Prominent Moroccan feminist Ibtissam "Betty" Lachgar was arrested by the kingdom's Judicial Police Aug. 10 after posting a photo of herself on X (Twitter [9]) wearing a t-shirt with the word for God in Arabic (Allah) followed by the English words: "is a lesbian." This reference to the international feminist catchphrase "God is a lesbian" won her "blasphemy" charges from the Rabat prosecutor's office. The charge carries penalties ranging from six months to two years' imprisonment or a fine of up to 200,000 dirhams (approximately $20,000). The penalty can be increased to five years if the offense is committed publicly or electronically.
The post was immediately met with torrent of angry responses, with one writing that she "belongs in jail." But Lachgar doubled down on her statement with a follow-up comment reading in French: "Islam, like any religious ideology, is fascist, phallocratic and misogynistic."
A clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, Lachgar is a founder of the Alternative Movement for Individual Liberties (MALI), which advocates for reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and secularism. (Morocco World News [11], Middle East Online [12], The New Arab [13])
