Moroccan Intellectuals Push for Sweeping Reforms on Religious Freedom and Individual Rights

Composed of Asma Lamrabet, Yasmina Baddou, Driss Benhima, Monique Elgrichi, Jalil Benabbès Taarji, Chafik Chraibi, Mohamed Gaizi and Khadija El Amrani, the collective says it has taken the opinion of several Moroccan reference ulemas before drafting the document which proposes avenues of work for the reform on individual freedoms, reports Le360.

Thus, the document proposes, among other changes, freedom of worship, religion and conscience, which the group considers to be an inalienable right. The collective thus calls for the repeal of Article 3 of the Constitution which stipulates that "the religion of the majority of Moroccans is Islam". Speaking on the role of Moroccan women in society, the working group believes that a reform of the current laws is necessary for an equitable inheritance between men and women.

Regarding the marriage of minors, theoretically prohibited since 2004, the eight personalities propose in their document the adoption of a new article of the Moudawana, which "gives the right to the married minor, once of legal age, to sue in court the one who forced him, whether it be the father, the mother or another".

The collective also tackled extramarital sexual relations which can lead the persons involved to a prison sentence in accordance with the law. It proposes to review this article which causes many inconveniences. It suggests adopting financial penalties without imprisonment "if the sexual act has not caused major consequences or has not violated the rights of a third party".

Regarding abortion, punishable by law in Morocco, the collective considers that the fact that 500 to 800 cases are recorded each day is a call to rethink the issue. The plea proposes to amend that "medical abortion of pregnancy is not punished when it is practiced on an embryo that has not exceeded 12 weeks and when it aims to safeguard the life or physical or mental health of the mother and that it is openly practiced by a doctor or a surgeon".