A heated war of words has erupted between former Justice Minister Mustafa Ramid and ex-president of the Bar Associations’ Union Abderrahim Jamai over the case of activist Ibtissam Lachgar, who is facing trial for “insulting the divine being.”
The dispute began after Lachgar was photographed wearing a T-shirt linking God to homosexuality, an image that sparked outrage among many conservatives.
Ramid, posting on Facebook, called for legal action against her. Jamai shot back in an open letter, accusing the former minister of using the language of threats, inciting hostility, and encouraging “street judges” to target her instead of allowing formal courts to decide her fate.
Jamai said that Ramid’s post went beyond disagreement and crossed into dangerous territory, saying it could provoke violence.
Jamai reminded Ramid of his past as head of the Public Prosecution and accused him of using his freedom of speech to suppress someone else’s.
Ramid fired back almost immediately, saying jamai himself was guilty of incitement, this time against the faith of over a billion Muslims.
Ramid said describing God with such language was not a matter of personal opinion but a direct and unacceptable insult to the divine, something that, under Morocco’s constitution, strikes at one of the nation’s core religious principles.
Ramid said that he was acting as a citizen, not imposing religious authority, when he alerted the authorities.
Ramid rejected Jamai’s claim that legal steps should have replaced his public call, insisting the law doesn’t allow private citizens to file civil claims in such cases unless they are personally harmed.
Ramid had criticized Lachgar’s act in a Facebook post, saying: “I’m not one to support excessive scrutiny or witch hunts… but this was not a slip of the tongue or accidental expression, it was a deliberate, premeditated insult to the divine.”
Ramid added that Morocco has laws and institutions to protect sacred beliefs, and tolerance is not due to those who knowingly choose to defame.
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