In a recent interview given to Nessma TV (video underneath), leading Moroccan activist and social worker Aicha Ech Chenna said that “currently in Morocco, on a daily basis, 100 babies are born out of marriage.”
The leading activist went on further to say that “newborns out of wedlock represent currently 11.46% of childbirths in Morocco.”
“In the horizon 2030, 50% of Morocco’s childbirths will be born out of wedlock,” Ech Chenna noted further.
Aicha Ech Chenna, who has won the Opus Prize, arguably the American version of the Noble Prize, added that “the only solution to this should go through the fathers of the newborns taking responsibility as well.”
“Nowadays there are many ways to pinpoint to the real fathers, who most of the time, even though identified by the unwed mothers, refute their fatherhood.”
According to the leading activist, “unmarried mothers are often shunned from their communities while the fathers run away.”
“Today there is the DNA test to recognize a child’s father. Yet, it is very unfortunate to know that in the Muslim tradition, which has come up 14 centuries ago with a science similar to the nowadays DNA test, called “The Science of Al Qifae,” we are not using yet such tests.”
“Back -then, in the early stages of Islam, precisely in prophet Mohammed’s era, peace be upon him, an expert used to draw, based on the facial characteristics of the unwed mom and the baby, how his dad may look like. The drawings were then used by the authorities to recognize the father and force him to take responsibility.”
It is worth reminding that extramarital sex in Morocco is on paper punishable by imprisonment, though the Moroccan authorities keep a closed eye on such cases.
The Moroccan Times.
