Mustapha Ramid's controversial comments on homosexuals have made their way to the House of Representatives. The Minister of State for Human Rights defended himself for calling homosexuals «scum» claiming that they are not discriminated against. After calling Homosexuals «Awsakh» (scum or dirt in English) during a press briefing held on the 26th of September at the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco in Rabat to review the «national mechanisms for the protection against torture in North Africa», the Minister of State for Human Rights is trying to retract. On Tuesday, 7th of November, and during a session at the House of Representatives dedicated to discuss the budget of his department, Mustapha Ramid denied having insulted homosexuals in Morocco, reports Alyaoum24 and Mouwatin online newspapers. However, on October the 17th, the Minister of State published on his Facebook account a post clearly stating that homosexuals are «dirt». «Gays and lesbians are not discriminated against» Defending himself, Ramid explained, according to him, how the Moroccan law condemns only «the act of homosexuality», said Alyaoum24. The Minister of Sate argued that the strict application of Article 489 of the Criminal Code by various courts in the Kingdom shouldn't be considered as an act of discriminating against members of the LGBT community. More than that, he added saying that the Moroccan legislator «guarantees all other freedoms» to gays and lesbians. In his speech at the House of Representatives, the Minister of State for Human Rights reiterated that «it is the act that is condemned and not the person». Article 489 of the Criminal Code states that «anyone who commits an immodest or unnatural act with a person of the same sex shall be punished with imprisonment ranging from six months to three years and fined from 120 to 1,000 Moroccan dirhams, unless the fact constitutes a more serious offense».
