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| Africa: North |
| Moroccan Imam Under Fire After âAnti-Equalityâ Sermon |
| 2004-07-03 |
| A sermon by a prayer leader in Morocco, who said a womanâs preferred place is in the home, has raised hackles in the media and political circles in the North African kingdom. Imam Redouane Benchekroun, who is also the head of the council of Islamic theologians in Casablanca, made the remarks in a sermon last Friday at the huge Hassan II mosque in the port city. Benchekroun also condemned âthe inter-mingling of sexes in the civil serviceâ and âscantily dressed womenâ who frequent Moroccoâs beaches, contradictory to Islam. All those women have been âmisled into believing they have been liberatedâ and enjoy greater human rights, he said. Woman lawmaker Zoubida Bouayad, of the ruling Popular Forces of Socialist Union (USFP) party, raised Benchekrounâs sermon in the Senate, calling the imamâs preachings âa dangerous outburst.â âWe refuse to listen to a speech which goes against equality between men and women, which is enshrined in the family code,â Bouyayad said Thursday, referring to the legal code that was enacted in January. Secretary of State for Youth Matters Mohamed Al-Gahs in a television interview slammed âthe obscurantism of some religious circlesâ whose attitudes are aimed at âundermining the values of freedom and tolerance.â LâEconomiste daily business newspaper in its Thursday edition also condemned Benchekrounâs sermon, calling it âa plea against modernity and tolerance.â The newspaper pointed out that Benchekrounâs speech had been broadcast live on state-run television and that leaders of the Hassan II mosque âare supposed to be informed in advance of the content of sermons,â under religious reforms under way in Morocco. The success of those reforms was mere pie in the sky, LâEconomiste added. Benchekrounâs sermon was merely âthe latest stage in a new arrogant campaign orchestrated by the Justice and Development Party,â wrote Liberation newspaper, which is close to the USFP. Islamic leaders in Morocco recently criticized the government for allowing cultural festivals to be held in the kingdom, saying they incite people to debauchery. Yesterday, Islamic-leaning newspaper Attajdid defended Benchekroun, accusing the imamâs critics of trying to âmuzzle Muslim scholars.â In an editorial, Attajdid denounced âmedia which specialize in undermining the values of Islam.â Benchekrounâs critics were opposed to âMoroccans turning back to religion. Are Quranic verses that call on people not to go around naked backward and inward-looking?â questioned the paper, which also lashed out at âmagazines in the Arab world which publish photos of nude women.â |
| Posted by:Fred |