The Revolution of a Scorned Woman

Women Revolutiona�?Heaven knows no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.a�? – William Congreve

Centuries ago and still up to this day, women are viewed as emotional beings that could explode any moment. And worst yet, they are seen as creatures whose moods can shift from one end to the other with no sign or hint of a trigger. Women are believed to be guided by this phenomenon, and so, whenever a woman expresses herself she is alienated and barely regarded as a human being with thoughts and, like the rest of us, feelings.

The biological difference between men and women favors a woman to be more emotional than a man, true. In addition, women are more detail oriented and have the ability to patiently analyze every aspect of any given situation. Does this mean that men cannot be emotional? Does this also mean that men are not capable of being particularly observant and analytic? Of course not. And so, in retrospect, women can have all the qualities men usually do. Yes, physical strength is biological. Yes, there are differences in the brain activities of women and men. But no, biology is not the only factor in the formation of men and women. A lot comes into play; nurture and nature being on the top of the list. Some men are not as fit as some women are physically, for example. And some others are nurturing and very much in touch with their emotional side. This is not a game with one variant.

What actually concerns me is the way men talk about women nowadays, young men to be exact. Wherever I look, women come up in the conversation, whether it is our mothers, sisters or partners. And what surprises me is that youngsters use foul language with their mothers, they boss her around, tell her to cook, to fix them a plate, and then they cana��t even bother to say something as simple as thank you. These same a�?mena�? believe they have the right to tell their sisters what to wear and who to talk to, that they have the right to a�?defenda�? her honor and the name of the family if anybody showed any signs of disrespect towards her. And, if any woman wants to speak her mind, she is told to shut up and mind her own business. Isna��t it her business the people she socializes with? Isna��t it her business how she likes to dress? Isna��t it her business the kind of job she would like to hold? Isna��t it her business to say what she wants to say, regardless of how taken she is with the subject? It just seems that when a woman is excited about something her opinion is automatically flawed, when a woman is passionate about her own rights she is trying to take away the mana��s rights, when a woman is not afraid to stand up she is disrespecting whoever is comfortably settled at the top.

We can look at this quote and see that women have always been emotional creatures. That is not a bad thing. Emotional does not equal stupid. Emotional does not equal irrational. Emotional does not equal crazy. Emotional is the state of being taken by emotions; in other words being emotional implies the blood circulating their veins is boiling. Women have an unspoken dedication for the world around us that men can never understand. Being emotional is not a weakness. Having boiled blood running through their veins is actually a good thing. That is the only way things get done. The revolution does not move forward if women are not enraged. So be enraged, be angry and be emotional. Wake your sisters up, push the ones that could use a little push, and be united. The revolution cannot wait any longer.

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Image Source: http://www.abcnews.go.com

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I have a Sermon in my Pocket

Katia Aoun HageI have a sermon in my pocket…

I have a voice in my church…

God, whose Spirit blows everywhere, blew in my little being…

Unbelievable fate, one that allows a woman to stand behind the altar and speak the words of the Son…

Unbelievable and mind blowing act to allow a woman to be the shepherd, the voice calling in the wilderness:”Come, taste and see the goodness of the Lord”.

Unbelievable and yet it is true. It only took the courage to step out of the lines that we so willingly keep marking with bold thick pens, closed doors that we keep locked because of ignorance and fear.

It only took a pastor, a woman pastor to ask me for a sermon, and I knew that it is possible, it is not to be feared but to be sought after, it is not unattainable, but it can be learned.

It only took one person to ask the question that would have never been imagined to exist in my middle eastern world : “do you want to write your own sermon?”

We, the women whose eyes were opened to the endless possibilities that lies in every person, and more so in women, are called to ask these questions, to open these locked doors to our sisters and brothers. It takes a community to change beliefs and prejudices. It takes a lot of teaching and learning to make way to new possible paths for both men, women and children. We, who are holding a light today, must put it high to chase away the darkness of presumptions.

I have a sermon in my pocket…

Women in the Middle East: Progress or Regress?

LibertyStandard literature on topics like social change, revolutions, modernization, cultural challenges and social movements in the Middle East, does not often examine women or gender issues. Myths and stereotypes abound regarding women. The events of September 11, 2001 have only compounded them. Unfortunately, Globalization, new technologies, cross-cultural relations – both convivial and conflictual – and the 2010-2012 Arab revolutions did not change this situation. If changes occurred – like an increase in numbers of working women, especially middle-class women -, these changes shaped or are shaping women’s lives in a more negative than positive way.

Indeed, there are changing and variable status of women in the Middle East, including the ‘ni putes ni soumises’ (neither whores nor submissive) status. Still, we are far from having reached gender equality and gender-egalitarian social/political systems. However, it does not mean that I believe Middle Eastern societies have fallen behind Western societies because of slow evolution of treatment of women. I do not believe in the hierarchy of civilizations, religions, races, and so on. There are women who achieved their womanhood, others who struggle with violence on a daily basis, whatever the environment they live in or the cultural heritage they carry. By womanhood, I do not mean the coming of age of a woman in the physical sense, but the rise of the essence of a woman in the physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual senses.

Even in most Western societies where democracy prevails, women as a group were awfully disadvantaged until relatively recently, and they are still disadvantaged on many levels – there are marked variations in the legal status, economic conditions and social positions of women. It should be recalled here that Islam provided women with property rights for centuries while women in Europe were denied the same rights. In India, Muslim property codes were more progressive than English laws until the mid-nineteenth century.

There is still a prescribed role for women in the Middle East – mostly based on religious/cultural traditions and laws. Women are perceived as wives and mothers, gender segregation is customary and sometimes legally required. Women must marry and reproduce to earn status. Family honor and good reputation, or the negative consequence of shame, rest most heavily upon the conduct of women. Women are perceived to be different beings – meaning inferior in legal status and rights. They are considered to have different interests than men and are therefore prohibited or discouraged in preparing for ‘inappropriate’ roles. Still, I believe that other factors are involved in the regression of women’s status or its slow progression: urbanization, industrialization, political turmoil, wars and conflicts, social-classes disparities, etc. And, let us not forget that there are women who gained a certain social, financial and political power.

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Image Source: Hermes

My Story with my Mother-in-Law

I’m sure most of you married young ladies have encountered in your life tensions and-or conflicts with your mothers-in-law. By the way, this is not a problem limited to one country. I’m from the UAE and I live currently in Europe. I used to be married several years ago and my marriage ended partly because of a hysteric mother-in-law and a coward son – i.e. my ex-husband who was always afraid to stand up against his mother’s will. The paradox in the Middle East is the existence of Patriarchal systems and mentalities, yet, also, a strong bond between mothers and sons. I can’t but think of the Oedipus Complex as defined by Freud… Sad to see that women don’t help each other – no solidarity – and are always trying to win man’s attention, especially if it’s the son, or the husband. In my case, the mother-in-law seemed at first to be winning the battle… However, I won my liberty, my integrity, my independence, my will to live. Therefore, she’s the one who lost by staying in the same oppressive system and enhancing its dynamics. And please, my advice to married men: don’t lecture us women on your problems with your mothers-in-law. They are far less damaging.

I read lately the results of a research conducted by Terri Apter, a psychologist at Cambridge University, showing that 60% of women who felt a friction with their husband’s mother had caused them long-term stress. Despite all the gags, only 15% of men complained that their mothers-in-law caused them headaches. Conflict arises when the newcomer and the more experienced matriarch wrestle over whose way is best, ex: child care, housework, cooking, relating to the son/husband, cultural/religious differences, etc. Every eight marriage fails due to the mother of one of the partners, with daughters-in-law clearly outnumbering the sons-in-law with their grievances. Also, worldwide studies continue to demonstrate the following: mothers of daughters have an easier time letting go earlier. Girls become independent more quickly and also move out earlier than boys.

Mothers-in-law tend to feel being frozen out of the relationship. And for the younger generations: a sense of intrusion and constant disapproval; they also sense their mothers-in-law being jealous of their relationships with the husbands.
My first advice to you ladies? Distance!! Physical and Psychological. And speak up your mind. Don’t be afraid.

My second advice? Mothers-in-laws should work on dealing with doubt and vulnerability. The root of most problems is the fear that the valuable relationship between mother and son is under threat as lives change… Mothers are left thinking: Will I still be valued for what I bring to the family? Of course!! Start thinking that you aren’t only THE MOTHER OF THE SON! This is a Patriarchal mentality!! And don’t look at your sons as some sort of a ‘partner substitute’ for a husband who is not satisfying all your needs for recognition and affection.

My third advice: sons too have a responsibility here, especially when they are less proactive about that reassurance; and they have to better manage their relationship with their wives. Knowing where the limits should be between their parents and their new family…

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Is Sexism Overrated in Lebanon?

Dr. Pamela Chrabieh
Dr. Pamela Chrabieh
October 2013, Lebanon

Not at all…

A perfect example? Not a single woman in the Lebanese government! Even in the previous ones, women were poorly represented – in numbers and effective presence.

What about the Parliament? Even worse…

The reason of this misrepresentation – i.e discrimination? According to most male politicians: ‘We are not able to find a qualified woman’ or ‘This is not a good time to work on gender issues’…

At least half of Lebanese voters are women. One might think that women could easily take over in political arenas. Still, there are many obstacles to enter the world of politics. Qualification isn’t the issue here. Sexism is. Sexism being ‘attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of sexual roles’ or ‘discrimination or devaluation based on a person’s sex, as in restricted job opportunities, especially, such as discrimination directed against women’.

Sexism is found everywhere and in most circumstances. It could be called ‘casual’ : a senior group project with five men and a woman who is asked to be the notetaker because she is a woman and she must have the best handwriting.

And, it can be more ‘serious’… Sexual harrassment is part of sexism too, and it is serious… All forms of violence against women are part of sexism…

Lately, the law project against domestic violence was roughly rejected by a large number of religious institutions – especially Dar al-Fatwa (the highest Sunni religious institution in Lebanon). Meanwhile, most politicians were busy attacking the new government or defending its legitimacy.

In fact, many qualified and independent women choose to fight within the Civil Society, believing that State institutions are too corrupt or that they must contend with “damned-if-you-do-or-don’t” standards – Women are asked to be Superwomen – i.e perfect wives, mothers and public servants/public figures…

The solution? There are many. Sexism will always exist, but it could be dealt with/limited.. Certainly: with Education on Gender issues, Women Empowering, Lobbying, Men-Women Cooperation, etc. Even the playing field a little!

Violence Against Women is Never Acceptable

Joyce DrobotViolence against women is never acceptable, cannot be tolerated in any form, in any context, in any circumstances.

Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary general launched in 2008 the campaign to “end the violence against women” that aims to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls in all parts in the world.

Types of violence against women:
Behaviors included in the broad category of violence against women include homicide, intimate partner abuse, psychological abuse, dating violence, same sex violence, elder abuse, sexual assault, date rape, acquaintance rape, marital rape, stranger rape and economic abuse.

The effects of this violence can negatively affect a woman’s reproductive health, as well as other aspects of her physical and mental well-being.
Long term risks include chronic pain, physical disability, drug and alcohol abuse and depression.
Even pregnant women are not immune from physical violence inflicted by partners.

Globally and domestically, violence against women is pandemic and it primarily happens in the context of the home. Women are the overwhelming targets of intimate partner and domestic violence.
Everyone suffers. The women suffer long term social, emotional, physical and economic trauma. Their children, likewise- girls being more likely to become victims, boys abusers.

Rape of women is a tool of war. Women and children are trafficked for the sexual pleasure of men. Even in the most civilized societies, women and children are raped, most often by acquaintances and intimates, at an appealing rate.
Violence against women is a constant and specific kind of crime.

Because men can easily dominate women physically, the social compact depends on all of us condemning and controlling this very specific kind of crime.

The way domestic violence is treated in our justice system is rotten to the core.

Men are Natural Warriors, but a Woman in Battle is Truly Blood-Thirsty

Women PeacemakersI was lately told that I am not a warrior and it offended me. True I am not villainous, I do not use physical weapons or Machiavellian schemes, nor do I play games to get what I want – even if there are women who do in the Middle East. True I am a pacifist and advocate dialogue and conviviality. True I tend to assess people starting with +10, not 0, nor -10. True I tend to be more patient than others and give countless ‘chances’ at all levels. However, it doesn’t mean I am ‘soft’, ‘weak’ or ‘sweet’. I am a warrior, but my battlefields are different.

Women and Men can be violent. Women and Men can be peacemakers… I don’t believe in a pure dichotomy between men and women: violent versus peaceful. Still, while too often reporting of women in conflict situations shows them as powerless victims, the reality, often glossed over, is that in post conflict situations women are in the forefront when it comes to negotiating and building peace. As Secretary-General Kofi Annan has pointed out, “Women, who know the price of conflict so well, are also better equipped than men to prevent or resolve it. For generations, women have served as peace educators, both in their families and in their societies. They have proved instrumental in building bridges rather than walls.” There are many stories that remain to be told about women from all walks of life who are making a quantum leap from lives in the private sphere to leading the way in reshaping their societies.

Women as torchbearers of peace are making a difference in hot spots of every region of the world. Palestinian and Israeli women have joined forces and work together as advocates for peace. In Nepal, women who were victims of violence are seeking representation in peace talks between the government and Maoist rebels. Women’s Peace Caravans venture into the most treacherous conflict-ridden interiors of Colombia to protest against the civil war and negotiate with the guerillas. Throwing themselves into peace processes with enormous courage and determination, women in politics, through their often unseen and unsung work, are bringing peace to many troubled countries.

These women are warriors… When she falls, a warrior is able to get up and continue. A warrior is she who would choose non-violent paths rather than less complex ways of dealing with others like dismissing them, alienating them, and make them disappear. A warrior is when she, in difficult/oppressive environments, can make her voice heard.

Let me go back to this old Scottish quote – ‘Men are natural warriors, but a woman in battle is truly blood-thirsty’- and conclude: I am a warrior. I am ‘blood-thirsty’, but ‘blood’ for me means justice, equality, peace, liberty of thought and expression. And the tools I use are caring, loving, educating, writing, engaging through arts and online/offline dialogue platforms.

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Image Source: http://treesong.org/album/dc/

Living in a Patriarchal Society

Maida Aboud Image in LockerThe Lebanese society – such as most Western Asian societies – can be easily labeled as patriarchal. Males have central roles of political leadership, moral authority, religious authority, economical power and property. Sad reality in the 21st century C.E., especially when anthropological and historical evidence indicates that most prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies were generally relatively egalitarian. Our dear Cro-Magnon ancestors were a lot more advanced in matters of gender equity… Many ancient civilizations in Western Asia (including Canaanite, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian…) were characterized by a diversity of status, roles and  situations regarding women. One cannot summarize this diversity in one label. Pagan religions – where goddesses were worshiped – allowed the existence of highly ranked women in religious institutions and the invocation of female attributes for the preservation and evolution of a society. In ancient Egypt for example, a middle-class woman might sit on a local tribunal, engage in real estate transactions, and inherit or bequeath property. Women also secured loans, and witnessed legal documents.

Inequalities certainly prevailed, partly based on negative perceptions of female virtues: ordering the house, keeping what is indoors and obeying the husband. The works of Aristotle – translated in Arabic and disseminated in our region centuries ago -, portrayed women as morally, intellectually, and physically inferior to men; saw women as the property of men; claimed that women’s role in society was to reproduce and serve men in the household; and saw male domination of women as natural and virtuous. With the advent of Christianity, women were supposed to attain a considerably higher social status. Jesus took men and women disciples, including socially unacceptable such as former prostitutes. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is hailed by Christians and Muslims as the most admirable and honored human being. The first disciples to discover the empty tomb were women. Still, patriarchal interpretation of Christian scriptures were commonly accepted and passed down from generation to generation.

In today’s Lebanon, there are women who fight for their rights. Few liberties were gained. There are households headed by women; women became part of the workforce, and at least half of university students are women. However, Lebanon is said to be a ‘man’s world’, men make the rules and dominate in all forums – except for morning gatherings (sobhhyat). A woman’s main value is to support a man (behind every good man is a good woman), bear children and housekeeping duties – or being an expert in shopping, social relations and plastic surgery techniques. Men usually use bureaucracy (state agency, corporation, trade union…) to sustain their power over women. This can take place in several ways:

-“formal exclusion of women from top positions;
– discrimination against women in hiring and promotion;
– promoting conformity to the bureaucratic values of emotional aloofness and technical rationality as a means of deterring or restraining women who operate best in an environment providing emotional support and opportunities for cooperative work;
– creation and maintenance of gender-linked job categories, which tie women into lower-level positions;
– maintenance of male career patterns which require mobility, full-time work and no interruptions (for child-bearing);
– -maintenance of on-the-job work organization which excludes integration of child-rearing and work, and opposition to alternatives such as independent work at home, or neighborhood-based decentralized office arrangements;
– -supporting other elite groups with similar practices, such as when trade union elites do not protest against corporate sexism;
– lobbying and applying political pressure to maintain policies that keep women in subordinate positions”.

In this way, bureaucracy is mobilized by men to support patriarchy. The domination of men over women does not occur in the abstract. In this case it operates via the unequal power distribution within bureaucracies.

It becomes obvious that something is lacking in today’s Lebanese society – and that something is the female creativity, intelligence, confidence, strength, rationality, care and respect for life. Women do have more power and opportunities, but they still have far to go to counter centuries of cultural bias. I wouldn’t advocate for a Matriarchal society. Surely a more advanced Lebanon would be one where women and men work equally with the qualities they each possess in building a balanced, humane society.

The immediate goal is removal of formal inequalities such as unequal pay, lack of support facilities such as childcare and gender-linked job categories. Another goal is fair representation of women within bureaucracies, professions, corporations, political parties, trade unions and religious institutions. By helping to undercut dominance of men over women within organizations, liberal feminist action of this sort can to some degree weaken the existing power distribution. In a social environment in which explicit discrimination against women is illegitimate, the use of patriarchal inequality to bolster bureaucratic and other power structures is made more difficult. First, women should get into positions of power, and second, they should implement changes in organizations to undercut hierarchy and inequality. Struggles for equality within present structures cannot be a substitute for structural change, but they can be an important part of struggles for such change. Also, another strategy is based on changing the attitudes and experiences of individuals, men and women. Thus the importance of education. The aim is to increase women’s assertiveness, overcome submissiveness, learn new skills and generally build confidence and ability. Equality cannot be attained simply by removal of barriers. Women must be able to work for their own interests and for a partnership with men. The next step would be to organize groups or movements to overcome organized patterns of discrimination and oppression.
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Najat Aadil: «Nous ne lâcherons pas l'affaire jusqu’à l’abrogation de la loi marocaine sur le viol des mineures»

Sit In Casablanca 25 mars 2012L’enseignante Najat Aadil est membre notamment du mouvement international Soroptimist qui œuvre à l’intégration professionnelle et sociale des femmes. Le suicide de l’adolescente Amina Al Filali en mois de mars a eu l’effet d’un électrochoc sur la société marocaine. Pour pousser à l’abrogation de l’article 475 du Code pénal qui avait permis à son violeur de la marier pour échapper à la réclusion ferme, un groupe, ”La marche des femmes libres”, s’est constitué sur Facebook, autour de la féministe Najiba Berrada, et a organisé, le 25 mars, un sit-in à Casablanca. Mme Aadil est son porte-parole. C’est à ce titre que nous nous sommes entretenu avec elle à ce propos. Entrevue réalisée par Aziz Enhaili pour Tolerance.ca

Tolérance.ca: Quelle est la raison qui vous a poussée à lancer ”La marche des femmes libres”?

Najat Aadil: C’est devant ce drame choquant du suicide de la jeune Amina Al Filali qui a eu lieu le 10 mars 2012 qu’on a eu l’idée de protester contre cette loi indigne.
Cette mineure issue d’une famille modeste à Larache a été violée et mariée de force à son prédateur. Ce mariage qui a été approuvé par un tribunal conformément à l’article 475 du Code pénal qui stipule que «Quiconque, sans violences, menaces ou fraude, enlève ou détourne, ou tente d’enlever ou de détourner un mineur de moins de 18 ans, est puni de l’emprisonnement d’un à 5 ans et d’une amende de 120 à 500 dirhams (Alinéa 1). Lorsqu’une mineure nubile ainsi enlevée ou détournée a épousé son ravisseur, celui-ci ne peut être poursuivi qu’à la suite de la plainte des personnes ayant qualité pour demander l’annulation du mariage et ne peut être condamné qu’après que cette annulation du mariage a été prononcée (Alinéa 2)».

Si Amina est décédée aujourd’hui, c’est parce que la loi marocaine en vigueur a autorisé la cessation de toute poursuite contre son violeur qui l’a épousé (Art. 475). Sans oublier une disposition du Code de la famille (article 20) qui autorise le juge à marier les mineurs sous certaines conditions.

Tolérance.ca: En quoi consiste votre démarche de protestation contre cette loi autorisant le mariage d’une mineure avec son violeur?

Najat Aadil: Le décès d’Amina a provoqué une grande émotion au sein de la population et une indignation de la part des associations qui demandent l’abrogation de ces lois qui continuent à dénier toute humanité aux femmes; et poussent beaucoup d’entre elles au désespoir et par conséquent au suicide comme l’illustre le cas d’Amina.
Si nous avons appelé à un sit-in dimanche dernier, c’était pour exprimer notre colère envers une loi qui ne concorde pas avec les revendications féminines. C’est aussi notre manière de dire non à la fois à l’article 475 du Code pénal marocain et à l’article 20 du Code de la famille. Sans oublier le fait de manifester notre indignation envers ces pratiques législatives qui ne respectent nullement les droits de la femme marocaine.

Tolérance.ca: Quel est l’objectif de ”La marche des femmes libres”?

Najat Aadil: Nous cherchons à court terme à pousser les législateurs du pays à abroger ces deux articles et, à moyen ou long termes, à mobiliser tous les organismes concernés par cette question pour arriver enfin à faire en sorte que la culture de l’institution judiciaire répudie la misogynie qui continue de l’imprégner à ce jour.
Nous dénonçons la loi sur le viol et nous lançons, à cette occasion, un appel aux autorités concernées pour qu’elles révisent le Code pénal et se penchent également sur les dispositions du code de la famille.
Nous voulons une justice équitable envers les femmes.

Tolérance.ca: Quel est l’état réel de la situation de la violence contre les femmes au Maroc?

Najat Aadil: La violence à l’égard des femmes et des filles imprègne l’ensemble du tissu social. En ville comme en campagne! Avec la particularité de croître significativement dans les grandes villes. Ces violences sont diverses: psychologique, physique, sexuelle et légale. À ce chapitre, les violences conjugales arrivent en tête.
La violence contre les femmes au Maroc représente le plus grand scandale de notre époque en matière de droits humains. De la naissance à la mort, en temps de paix comme en temps de guerre, les femmes sont confrontées à la discrimination et à la violence dont se rendent coupables l’État, la société ou la famille.
Chaque année, des centaines de femmes sont violées par leur compagnon, un proche, un ami ou un inconnu, par leur employeur ou un collègue. La violence au sein de la famille est un phénomène endémique. La très grande majorité des victimes sont des femmes et des filles.

Tolérance.ca: Pensez-vous qu’on va, à court terme, assister à l’abrogation de l’article 475 que les féministes marocaines décrivent (et décrient) comme étant à l’origine du suicide d’Amina Al Filali?

Najat Aadil: Absolument! Nous avons un grand espoir de voir cette loi abrogée. D’ailleurs, nous avons déjà eu la belle surprise de constater l’impact qu’a eu l’action de notre groupe au pays. Mais l’action de notre mouvement ne s’arrêtera pas là. C’est pourquoi nous envisageons dans le cadre de notre stratégie d’entreprendre d’autres démarches. Avec comme mot d’ordre ici: la sensibilisation à grande échelle.

Tolérance.ca: Comment s’est passé votre sit-in? Étiez-vous nombreux? Cela s’était déroulé comme vous l’espériez?

Najat Aadil: Le dimanche 25 mars 2012, à 15 heures, différents acteurs étaient présents à Place Mohammed-V. De nombreuses femmes, de nombreuses associations, ainsi que des citoyens de différents âges et catégories sociales. Ils étaient tous là en mémoire d’Amina Al Filali et en signe de soutien à toutes les autres victimes d’une loi inique qui facilite, de facto, la prédation sexuelle. Sans crainte ni limite!

Ont pris également part à ce sit-in de nombreux hommes. Cette participation très appréciée a montré que de nombreux hommes marocains veulent eux aussi que l’on abroge ces lois misogynes. Il fallait les voir, tous fiers, crier, de toutes leurs forces: ”on veut le changement de la loi”, ”on veut l’égalité”, ”on veut que la femme soit protégée,” etc.

Ce sit-in a été un franc succès. On y est arrivés grâce à l’œuvre collective de l’équipe organisatrice et à la collaboration, bon enfant, des personnes participantes.

Cela dit, qu’on ne fasse pas l’erreur, en face, de croire que nous allons rentrer chez nous et passer à autre chose… Tant et aussi longtemps que cette loi inique reste en vigueur, nous ne lâcherons pas l’affaire. Nous le devons à la mémoire d’Amina Al Filali et à toutes les Amina passées et à venir. Le changement n’est pas une option parmi d’autres. C’est la seule option acceptable. D’ici là, nous continuerons notre travail d’éducation du peuple et de sa mobilisation. Notre pression sur le gouvernement et sur les instances politiques et législatives ira donc crescendo…

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Entrevue réalisée par Aziz Enhaili pour Tolerance.ca®.
26 mars 2012