A prominent Moroccan feminist activist has been arrested after posting a photograph of herself wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “Allah is a lesbian” — sparking a fierce debate on free speech, blasphemy laws, and women’s rights.
Ibtissame “Betty” Lachgar, 50, was taken into custody on Sunday (10 August) and now faces up to two years in prison if convicted of violating Morocco’s blasphemy laws. The arrest follows a social media post in which she wore the black T-shirt alongside a message condemning religious ideologies.
“In Morocco, I walk around with T-shirts bearing messages against religions, Islam, etc. You tire us with your sanctimoniousness, your accusations,” she wrote on X, as reported by LBC. “Yes, Islam, like any religious ideology, is FASCIST. PHALLOCRATIC AND MISOGYNISTIC.”
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Rabat Court of First Instance, the post contained “phrases offensive to the divine” and a caption “insulting Islam.” Officials confirmed that she was placed in police custody “due to the urgency of the matter” while an investigation is conducted.
Former Moroccan Minister of Justice Mustapha Ramid publicly condemned the post, insisting there should be “zero tolerance” for insults aimed at religion and pointing to Article 267.5 of the Penal Code, which criminalises such speech. The law, tied to the country’s constitutional protections for its “unifying constants,” carries penalties of six months to two years in prison, along with potential fines.
Lachgar, co-founder of the Mouvement alternatif pour les libertés individuelles (MALI), has long campaigned for civil liberties, LGBTQ+ rights, and action against male violence. Following her arrest, she claimed she had received “thousands of sexist insults, rape and death threats, calls for murder, stoning, etc” in response to the controversial shirt.
Her detention has drawn international criticism, with British campaigners demanding her release. Lisa-Marie Taylor, CEO of the UK-based feminist charity FiLiA, told the National Secular Society (NSS): “We are proud to platform women who speak truth to power — including those who challenge and criticise religion — because this is, fundamentally, a feminist issue. Silencing women for ‘blasphemy’ is a violation of their human rights and an attack on women’s freedom to think, speak, and live without fear.”
Megan Manson, head of campaigns at the NSS, echoed the call, saying: “Blasphemy laws have no place anywhere. Freedom of expression must include freedom to criticise religion – even when that means offending religious sentiments. We call for Lachgar to be immediately released without charge and for Morocco to put an end to its draconian blasphemy laws.”
The Moroccan government has not issued a further statement beyond confirming the charges, but the case is likely to intensify the ongoing clash between advocates of religious protections and defenders of unrestricted free speech.
If convicted, Lachgar could become one of the highest-profile figures in recent years to be jailed under Morocco’s blasphemy laws, which remain among the strictest in the region.