Each of the following questions and activities are designed to stimulate discussion and action in classrooms at both high school and university levels, and in your community.
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Women’s rights, in family law and in civil law, are raised in the profile of Morocco. Explore the challenges of reconciling traditional value systems with secular or modern legal values.
• When are these values in conflict, and when are they in harmony?
• What are participants’ views of secular vs. religious laws?
• How can these competing forces be resolved?
• In a modern religious society such as Morocco, where is the “line” between
personal religious practice and the role of the government?
• Examine other controversial secular/religious issues, such as abortion, the teaching
of creationism vs. evolution in science curricula, countries where female circumcision
is practiced, or countries that apply strict religious laws of vengeance such as
amputation for criminals.
Moroccan independence leaders in the 1960s deliberately pushed aside demands for women’s rights, because they did not want to distract the country from their cause.
• Given the social and political realities in the country at the time, was this a prudent
decision, or could women’s issues have been tied to other political causes?
• How does a broad-based democracy movement establish priorities when there are
numerous important issues to address?
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