Morocco to debate women's status in Islam

The upcoming session of the Moroccan Assahwa (wakening) University will focus on women's rights and duties in Islam, the Moroccan Endowments and Islamic Affairs Minister announced.

Abdelkebir Alaoui M'Daghri told "Al-Ittihad Al-Ichtiraqi" daily that there are two major currents in Morocco regarding women's status. The first one, based on a purely Islamic vision, understands women's status within the frame set by the Koran, Prophet Muhammad's tradition and the interpretation of Muslim theologians. The second current, which describes itself as "civil and modernist," preaches a westernized vision of women's conditions.

The Minister stressed the need to open the channels of dialogue between the two trends. Such an approach, he said, will benefit women who "represent half of the society and the starting point of any development."

Alaoui M'Daghri said that several associations, theologians, women's organizations and intellectuals will be invited to attend the sessions of the University in a bid to come up with a coherent view on the issue marrying tradition to modernity.

Explaining the reasons why Morocco enjoys a "spiritual peace" unlike other countries, the Minister said the country lives in such peace because the King assumes the tasks of spiritual and temporal leader.

"Unllike other countries which need different groups to assume predication responsibilities, in Morocco, the throne takes up the spiritual mission," he said.

Moreover, unlike other countries, where Islamic groups require the establishment of Islamic states, Morocco already has the prerogatives of such a state, headed by the King, who is the Commander of the Faithful.