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Upholding Religious Freedom: Addressing Violence Against Quran Reciters in Chichaoua

Wednesday 22 May 2024 - 07:35

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In the aftermath of the dire conditions endured by the women affected by the Al Haouz disaster, reports have surfaced of harassment, assault, and threats against some individuals. A video circulating online has sparked outrage among internet users and officials, depicting two young girls being attacked for reciting the Quran aloud in a tent.

Responding to these concerns, Ahmed Taoufik, the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, has firmly stated that the Council of Ulemas in Chichaoua will take concrete measures to ensure the safety of girls who wish to recite the Quran.

Addressing the "outrage against the Holy Quran and the violence inflicted upon the young girls reading the Quran in Chichaoua," Taoufik revealed that the competent authorities have strongly condemned these acts, and legal proceedings have been initiated against those responsible.

Furthermore, in response to a request from Aïcha El Kout, a member of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) parliamentary group, Taoufik outlined that "the services of his ministry, in collaboration with the provincial delegation of Islamic Affairs in Chichaoua, coordinated a field visit to the region. This initiative aimed to provide direct support to the assaulted girls and provide them with copies of the Quran."

The minister also highlighted the local Scientific Council's commitment to working under his direct supervision to establish a secure space where girls can read and memorize the Quran without fear of violence or intimidation.

These commitments come as Aïcha El Kout called on the Ministries of Interior and Islamic Affairs to investigate the brutal assault of an elderly woman and her daughter in a tent designated for earthquake victims near Chichaoua. She advocated for concrete measures to ensure that all girls in villages affected by the September 2023 earthquake have access to safe spaces to study and memorize the Quran.

In her written inquiries, the ardent advocate for women's rights detailed the attack, condemning the act of violence committed while the young girls engaged in a peaceful spiritual practice. She emphasized the need for severe repercussions against the assailants, underscoring the importance of protecting places of worship and respecting religious devotion, especially during the sacred month of Ramadan.

Under the leadership of Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, authorities swiftly took action to prosecute the assailants, implementing a coordinated response to ensure the safety and protection of the affected communities.

Laftit confirmed, in response to a written question from the same deputy, that "the Royal Gendarmerie of Majat, in the province of Chichaoua, received a complaint from the parents of certain girls who were assaulted by two individuals while they were reading the Quran in one of the tents prepared for the earthquake victims of September 8, 2023, under the pretext that they were disturbing them in their neighboring house to the tent."

In his written response, he explained that "following this complaint, the assailants were placed under preventive surveillance and presented before the Court of First Instance in Imintanoute, which, during its session on March 21, 2024, sentenced them to five months in prison and a fine of 2,000 dirhams each."