Amy Mek
Amid the woman’s soccer World Cup, the British media outlet BBC has issued an apology after one of its journalists questioned Moroccan player Ghizlane Chebbak concerning the condition of lesbians in Morocco, where homosexuality is illegal.
Morocco, a Muslim-majority country, is the first Arab nation to qualify for the World Cup faced a challenging start to the tournament, suffering a heavy defeat of 6-0 against Germany in their opening match. During a press conference, a BBC journalist asked Captain Ghizlane Chebbak about the situation of lesbian women in the kingdom, given that homosexuality is prohibited.
“In Morocco, it is illegal to have a homosexual relationship. Do you have any lesbian players on your team? How do they navigate life in Morocco?” inquired the BBC journalist, referring to Article 489 of the Moroccan Penal Code, which declares homosexuality as forbidden, punishable by six months to three years of imprisonment, and a fine of up to 1,000 Moroccan dirhams (equivalent to 92 euros).
The question caused bewilderment for Ghizlane Chebbak and her coach, Frenchman Reynald Pedros. The press service intervened, deeming the question “highly political.” “It’s not a political issue; please allow her to respond,” retorted the journalist. Nevertheless, the Moroccan team captain did not yield, and the press conference concluded after a final, more consensual question was asked.
The reaction to the question was one of indignation. According to Steph Yang, a journalist from The Athletic who was present at the conference and quoted by CNN, “certain members of the Moroccan media were visibly dismayed by the question.” Shireen Ahmed, a journalist from CBC Sports, regarded the question as “completely irrelevant.” She protested, stating, “Asking a player about her teammates’ homosexuality and its impact, when you know it is not allowed, is awkward and out of place. The captain cannot ‘out’ her players or comment on politics, which could also be dangerous for her.”
In a world where media is increasingly vocal about championing sexual diversity and freedom, the struggle for equality remains tragically grim for Morocco’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community. As the North African country, home to a 99% Muslim population, struggles with the heavy blanket of religious intolerance, the life of an LGBT individual oscillates between fear, discrimination, and social ostracism. The laws prohibiting same-sex activity underpin a broader societal attitude embedded in religious teachings, with homosexuality condemned as “a vile form of fornication” and subject to severe punishment, even death, under Sharia law.
The Quranic verses and Hadiths, central to Islamic teachings, provide an explicit view of the religion’s stance on homosexuality. Verses such as Quran (7:80-84) and Quran (7:81) condemn homosexual behavior, referring to it as an ‘abomination’ and a transgression beyond bounds. In countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other Muslim countries, these interpretations fuel laws that carry death penalties for homosexual behavior, an extreme manifestation of homophobia that is horrifying to many in the 21st century.
However, a disturbing reality continues to cast its shadow over this issue. Despite the emergence of more so-called liberal Muslim leaders in the West, there appears to be a disconnect between their alliances with social liberals supporting gay rights and any real action to alleviate the harsh conditions for homosexuals in Islamic countries. The incongruity between the global trend towards acceptance and the archaic laws in these nations raises a crucial question: when will the international community hold these countries accountable for their gross human rights violations? Until then, the hopes for equality and acceptance for Morocco’s LGBT community and those in similar situations worldwide remain a distant dream, while their reality continues to be a chilling nightmare.
Vlad Tepes
Media people are homocentric. They have ruined sports by injecting politics. The cause is many media peeps are buttclowns and perverts. Keep your perverted inclinations to yourself. Nobody gives a flying f*ck about that garbage. Play sports and leave politics out of it!
What right do you have to “hold another country” accountable? You don’t. So F off.
This article is very sympathetic to the LGBTQ positions. Not consistent with RAIR’s statement of beliefs. Not happy with your support of sexual deviancy and psychiatric illness (trans nonsense). We are to FIGHT sin, not celebrate it.
There is a fundamental difference between the attack on civilization using a communist hijacked set of sexual deviancies and resisting it and exposing it for what it is, which I think RAIR has done an excellent job of doing, and wanting a sharia solution for it.
Islam would see all non-straight people tortured, imprisoned or killed. We do not, and cannot support that.
Not wanting an ideology to destroy you, is not the same as wanting the people who identify with it murdered. We resist any and all attacks on Western Civilization and the American constitutional rule of law. And that rule of law means equality before it for all.
Don’t forget, the BBC(British Buttclown Commies) had a recent sex pervert pedo in the news. Then the story disappeared. Same thing happens to CNN. Fox had one too. All the homopedo kiddie-cornholer stories get memory-holed. I haven’t had a tv in decades. Quit movies in 1986. It is 99% BS. These TV and film people expect the starstruck peons to worship them as demigods. They are sick degenerates, and perverts. Don’t spend money with them, they hate you. They are oikophobic and disgusting.