Democracy - Morocco's Veiled Feminists

The online news site, Morocco Times has a very interesting article by Fatima Sadiqi, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Fez and founder and president of the Center for Research on Women.

Here is an extract:

Women are increasingly making the argument that they have been deliberately excluded from a full role in society not because Islam prescribes it, but because Islam was revealed in a deeply patriarchal social context. Feminist interpretations of religious texts – encouraged by increasing numbers of women in prominent religious positions – continue to challenge traditionalists of all stripes.

The women's movement in Morocco – which now bridges secular and religious communities – is setting an example of the power of social thought in a traditional society. Re-visiting traditional interpretations of Scripture is not the end of the story. Out of this ferment, Morocco has not only revised its Family Law, but also fundamental laws governing nationality, media ownership, and political organizations.

Women's advocacy has also shaped a new approach to poverty alleviation in Morocco, in the form of the National Initiative for Human Development, which integrates efforts to improve education with better sanitation and housing. It is no exaggeration to say that the Moroccan women's movement has become the cutting edge of reform, engaging Islamization, modernization, democratization, and feminism.


The full article is HERE.


With a PhD in Theoretical Linguistics from Essex University (Great Britain) in 1982, Professor Fatima Sadiqi is a recognized authority in Linguistics and Gender Studies, and her reputation extends worldwide.

Sadiqi has written 4 single-authored books, co-authored a further 6, edited 7 volumes, co-edited a further 3, and co-translated a book from Arabic into English. She has also published some 60 articles on Moroccan languages and Moroccan women’s issues. She is Editor-in-Chief of Languages and Linguistics, an international journal, and serves on the editorial board of the Gender and Language journal. She also regularly writes articles in Arabic and French for the mainstream newspapers in Morocco on language, women and culture.

Fatima Sadiqi has held Fulbright Visiting Scholars positions at 4 US universities, and has been serving as President Founder of the Centre for Studies and Research on Women, Director of the first graduate unit “Gender Studies”, and National Coordinator of SafetyNET Morocco. She has organized 6 international conferences on the following themes: feminist movements: origins and orientations, women and development, women and education, mediterranean Women (first and second editions), and the uses of technology to fight violence against women. She has also served on a wide variety of national and international committees.

Fatima Sadiqi lectures and writes in Arabic, Berber, French and English. Her present interests are Moroccan languages, especially Berber (Amazigh), and Moroccan Women's issues. She is currently writing a book on "Women, Islam and Language Ideology in Morocco".

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news