I spent about a week in Morocco in December. I was there from the 21st till the 27th; 2 nights in Fez, 2 more nights in Casablanca and 3 nights in Marrakech. I frankly found Fez a little boring, a relatively old town stepping into modernisation with the recent campaigns by King Muhammad VI. Casablanca, I somehow had some major expectations but it fell drastically short of my expectation. It no doubt has some amazing views of the Atlantic with some memorable and inspiring sunsets but in terms of nightlife it was horrid and plain flaccid.
Then came Marrakech, a gem on the continent. A lively tale that rivals any emotion bestowed upon me by any song or movie, a feeling that rivals any natural human pleasure. Over the course of my stay in a Riad, some 3 minutes away from Djemma el Fina (the famous Marrakech bazaar), I had witnessed moments that seem surprisingly felt all too familiar to me. The interior of the Riad was a stunning work of art and the inns keepers of the Riad were simply wonderful, a German named Hans and a Berber named Hassan; two lively gentlemen who never felt short of being the perfect hosts constantly filling us with advice and the ways of the Moroccan culture.
My first night was spent in Djemma el Fina where the hustle and bustle of the square coupled with the myriad of delicacies was simply astounding. Though I must say couscous isn’t the most delectable thing after 2 servings, it gets relatively dull after a couple of spoonfuls but the Tajines never fell short. My second night was spent at Comptoir Darna, a lounge off the main roads of the Kasbah. It was simply the high point in my journey; the lovely décor, the intoxicating ambience, the beautiful people and the astounding desserts blew me down. I would be willing to go to Marrakech again just to be in Comptoir one more time. My last day was spent in the Ourika valley, exploring the hilltops, a cascade and having a very intellectual discussion with my guide.
Another thing that struck me greatly is the Berber culture. Natives of Morocco, they generally are a agrarian like society tending to sheep and other agricultural produce but what struck me the most about the Berber culture is the hierarchy of the family. It’s a matriarchal society. And by this I mean, the women are the leaders of the family.
I have always held on to the belief that women through the course of time have been emancipated in society by men; the reference of supernatural deities as men has watered down their role in society to mere second class citizens. The use of religion as a means of spreading patriarchy has significantly reduced the role of women in society if not placed them at a backseat. Some major monotheistic religions, have completely degenerated the role of women, nullifying and even vilifying them, curtailing their fundamental rights.
What many do not seem to realise is the relative importance women plays in society and more so the gift that they are bestowed with; the gift of creating life. Women have been an important medium in the raising of a child, women have been the very spark that keeps a family going through nourishment and sustenance. Women have played a pivotal role in the family organisation and women have certainly played an essential role in providing variation and distinction to society.
The use of religious metaphors has only subconsciously moulded their minds to believe that they are far weaker than men when in truth I believe women should be at the forefront of global politics and other organisations. Lets for a minute consider the various examples major religions indoctrinating women on their supposed "position" in society.
The abnegation of women from taking part in the Christian Eucharist is a fine example of this. The reasoning by the Catholic Church is that women can sometimes be ‘unclean’ due to their menstruation cycle. This reasoning is an absolute hogwash, a joke of the highest level and a contradiction to the teachings of Jesus. Jesus himself always made it a point to detail to his disciples that one should ever judge another. Furthermore, I frankly do not see anything wrong or ‘unclean’ with a menstruation cycle. In fact, I see all the beauty in it, for it is the very symbol of a woman’s fertility and a reflection of the gift of childbirth; incidentally a gift none of the cardinals or popes will ever have.
Judaism was quick to detail with the Story of Creation, of the creation of women ‘out of’ a man’s rib bone. And then further annihilates their importance by blaming the fall of humanity on Eve for eating the apple. I praise Eve for being the smarter of the two, actually defying an ego maniac like God and reaching out for the Apple, reaching out for Knowledge, which incidentally happens to be something God was against for God himself knew that if mankind had knowledge they would finally realise he didn’t actually exist.
Islam in Chapter 4, verse 34 of the Qu’ran and I quote from the Dawood English Version:-
“Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them. Then if they obey you, take no further action against them. Surely God is high, supreme.”
I think such a statement speaks for itself without any comment on my part. Muslims tend to tell me "Well, you shouldn't take it literally" - yet even if wife beating wasn’t implied by the Qu’ran, the general and covert line of patriarchal superiority still exists no matter how “non-literal” you look at this text. Furthermore, I frankly do not believe in looking at religious texts from any other perspective besides the literal sense. Why should I? If indeed these messages came from God, I think he would have been literal, direct and clear about what he was saying.
What bothers me is that how women prior to the establishment of monotheism have received a great deal of support and respect. The Babylonian culture has immense adherence to the power of women and have dedicated the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the beauty and fertility of womanhood; whilst women goddess such as Gaya and Ishtar have played a pivotal role in the pre-Judeo-Christian era in creating a realisation of the uniqueness and importance of women in society. People fail to realise that emancipation of women do nothing good, imagine the possibilities of filling the myriad of jobs if women were to be given recognition, this incidentally provides a great degree of employment surpluses allowing for the possibility of an immense increase in standard of living.
I can only hope that the world begins to open itself to accepting women and by this I mean women themselves accepting themselves and understanding their uniqueness and gift to society. I think it’s about time we looked at the natives of Morocco, the Berbers for more guidance on the crucial role of women.
