Moroccan Christian Group Condemns Ban on Same-Sex Wedding Near Marrakech

On Saturday, the authorities went to a hotel located in the Taourirte douar to put an end to the celebration of a gay marriage between a Frenchman and a New Zealander. A ban that provokes the indignation of the president of the Union of Moroccan Christians (ICM), Adam Rabati. In a video, he rejected the decision to ban the celebrations of this union and declared his solidarity with the gay couple. He also apologized to the couple "on behalf of all the human rights defenders of the kingdom and the activists who are fighting for the abolition of Article 489".

In Morocco, homosexuality is a criminal offense prohibited by Article 489 of the Penal Code. This article stipulates: "is punishable by imprisonment of six months to three years and a fine of 120 to 1000 dirhams, unless the act constitutes a more serious offense, anyone who commits an indecent or unnatural act with an individual of the same sex."

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Rabati called on the country’s activists and "those who believe in individual freedoms" to show solidarity with the LGBT+ community in Morocco. It faces discrimination and hate speech on its own, he said. The president of the ICM also called on the associative sector and activists to be more determined to repeal Article 489, as well as Articles 490 and 491 which punish sexual relations outside of marriage.

Recalling that Morocco plans to host major sporting and cultural events in 2025 and 2030, and that "the eyes of the whole world will be on the kingdom", Rabati calls for the revision of several articles of the Penal Code, such as Article 222 which stipulates that a breach of fasting during Ramadan in public is punishable by a prison sentence of up to six months. And to conclude: "These articles must be replaced by others that punish discrimination, hatred and violence".

https://youtu.be/cWdtMT_0BUk