In Morocco , Being Raped Is Not The End Of The Story !!!!!

Just a couple of days ago, a little girl was happily playing in her neighborhood away from the hustle and bustle of the city, peacefully absorbed in her own imaginary little world.

A few hours later, she is laying in a hospital, her face completely cut and deformed by about fifty stitches, an almost-lost right eye, a right hand and a left leg chopped off mercilessly.

The girl tried to fight back as hard as she could, the man who was about to rape her decided to weaken her with blows of sickle before the brother of the latter intervened and called the police.

“It’s okay though”, reassures the local Newspaper Al Massae, “it was only a rape attempt, the girls is still a virgin”.

So here is how we think: it’s okay if a little girl is a victim of physical abuse, it’s okay if she is a victim of a life-time trauma, it is no big deal at all if she loses her eyes, legs, hands or even gets handicapped for the rest of her life, but as long as she keeps that valuable hymenal membrane that would save her honor and that of her family, we’re fine.

And of course, the “alleged rapist” is still out there, enjoying the false impression of security that the Moroccan authorities display, the fresh and invigorating sense of freedom after having committed such a horrendous crime.

About a year ago, a 16-year-old girl called Amina Filali committed suicide. Why? She received the same treatment, yet in a different way. After having been raped and losing her virginity, her family, to protect her from the “hchouma” (shame), forced her to marry her rapist, as deemed acceptable by Article 475 of the Moroccan Penal code. This article states that a rapist, in order to avoid charges, is entitled to marry his victim.

About a year ago, a 16-year-old girl called Amina Filali committed suicide. Why? She received the same treatment, yet in a different way. After having been raped and losing her virginity, her family, to protect her from the “hchouma” (shame), forced her to marry her rapist, as deemed acceptable by Article 475 of the Moroccan Penal code. This article states that a rapist, in order to avoid charges, is entitled to marry his victim.

During their marriage Amina would be physically and sexually abused; but now it is legal and permitted under the legitimacy of law.

In a country where a little girl’s voice is nothing but oppressed, unheard and disregarded, there is only one way out: to end one’s life. “Then, perhaps, would they hear me…”, or at least would they care to pay for your sepulture.

We never ask these girls for their say, we never ask what they feel like, we never ask what they want. We remain silent, as if it was something taboo to talk about, something we should whisper and mumble in the corner of the ear, something we should not bring about in presence of the concerned, something that is nothing more but a shame, to her, to us.

We pretend to endorse her own feelings, we pretend to conceal her from something she was never responsible for, to protect her from the “what would other people say?” questions. We pretend to know what it feels like, we pretend that it’s not her fault…

Of course! Whose fault is it? The rapist? No, this is too much of an easy answer. Come on, of course it’s HER fault. It is her fault for having gone out in “rape material” outfit. Yes, a 7-year old girl innocently wearing a robe has decided to go about attracting sexual harassers. She woke up that one day, sick of the lack of tenderness and love she receives at home, and decides that now is the time for her to get attention outside, whether it is rape or physical abuse. Oh man!, it’s still attention.

People don’t go around asking men why they wore a shirt and shorts, or blaming them for having been touched or sexually harassed in the streets. In Morocco, they won’t have been. These lavish and pestiferous accusations are only pointed at women. It is only women who must be the ones responsible for their own faith, their own behaviour. Under the banner of ‘Women’s Rights’ speculations, and to keep an obedient and pseudo-content society, it is flagrantly implicit that women are sexual objects, lascivious flesh and meat that a man unwillingly succumbs to, for  he simply abides by his primitive instincts.

A woman therefore has no feelings, no humanity, nor dignity. It serves the one purpose of easing an urge. By force? It doesn’t matter.