Moroccan activists Renew Call for Freedom To eat in Public During Ramadan

With this year’s Ramadan approaching, some “irreligious” Moroccan activists have launched a Facebook page where they call for people not to fast during Ramadan. Under the name “Masayminch: We are not fasting” the group explained that that they believe that “Any Moroccan who feels the urge to drink and eat during Ramadan must be allowed to do it.”

As seen during last year’s Ramadan, this Moroccan movement has been met with harsh condemnation, not only in Morocco but also from Muslins around the world.

“What needs to be condemned and criticized instead isn’t their movement, but rather the evil engulfing Morocco from all sides, such as corruption, usury, and prostitution,” the group said in response to resistance to the “Masayminch” movement. “Isn’t Islam critical of these things, too?” they questioned.

Zineb Elghzoui, a journalist and founder of the movement, explained that the aim behind urging people not to fast has never been to provoke Moroccans. She added that Muslims are undeniably free to fast.

It appears that the movement has appealed to some Moroccans, mainly secularists and irreligious people. One example of this is blogger Kacem El Ghazali, who has contributed to the Facebook page with his ideas, among which is announcing a private place where the activists and their followers can feel free to eat and drink.

The blogger has promised to launch a two-minute video showing the act of eating and drinking during Ramadan. “The participants are purely Moroccan, ” El Ghazali added.

In 2009, Moroccan authorities arrested six non-religious activists who attempted to eat in a public park in Mohamadiya city.

|moroccoworldnews.com

Posted in: Morocco