Moroccan Freedom of Religion Fasting Hypocrisy

Today, I want to add my voice to my homies who are fighting for the abolition of Chapter 222 in Morocco. Chapter 222 of the Criminal Code states that “anyone who is known to have converted to Islam and publicly breaks the fast in Ramadan in a public place and will be punished with imprisonment from 6 months to three years and a fine of $20 to $50.” Whenever we Moroccans think we are advancing, an incident takes us multiple steps back.

A few days before the end of the previous Ramadan, Moroccan police raided a café in the city center, arrested a group of young people, and took them to the police station under an investigation for allegedly breaking the fast even though they were in a closed space out of public view. The police arrived with an army of camera operators documenting the raid for many media outlets across Morocco. Aren’t the police supposed to “protect and serve”? Go figure…

While Morocco recently agreed without any reservations to a draft UN resolution submitted by more than sixty countries to the Human Rights Council on freedom of religion or belief, the police arresting and humiliating these young people and exposing them in front of the cameras contradicts, according to human rights activists, the requirements of the constitution and the country’s obligations before the international community.

This story carries a strong signal that we do not respect human rights, especially with the critical media circulating information about  “the inspection of young female citizens by police to ascertain if they have a legitimate excuse.”

Women are considered ritualistically “impure” while menstruating — but they aren’t simply excused from fasting. Instead, they are expected to make up the missed days of fasting as soon as their periods are over and are ritually cleansed.

The legitimate excuse is that if they are menstruating, it must be proven by showing a pad or a tampon. For the misfortunate who can’t afford feminine hygiene products, they better have a blood spot in their underwear.

While everyone’s hoping in 2022 that the torture caused by Chapter 222 will disappear, Moroccan drama continues…

By Simo Ben