Morocco: six people jailed for scheduling a protest against Ramadan’s fast

(Translation: T&P)

Zineb el Rhazaoui began the group “Alternative movement for the defense of civil liberties” which is fighting against Islam’s abuses. Among other petitions, they are asking for the abrogation of Article 222 of the Moroccan Criminal Code which punishes Muslims who don’t respect the Ramadan’s fast. They can be sentenced to a jail term of between 6 months and a year.

Using Facebook, they scheduled a protest to eat a sandwich before dawn, something which is forbidden by the Ramadan’s fast, but they weren’t able even to begin their protest. Zineb, her friend and other 4 friends were arrested under charges of “trying to incite the public to break the fast”, according to official press agency Magrehb Arabe Presse.

Authorities consider they were trying to stage a protest and “break” the fast publicly, reason why they were arrested in the train station, although they consider the organization is “peaceful”. This is the first time some people show publicly in Morocco asking not to fulfill Ramadan’s fast.

The Moroccan Council of Ulemas has considered the action as a “hedious action which defies the teachings of God and his Prophet”.

During Ramadan, Islam believers must abstain themselves from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex, from dawn till nightfall.

There will be no scheduled protests for this around the world, I’m sure. But it’s deeply conforting there are people fighting against this kind of laws. These are basically against separation of State and Mosque, a concept which is so difficult to find along the Islamic world. Of course, I don’t believe Mohammed VIth to be very interested in having his power diminished and he knows that Islamism is a danger. He has not done a lot of reforms and the country is basically as it was 10 years ago when he began his reign. Specially the state of press freedom is worrying.