It is unacceptable to characterize homosexuals as “trash.” What if the Minister of Justice and Liberties was the one to do it? Mustafa Ramid, an official of the Islamic right-wing Justice and Development Party, when interviewed regarding same-sex decriminalization, declared: “Too much is too much! There is too much focus on homosexuality, too much discussion: that kind of person is trash.”
A minister against human rights
His words didn’t come as a surprise. As Karim Boukhari wrote on Le360, Ramid “is a well-known homophobe, he is against laicism, pro-polygamy, a strong supporter of the death penalty, an opponent of decreasing punishment for extramarital affairs, he is against men and women equal rights in regards to inheritance, against adoption, freedom of religion, and so on.” The minister has even suggested sex changes for all homosexuals, so to avert any problem [Il Grande Colibrì].
Ramid’s party has constantly rejected every United Nations Human Rights Council recommendation, whether it was about women or gender minorities. Morocco has refused to improve the protection for victims of sexual assault, to consider rape within a marriage a crime, to decriminalize consensual same-sex intercourse, and to initialize policies pro-LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) [HuffPost Maroc].
Pros and cons: divided on the web
The ministry’s latest statement prompted a fiery debate on the web, where many supported the politician. Username Marzouka explains: “Morocco is a Muslim country, therefore the law must punish these kind of acts. If you don’t like it, go somewhere else.” According to Raouf: “Homosexuality is a sin and an illness, infecting the entire country.” Moad is slightly more moderate: “Are you gay? It’s fine, as long you don’t parade it on the street. We are a normal country, we do not want to see certain things.” On the other hand, Yassine is not moderate at all: “Fags only deserve to die”. Hassane sees homosexuality as a conspiracy theory where people are paid by the French government who wants to keep Morocco under its spell.
[read more: Morocco: Two Arrested for Sodomy During Ramadan]
The opposition had also something to say: there are those who accuse Ramid to have obtained the ministry by prostituting himself to powerful politicians. Username Amrane wrote: “I am a Muslim heterosexual but I believe the law should not punish homosexuals. They are regular people like us, and they are not hurting anyone.” According to Afif: “Gay people are not the problem, the backwards thinking savages who are in power are.” Dikra asserts: “Homosexuality is not against nature or the Qur’an. The government should rather hunt all those unpunished pedophiles.” Many others are chanting for the minister’s resignation.
Civil society takes position
Karim Boukhari – the journalist mentioned above – has declared: “He should resign! There are no more excuses, it is too evident: between Ramid and the universal culture of human rights there is a void as big as the world.” In an open letter to King Muhammad VI and the Prime Minister Saâdeddine El Othmani, many Moroccan civil society organizations have unitedly asked for Mustafa Ramid to step down, and for the recognition of sexual minorities, marking some basic progress in Morocco [Le Site Info].
Pier
©2017 Il Grande Colibrì
