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1. Fighting to Exist: LGBTQ Organizations in the Maghreb

Author:
Matthew Jones
Publication Date:
03-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Harvard Journal of Middle Eastern Politics and Policy
Institution:
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Abstract:
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar brought renewed attention and increased dialogue to LGBTQ rights in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).[1] While much of the Western world has either provided legal protections for the community or, at the very least, decriminalized same-sex relations, this is not the case in most of the Islamic world. The region hosts most of the world’s restrictions concerning same-sex relations and gender expression. In the MENA, only Israel, Jordan, Turkey, and Bahrain have decriminalized same-sex relations. Despite no legal restrictions in these states, discrimination is still prevalent. Additionally, out of the eleven states that maintain the death penalty that could be applied to same-sex relations, five are in the MENA region. The remainder of MENA states impose sentences ranging from six months to life imprisonment.[2] Naturally, the primary goal of the LGBTQ civil society organizations in the region is to address the criminal status of same-sex relations. The following article addresses various LGBTQ civil society organizations in North Africa. The groups examined are not exhaustive of the activism in the region. Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco are essential cases used to examine the dynamics of LGBTQ activist groups. Each of the three states possesses some similarities, such as geographical location, majority Arab Muslim populations, and French colonial histories. Likewise, the punishments for committing same-sex acts are comparable. In Tunisia, convictions can result in a maximum sentence of three years. The same punishment is held in Morocco with an additional fine of up to 1000 Moroccan Dirham (approximately 100 USD).[3] Algeria maintains a slightly less severe punishment, with a maximum of two years imprisonment.[4] The leading distinction between each state is the restrictions placed upon groups by their respective governments.
Topic:
Civil Society, LGBT+, and Identity
Political Geography:
North Africa and Morocco

2. Participatory Interfaith Dialogue: The Keys to Addressing People’s Needs in Morocco

Author:
Yossef Ben-Meir
Publication Date:
03-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Harvard Journal of Middle Eastern Politics and Policy
Institution:
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Abstract:
Twenty-nine years ago, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer living in a mountainous High Atlas village called Amsouzerte, near the southern side of Morocco’s Toubkal National Park. Back then, the journey from the village to the nearest city center took almost 20 hours along unpaved roads and mountain passes. At the foot of a mountainside, fifty kilometers from Amsouzerte, I would sometimes catch sight of an old, white mausoleum that seemed misplaced among the earth-brick homes characteristic of rural Moroccan landscapes. Looking upon this eroding mountain area, I could envision huge swaths of terraces constructed above the mausoleum for the local Muslim community to build tree nurseries and derive generational benefits. Tree nurseries are very valuable for Moroccan farming communities because 70 percent of agricultural land[1] in the country generates only 10-15 percent of agricultural revenue. Fruit tree cultivation allows farming families to transition from less lucrative barley and corn crops and generate higher income.[2]
Topic:
Civil Society, Religion, Services, and Dialogue
Political Geography:
North Africa and Morocco

3. Civil Society & Political Transformations (Harvard Journal of Middle Eastern Politics and Policy, Fall 2021)

Author:
Ghazi Ghazi
Publication Date:
04-2022
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Harvard Journal of Middle Eastern Politics and Policy
Institution:
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Abstract:
Eleven years after the 2011 Arab Spring, feelings of transformation and change still reverberate throughout the region. The Spring 2022 edition, Civil Society and Political Transformations, seeks to illuminate how civil society organizations operate in the region and their effects on political transformations.
Topic:
Civil Society, Education, Human Rights, Migration, Politics, Race, History, Reform, Women, Constitution, Arab Spring, Syrian War, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Baath Party, and Peacebuilding
Political Geography:
Afghanistan, Iraq, South Asia, Turkey, Middle East, Israel, Libya, Yemen, Palestine, North Africa, Syria, Jordan, Morocco, and United Arab Emirates