Rabat – Moroccan preacher Hassan Kettani has issued a fatwa against men wearing jeans during prayer time because it apparently draws too much attention to their rears as they kneel to pray.
“Among the mistakes that people make when praying is wearing tight clothes, causing their rear to appear in a hideous manner during prayer,” the statement published on Kettani’s Facebook page read.
Under Morocco’s religious law, Kettani is not qualified to issue fatwas, as only members of the religious council have that authority.
Kettani, who is based in Morocco and Spain, has been described as an ideological leader of the Salafia Jihadia movement, a militant group based in Morocco and Spain with links to Al-Qaeda. Kettani frequently speaks out against what he believes to be western influence corrupting Moroccan society.
In 2003, he was imprisoned in connection to the Casablanca bombings, that left 45 people dead. It is to date the deadliest terrorist attack in Morocco’s history. Kettani was pardoned eight years later due to efforts from his lawyer, human rights groups and Islamists in Morocco’s parliament.
