On September 3, 2025, the Public Prosecutor of Rabat ordered the arrest of Moroccan activist Ibtissame Lachgar for posting a photograph of herself wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan “الله is lesbian (Allah is lesbian).” While the case was initially portrayed by the media as an act of repression against the LGBTQ+ community, it is legally grounded in the violation of Moroccan laws protecting religious sentiment. The judicial action, therefore, did not target the restriction of individual freedoms but rather the safeguarding of religious principles protected by criminal law and by legislation on press and electronic communications. Lachgar was sentenced to thirty months’ imprisonment and fined 50,000 dirhams, having been found guilty of offending Islam under Article 267-5 of the Moroccan Penal Code, which punishes any act that undermines the Islamic religion, with harsher penalties for public dissemination. From a theological perspective, the activist’s conduct is further aggravated by attributing to God an attribute foreign to the 99 divine names recognized in Islam, thereby violating the principle of tawḥīd, the unity and uniqueness of God — a cornerstone of Islamic monotheism. The Lachgar case thus invites reflection on the balance between freedom of expression and the protection of the sacred within legal systems inspired by Shari’a, highlighting how, in the Kingdom of Morocco, the defense of religious sentiment remains a paramount legal value not susceptible to public provocation or offense.
Il 3 settembre 2025 la Procura del Re di Rabat ha disposto l’arresto dell’attivista marocchina Ibtissame Lachgar per aver pubblicato una fotografia in cui indossava una maglietta con la scritta “الله is lesbian (Allah è lesbica)”. L’episodio, inizialmente interpretato dai media come una manifestazione di repressione contro la comunità LGBTQ+, trova invece fondamento giuridico nella violazione delle norme marocchine poste a tutela del sentimento religioso. L’analisi del caso rivela che l’intervento dell’autorità giudiziaria non ha avuto per oggetto la limitazione delle libertà individuali, bensì la salvaguardia dei principi religiosi tutelati dal diritto penale e dalla legislazione in materia di stampa e comunicazione elettronica. Condannata a trenta mesi di reclusione e al pagamento di una multa, la Lachgar è stata ritenuta responsabile di offesa all’Islam ai sensi dell’art. 267-5 del codice penale marocchino, che punisce chiunque attenti alla religione islamica, aggravando la pena in caso di diffusione pubblica del messaggio. Sotto il profilo teologico, la condotta dell’attivista assume ulteriore gravità per l’attribuzione a Dio di un attributo estraneo ai 99 nomi divini riconosciuti dall’Islam, violando il principio del tawḥīd, cardine del monoteismo islamico. Il caso Lachgar, pertanto, sollecita una riflessione sul bilanciamento tra libertà di espressione e tutela del sacro negli ordinamenti ispirati alla Shari’a, evidenziando come nel Regno del Marocco la difesa del sentimento religioso resti un valore giuridico preminente e non permeabile a forme di provocazione o offesa pubblica
Marocco, attivista LGBTQ+ condannata per blasfemia e per offesa della religione islamica
vasco fronzoni
2025-01-01
Abstract
On September 3, 2025, the Public Prosecutor of Rabat ordered the arrest of Moroccan activist Ibtissame Lachgar for posting a photograph of herself wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan “الله is lesbian (Allah is lesbian).” While the case was initially portrayed by the media as an act of repression against the LGBTQ+ community, it is legally grounded in the violation of Moroccan laws protecting religious sentiment. The judicial action, therefore, did not target the restriction of individual freedoms but rather the safeguarding of religious principles protected by criminal law and by legislation on press and electronic communications. Lachgar was sentenced to thirty months’ imprisonment and fined 50,000 dirhams, having been found guilty of offending Islam under Article 267-5 of the Moroccan Penal Code, which punishes any act that undermines the Islamic religion, with harsher penalties for public dissemination. From a theological perspective, the activist’s conduct is further aggravated by attributing to God an attribute foreign to the 99 divine names recognized in Islam, thereby violating the principle of tawḥīd, the unity and uniqueness of God — a cornerstone of Islamic monotheism. The Lachgar case thus invites reflection on the balance between freedom of expression and the protection of the sacred within legal systems inspired by Shari’a, highlighting how, in the Kingdom of Morocco, the defense of religious sentiment remains a paramount legal value not susceptible to public provocation or offense.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
