First Independent Mena Newspaper
Today, October 7, about 16 million Moroccans head to the polls to pick their parliament representatives in a ballot that will lead to the formation of a new government. Moroccan authorities have pledged to guarantee that these parliamentary elections would be transparent and credible to consolidate the democratic process and establish strong institutions. Ahead of […]
In previous elections, the Justice and Development Party (PJD) has been banking on the integrity and chastity of its members to win votes and enlarge its support base. To the misfortune of the party, the 2016 parliamentary election bodes ill on the backdrop of a series of sex scandals involving senior party leaders. First, two […]
Morocco’s parliamentary elections approach on October 7 in a climate marked by fierce rivalry between the two main contending parties: the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) and the Secular Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM). This de facto polarization of the Moroccan partisan scene is manifested in the speculations on future coalitions led either […]
Some 40,000 people flocked Sunday to Casablanca to participate in a demonstration against the “Islamization” of the State and the instrumentalization of Islam in politics. The demonstration, reportedly organized through social networks, raised controversy in the e-media and social networks. As the organization of the demonstration was not claimed by any side, and as it […]
The shocking revelations of extra-marital affair of two leading members of the religious movement of “Unification and Reform,” close to the ruling Islamist party (PJD) in Morocco, are fueling a widespread public anger and mistrust towards sanctimonious people and lesson-givers. The two leaders involved in the sex-scandal are Moulay Omar Benhamad (religious scholar, married with […]
As foreign policy debates heat up in the American 2016 presidential election campaign, Republican candidate Donald Trump has taken aim at rival Hillary Clinton accusing her of supporting Islamist parties in North Africa, including Morocco’s ruling Justice and Development Party (PJD.) Nobody doubts Donald Trump’s anti-Islam sentiment and everybody knows that the Republican candidate does […]
A Moroccan Human rights NGO, the Association for Human Rights Defense (ADDH,) has sued lawmaker Amina Maelainine from the ruling Justice and Development Party (PJD) for terrorism apology. The lawmaker had openly endorsed extremist comments made by member of her party’s youth league, Omar Senhaji, reports say. Omar Senhaji had raised an uproar after he […]
The long awaited-for organic draft law on the implementation of the official character of Amazigh provides for a set of measures to be adopted gradually, among which the use of the language in bank notes, postal stamps and other official documents delivered by the state. The draft law was recently submitted to the PJD-led cabinet […]
Moroccan parliamentarian women from all political stripes Monday introduced a request demanding a better representation of women, at least one third of the parliament seats for the coming 2016 legislatives. Women lawmakers from the parties forming the governmental coalition and the opposition met with Interior Minister Mohamed Hassad and Junior Interior Minister Charik Draiss to […]
The invitation extended by a Moroccan association to a controversial Islamic scholar from Saudi Arabia to visit Morocco has caused concerns amongst different organizations, thinkers, analysts and large layers of society over his anti-Shia, anti-Sufi and extremist stances. The infamous cleric, Mohammad al-Arifi, was also unwelcome because of his repeated calls for jihad, holy war, […]