Rabat – To solve the debate on inheritance in Morocco, historian and intellectual, Abdallah Laroui believes that establishing wills should be mandatory. He made the comments during a speech at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Mohammed V University in Rabat on 19 January.
The question of inheritance in Morocco is a socio-economic problem that could be approached “from the point of view of utility and interest,” he said, as quoted by Telquel. For him, the question on gender equality in inheritance could be solved by requiring all Moroccans to write their own individual will.
“The inheritance can take the form of a declaration by citizens, as part of their properties subjected to taxes,” says Laroui. Arbaoui indicates that inheritance cannot be discussed from a religious perspective. “The state must address this issue from an objective point of view,” said the Moroccan philosopher.
However, an overwhelming majority of Moroccans — eighty-seven percent — oppose gender equality when it comes to inheritance, according to the results of a national survey by the High Commission for Planning.
In 2015, the Moroccan Council of Human Rights (CNDH) called on the government to establish equality between men and women in inheritance in accordance with the 2011 constitution.
The current majority party in parliament, Party of Justice and Development (PJD), responded to the issue stating its unequivocal rejection of any debate regarding equality of men and women in inheritance.
