sense?

Certainly not at this particular instance. Perhaps this particular imam is affiliated with the Westboro Baptist Church. They seem to subscribe to the same wing of radicalism...

You need to compare nuts to nuts...

Having said that however, it seems that the Torah also has some strong words when it comes to the consequences of sex.

I don't think it wise to judge an entire faith but its nut jobs...

Edited July 8, 2012 by Gegel

[NY_BX 397]

Lots of oxymorons in Islam from what I have witnessed! Of course, hubby would disagree.

and in christianity and in judaism and in (fill in the blank).... Cults do this $hiet too.. Jim Jones or Dave Koresh anyone? Organized religion= suspension of critical thinking, for some faithfuls. And then these crazy, nutty shenanigans make most of their followers ingest indoctrination without digesting it, all by faith. Then their stupidity make the entire community look like they should belong in a mental institution, or worse, in jail.

Common sense, exactly, common sense.

[X Factor 1,112]

You need to compare nuts to nuts...

Exactly - oranges to oranges, apples to apples and nuts to nuts

[SaharaSunset 165]

and in christianity and in judaism and in (fill in the blank).... Cults do this $hiet too.. Jim Jones or Dave Koresh anyone? Organized religion= suspension of critical thinking, for some faithfuls. And then these crazy, nutty shenanigans make most of their followers ingest indoctrination without digesting it, all by faith. Then their stupidity make the entire community look like they should belong in a mental institution, or worse, in jail.

Common sense, exactly, common sense.

Methinks thou doth protest too much.

Roughly 85% of the world identify with some "organized religion." To use the example of 1 or 2 crazies as justification of for an oddly ardent vendetta against organized religion is most fascinating....and tragically ignorant. Evidently there are has been a "suspension of critical thinking" by extremists on both sides of the organized religion debate.