Moroccan magazine sparks outrage: ‘Shall we burn homos?’
By Will Stroude
A Moroccan magazine has sparked outrage internationally after asking its readers whether homosexuals should be burnt.
The cover of the latest issue of Marco Hebdo decpists two men sitting poolside, alongside the headline “Shall we burn the homos?” IB Times reports.
The sub-heading reads: “Sure, it’s an individual right. But what about moral and religious values?”
The cover comes as a response to a recent report by the Moroccan Health Ministry which called for the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the country, where same-sex sexual activity is punishable with up to three years in jail.
The ministry said decriminalisation would help combat sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, as members of the LGBT would feel less afraid to seek treatment.
Maroc Hebdo is notorious for courting controversy; previously running an issue which described the issue of Sub-Saharan immigration “The black danger”.
The latest issue comes just weeks after three men were reportedly jailed in Morocco after being found guilty of same-sex sexual activity, and two French activists were expelled after staging a topless kissing protest outside an historic religious site.
Article 489 of the conservative Muslin nation’s penal code states that any one found guilty of carrying out “a deviant act with a person of the same sex” can be jailed for between six months and three years or issued with a fine.
Last year, British man Ray Cole was arrested and sentenced to four months in prison after explicit images were found on his phone by Moroccan authorities.
Cole was later released from prison after his family lodged an appeal, describing the experience as “hell on Earth”.
More stories:
80% of gay black men have experienced racism on the gay scene
Nick Jonas rescues Pride after Iggy Azalea exit