Rabat - Following the decision of the Ministry of Interior to prohibit the sale and manufacture of the burqa in Morocco, a group of ministry representatives reportedly raided burqa stores on Wednesday and Thursday to ensure that ban is not being violated.
Rabat – Following the decision of the Ministry of Interior to prohibit the sale and manufacture of the burqa in Morocco, a group of ministry representatives reportedly raided burqa stores on Wednesday and Thursday to ensure that ban is not being violated.
The raid followed a directive from of the ministry, instructing retailers and tailors to get rid of their burqa stock or convert it within 48 hours, or risk confiscation of all their products.
The ministry’s decision prompted scores of Moroccan women who wear the garment to gather outside parliament last Sunday to denounce the ban.
Some Moroccan Salafists are reportedly planning to file a lawsuit against the ministry to force it to backtrack on its decision.
The Moroccan ban on the burqa has also stirred heated controversy among Moroccans themselves, inspiring several preachers to argue publicly over the issue.
Sheikh Mohamed Fizazi took to his Facebook page earlier this month, comparing the burqa to fashion fads like torn jeans and miniskirts, saying that “the burqa is a cultural symbol belonging to countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula,” worn to obscure the female form.
In Morocco and in the North of Africa in general, “women have their own style in wearing the hijab, which is the actual style that represents Morocco’s social and religious culture,” he added.
Moroccan Salafist Abdelhamid Abounaim posted a live video on Facebook expressing his intention to defy the ban. He stated that he would willingly turn his house “into a shop of burqas to cover the Muslims and give away the burqa for free.”
