Elected chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, Ahmed Raissouni launched a campaign against activists, defending individual freedom. The Moroccan Islamic jurist argued that these people «destroy families and marriages». On Saturday, February the 24th, in Rabat, Moroccan Islamic jurist Ahmed Raissouni was invited by the Movement for Unity and Reform (MUR), he presided between 1996 and 2003, to deliver a lecture on «families and Sharia law». The Chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, who is known for being close to Qatar, took the opportunity to warn against the negative consequences of civil liberties in Morocco and elsewhere, referring particularly to homosexuality, and consensual sex outside of marriage. The Muslim scholar called attendees not to underestimate the impacts of civil liberties and freedoms in the Kingdom. «A strong campaign is launched by organizations and countries to threaten the stability of families», wrote Arabic-language newspaper Al3omk, quoting Raissouni. To back his opinion, Raissouni, claimed that homosexuality has «its theorists». «It is now recognized as part of human rights. Homosexuals are currently a minority that benefits from the goodwill of the United Nations and Western States», he argued. Homosexuality and premarital sex Ahmed Raissouni devoted the second part of his lecture to premarital sex. «We have to fight against this practice because it destroys families and marriages», he said. «Premarital sex is no longer an individual attitude and behavior as it was in the past. It is a phenomenon and a calamity 'orchestrated' by social media and organizations (…) it is what researchers call nowadays human trafficking», he explained. Raissouni estimated that «risks came in the past from occupation, natural disasters and epidemics, but today families are exposed to many dangers that must be fought against», referring to civil rights activists. The president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars concluded his conference by praising the Moudawana in Morocco for defending families' rights. On the other hand, and according to his him, those in the West «rely on an individualistic philosophy.»
