#Civil Rights
Target:
Europe
Region:
GLOBAL

Kacem is a Moroccan blogger, theatrical performer, author and high school student. He is interested in issues related to human rights, and what he calls non-religious minorities and the capricious weather. He is founder and executive member of the Association of Moroccan Bloggers.

MARCH 14, 2010

Facebook Removes Moroccan Secularist Group and its Founder Kacem El Ghazzali

http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2010/03/14/facebook-removes-moroccan-atheist-group-and-its-founder/

Nawaat.org article about this case and others in the article:

The Risk of Facebook Activism in the New Arab Public Sphere

http://nawaat.org/portail/2010/03/15/the-risk-of-facebook-activism-in-the-new-arab-public-sphere/

Readwriteweb article about how Facebook policy makes harassment possible

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebooks_new_policies_make_harrassment_easy.php

SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 - Death threats

"I have received two messages on my Facebook inbox, in the first message, the sender threatened of slaughtering me like sheep being slain! in the second message titled ” an appointment” , the sender says to me : “we shall meet at Elhajeb where murdering you is going to take a place!” Elhajeb, however, 15 km away from my village, is the nearest place which i often go to every now and then! This points out that the terrorist exerted extra efforts to find out my location!"

On September 3, 2010 Kacem El Ghazzali received several very specific death threats in his Facebook inbox as a result of his religious beliefs. Kacem was physically attacked by Islamic fundamentalists in his school because of blog posts and comments he made during an interview with France 24. In the interview, Kacem discussed the struggles he and other atheists in his country face.

Kacem is now unable to attend school, after having been both verbally and physically attacked by his classmates and the school director. On top of this Kacem has been criticized by a local imam at the main mosque in his village and his address is known in broad fundamentalist Islamic circles.

Kacem El Ghazzali now lives in effective isolation, unable to leave his home in fear of his safety. Many of his friends and family members now refrain from speaking to him and he can not ask the authorities for help as Moroccan criminal law article 220 provides for imprisonment of three months to three years for those who attack the faith.

France 24: Moroccan Atheist Blogger Receives death threats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWGF9XNhYiI

The original post from personal blog of Kacem El Ghazzali

http://bahmut.blogspot.com/2010/09/threat-of-murdering.html

Readwriteweb.com

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/moroccan_blogger_receives_death_threats_this_week.php

Cyberdissidents.org

http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=474&q=3&s=25

http://www.cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=491&q=3&s=25

http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/content.cgi?ID=491&q=3

GlobalVoices Advocacy

http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2010/09/10/morocco-blogger-receives-death-threats/

SEPTEMBER 30, 2010

Kacem El Ghazzali receives a phone call by Mr. Said Benjebli, President of the Moroccan Bloggers' Association MBA. He is asked to withdraw in silence from the association because of what they considered as an article offensive to the prophet Mohammad published Kacem's blog. Kacem refuses to do so - Read full statement from Kacem here: http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?id=100001369945957&s=10#!/note.php?note_id=164487233563906

NOVEMBER 26, 2010

Kacem El Ghazzali receives another message in his Facebook inbox. This time from Hicham Bougrine, president of the ''le sionisme musulman fondamentaliste politique'' movement. He say (among other things):

"God willing, our appointment in the Court, and we have a large trust in the Moroccan judiciary, because what you say about us as Muslims and our religion has exceeded the framework of freedom of expression, but is desperate Moroccans Muslims against us but against the desperate belief that the rule established by the ''Emirate of menin'', skepticism is unacceptable and sinful against the Prince of menin our king God save him"

As you can see, we're running out of time here. They are preparing to drag this boy to court.

Read the complete mail here

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001212577586#!/photo.php?fbid=136281746427489&set=a.106427802746217.17873.100001369945957

Le sionisme musulman fondamentaliste politique

http://lesioniste.blogspot.com/

Hicham Bougrine

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001212577586

CURRENT STATUS - November 26, 2010

Kacem still lives isolated in hiding

and his situation have not improved

RELATED INFORMATION & SOURCES

Articles published by Kacem on Talk Morocco

http://www.talkmorocco.net/articles/author/kacem-el-ghazzali/

Non religious Video - Kacem El Ghazzali

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5elXOD2FnE

Personal blog - Kacem El Ghazzali

http://bahmut.blogspot.com/

Kacem El Ghazzali's Facebook profile

http://www.facebook.com/kacem.gerr

CyberDissident Database - In depth interview with Kacem El Ghazzali

http://cyberdissidents.org/bin/dissidents.cgi?id=130&c=MA

Asylum in a secular country for Kacem El Ghazzali

Online petition started by Anti-Sharia4Europe in Belgium

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/40189.html

VIDEOS POSTED BY KACEM EL GHAZZALI

Non religious Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5elXOD2FnE

My message to Muslims - A short video appeal after receiving the threats

http://bahmut.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-message-to-muslims.html

Kacem El Ghazzali is a Moroccan blogger, theatrical performer, author and student. He is interested in issues related to human rights, and what he calls non-religious minorities and the capricious weather.

He is founder and executive member of the Association of Moroccan Bloggers.

At this moment (january 2012) Kacem El Ghazzali is still in Zurich (Switzerland), the procedure of his asylum is not finished yet but that's just a matter of time. I hope this petition will make a difference, and Kacem and his friends would like to thank all the people who signed it and still do ...

The Asylum in a secular country for Kacem El Ghazzali ! petition to Europe was written by Danny Vermeyen and is in the category Civil Rights at GoPetition.