The Africa Cup, the African Women’s Continental Football Championship in Morocco in July was a complete success for the hosts. After 22 years in which no Moroccan women’s team had qualified for the tournament, this time they even managed to reach the final against South Africa. Although they lost 2-1 there, their place in the semi-finals alone secured them a participation in the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. A reason to celebrate.
But not everyone joined in the jubilation. Islamic preacher Hamza Elkhaldi branded women’s football “undoubtedly forbidden” because the sportswear was “unacceptable” for Muslim women. He also said that the country’s hosting of the tournament was already a grave sin, as was the televising of the matches and just watching. On Facebook, Elkhaldi wrote that spectators at women’s football were “without a doubt” sinners and called on them to repent.
The alleged grave consequences of the sinful activity were already evident in the country, the preacher further claimed. For example, he said, the success of the Moroccan women footballers had triggered natural disasters, such as the forest fires in the north of the country.
At the time of the crucial matches in the tournament, at the end of July, widespread devastating forest fires were raging in Morocco, intensified by fierce winds. As reported by Reuters news agency, fires around the towns of Larache, Ouazzane, Taza and Tetouane devastated more than 2,000 hectares of forest. More than a thousand households have been evacuated from the towns and at least one person has died, according to the authorities.
https://www.pi-news.net/2022/08/islamprediger-verurteilt-frauenfussball-als-grund-fuer-waldbraende/