Belgian Politician Condemns Saudi Journalist’s Remarks on Moroccan Women

In a letter written on Saturday, May 2, Latifa Aït-Baala says she is "appalled" to hear such comments from a man who calls himself a journalist and who, without making any research effort, casts a shadow over Moroccan women and the intrinsic values of the kingdom. "I don’t know if this gentleman has ever had the opportunity to visit Morocco or to meet Moroccans, but even the greatest ignoramus informs himself a little, especially in the digital age," she writes, adding that the Saudi’s comments are not only "unacceptable but condemnable in more than one way". For the MP, "the abject and as repugnant comments as their author deserve legal action," reports L’Opinion.

In her letter, the MP lambasted the ease with which the Saudi attacked Moroccan women with "sexist, defamatory and insulting remarks that constitute serious offenses" and discredit the relations between the two countries. "Dare I remind him that women’s bodies belong to them and that they have to suffer neither his frustrations nor those of predators and adepts of sex tourism who are guilty of abuse and sexual offenses," she adds.

She took care to remind the journalist that Moroccan women have been and are "involved in all social, scientific, economic, political, sports, cultural and religious battles". To present them as prostitutes would be to deny the bravery of women who, through their intelligence and combativeness, have worked to give luster and prestige to the kingdom. "One only has to think of the feminist struggles of Aicha Ech Chenna, Fatima Mernissi and Asmae Lamrabet or Asmae Boujda at NASA; Nawal El Moutawakel, gold medalist in the first women’s 400m hurdles in Olympic history; Bouchra Baibanou, mountaineer; Touria Chaoui, first female pilot in the Arab world, or Ilham Kadri, president of the Solvay executive committee, the Belgian chemical giant".

She then paid tribute to all those mothers who are fighting to give their children the best education, despite the difficulties. It is thanks to them also that no less than 3,000 doctors of Moroccan origin practice in Belgium. Moroccan women, according to the MP, have shown in every aspect of the history of the kingdom that they can contribute qualitatively with their skills.

"In this particular period of the fight against covid19, when the global economy is virtually at a standstill, women are more than ever on the front line, in the health professions. More than ever, confinement after a few weeks shows how much women are the first impacted. More than ever, we realize how much work is the lever of autonomy and freedom for everyone".