Rabat – More than 19,000 Moroccans have signed a petition protesting the organization of Oktoberfest in Bouskoura, near Casablanca.
Initiated by Muntada Taaziz Al Huwiya (Arabic for Identity Consolidation Forum), the petition decried the organization of the beer festival in Morocco, saying the North African kingdom is the “country of Islam and the Emirate of the Faithful.”
“At the Identity Consolidation Forum, we consider this initiative to be a heinous act in conflict with Moroccan laws, Islamic law, and Moroccan customs,” the petition said, stressing that the event scheduled for October 28 will serve traditional Bavarian foods made of pork.
The petition organizers seek to halt the organization of Oktoberfest through the collection of 25,000 signatures.
As they urged the public to rally behind their petition, the organizers noted that they had addressed their open petition to Moroccan authorities to cancel the festival.
They went on to argue that states “should respect the peculiarities of the countries in which their institutions operate.”
In July, the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce announced in a LinkedIn post that the festival will provide “the unique atmosphere of Oktoberfest” as well as “traditional Bavarian food and drinks to the rhythm of Munich brass bands.”
Originating from Munich, Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer festival. The two-week-long folk festival dates back to October 12, 1810, and commemorates the marriage of King Louis I to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.
While it originally celebrated a royal marriage tie, the festival gradually transformed into a big food and drinks festivity by the late 20th century.
This year, Oktoberfest is scheduled to take place between September 17, and October 1, and is expected to attract more than six million beer lovers.
As Identity Consolidation Forum protests against Morocco’s hosting of Oktoberfest, the North African country is Africa’s second-largest wine exporter after South Africa and as a consumer of alcoholic beverages such as beers.
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