Morocco Gets First Women Preachers
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Morocco has just graduated its first team of women preachers to be deployed
as a vanguard in its fight against any slide towards Islamic
extremism.
"This is a rare experiment in the Muslim world," proudly stated
Muhammad Mahfudh, director of the centre attached to the Islamic affairs
ministry that trained this first class of 50 women. Ministry spokesman Hamid Rono said it was the "first (of
its kind) in the Islamic world". This pioneer group of Murshidat, or guides, who finished a
12-month course in early April, were trained to "accompany and orient" Muslim
faithful, notably in prisons, hospitals and schools, said Mahfudh. They will earn a salary of 5,000 dirhams ($560) a
month. Samira Marzouk, in her 30s like most of the others, exclaims how
"proud" she is to be part of this first group. She sees their mission as one to "fill in the gaps that prevent
a solid framework for religion". "We are going to teach a tolerant Islam by focussing on the
underprivileged classes."
"The Morshidat will
be in charge of leading religious discussions,
give lessons in Islam, give moral support to people
in difficulty and guide the faithful towards a tolerant
Islam" The idea of the Murshidat, spearheaded by King Mohammed VI
and the government, took off after Islamic extremist attacks in the
Casablanca on May 16, 2003 claimed 45 lives and left dozens of
others wounded. The King who had already started reshaping religious
structures to rein in any extremist drift in his North African country, which
borders Algeria where violence between government forces and armed Islamic
extremists has caused more than 150,000 deaths since 1992. New urgency But the synchronised suicide bomb attacks that struck Jewish
and foreign targets gave new urgency to the initiative. More than 2,000 people were arrested in vast police sweeps
after the May bombings as the king pledged that the attacks would be the
last to rock Morocco. Investigators concluded that those behind the incident had
indeed sought recruits in the teeming slums around Casablanca, the kingdom's
biggest city. Marzuk, with a diploma in Arab literature who said she knew
the Quran by heart, was quick to specify she was "not going to take the place of
an imam". "The imamate in Islam is restricted solely to men who are apt at
leading prayers, notably those on Friday," she said. Tolerant Islam "The Morshidat will be in charge of leading religious
discussions, give lessons in Islam, give moral support to people
in difficulty and guide the faithful towards a tolerant Islam," she
added. Another graduate, Laila Faris, a lively young woman who holds
a degree in Islamic studies, said she saw the Murshidat's role
as promoting "the true face of Islam". "We will help attenuate any drift towards Islamic
extremism," she said, stressing that "an overall approach is needed to
dealing with radical Islam". During the year-long course, the curriculum ranged from
Islamic studies to psychology, sociology, computer skills, economy, law
and business management. Sports was the only subject dropped from the women
preachers' training because the schedule was just too tight,"
regretted Mahfudh, who hopes to include it for the second batch of
Murshidat trainees, whose applications are now being accepted. For the Islamic affairs minister, Ahmed Taoufiq, the
Murshidat will also "instruct women on their basis religious
duties". He said religious radicalism was not part of Morocco's
culture "but you can never prevent evil one hundred percent". Divided Morocco's Islamic fundamentalists are divided over the
initiative. For one, Islamist deputy Mustafa Ramid with the Islamist
Justice and Development party (PJD), the main opposition group with 43
seats in the 325-member parliament, the Murshidat is a "positive"
development. "I see nothing more to say about this initiative because
in Islam, men and women are equal," he said, pointing to Egypt which
has "eminent women scholars of Islam". But the head of the youth group in Morocco's most radical
Islamic fundamentalist association, Al-Adl Wal-Ihssane (Justice and
Welfare), forecast it would have no effect on the ground. "The power behind this initiative is the same as the one
that commits acts contrary to Islam, notably degrading moral values," said
Hasan Bennajih, whose group is part of an Islamist movement that preaches
non-violence and is unrecognized by authorities, but still
influential. "This initiative, then, will only have a limited impact on
the population," said Hasan Bennajih. _____________________________________________________________________________
They
will notably work with women and children in poor ghettoes seen as fertile
ground for extremist recruiters.
Samira
Marzouk,
a pioneer Murshida, or
guide