Critics are afraid that Morocco might face new conservative laws Rabat – Rachid Bougha Morocco's election-winning Justice and Development Party (PJD) stated on Friday that they would not enforce the hijab (Muslim women's veil) or ban alcohol in Morocco. The party denied that it would impose a "strict moral regime" while saying they would support arts expressive of Moroccan cultural heritage. Secretariat member of the party and union leader in the National Federation of Labor Mohamed Yatim said: “The party will not impose veil, there will be no morality police, it will not ban drinking, and we will not 'restrict culture'," in an attempt to calm the fears of seculars and liberals.
Yatim added in a press statement: “The party will support arts that reflect the Moroccan cultural heritage...imposing a strict moral code will constitute a challenge to the Moroccan tourism sector, which constitutes 10 per cent of the total local revenue, and employs about 450,000 people."
Yatim said: “ The PJD government will not force tourists to wear the veil. With regard to morals and public places, there are laws; however, we will not force women to wear the veil as our religion is based on tolerance.” He added: “In the PJD, we are not concerned with the private lives of individuals, and it is not our duty to interfere in peoples’ beliefs or actions. Our priorities are set on improving social and economic standards for Moroccans.” He stressed: “There will be no morality police, and we will not stop people from drinking alcohol...these are matters of faith and personal convictions.”
The statements are bound to calm fears among Morocco's liberal opposition who were afraid the moderately Islamist PJD would serve to enfore strict Islamic law on the country after conflicting statements from the party's leadership.
Said Yatim: “We were never against art and culture; we were against the waste of public money on festivals, as artists earning large amounts of money creates a kind of envy from the side of poor citizens. Thus, all festivals will remain, and possibly flourish, for we are pro festivals that contribute in elevating our culture without wasting public money. Our programme created a national culture which contributes in the consolidation of national and historic identity, with respect to values of beauty, general taste, citizenship, and sacrifice.”
Senior officials in the party had previously criticised music festivals, describing them as “obscene”, however, Yatim said: “Such events will prosper under the reign of the party’s government, if they contribute to Moroccan culture.” Additionally, prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane criticised a female journalist photographer in the Moroccan parliament, calling for her to not enter "wearing jeans”which led to a lengthy political debate and women-led demonstrations in solidarity with the journalist. The women's movement received Benkirane on the eve of announcing the PJD electoral victory with a mass gathering in front of the parliament, calling for preservation of Moroccan women's rights after decades of struggle for liberation. Demonstrators held banners and repeated chants, all warning Benkirane that "the wall of women in Morocco was not short. simple or easy to cross over."