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Marriage laws test Islamist government in Morocco

Women’s groups, human rights organizations, progressive politicians and millions of Western-oriented citizens in Morocco demand modernization of an Islamist law that protects an alleged rapist if he marries his victim, following the suicide of a teenage girl. Read related article.

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March 16, 2012

Zohra el-Filali — the mother of Amina el-Filali, who committed suicide — shows a picture of her daughter at their family house in Khmis Sahel near Larache northern Morocco. Amina el-Filali drank rat poison after being forced to marry the man who allegedly raped her at age 15. In Morocco, as in many Middle East societies, a rapist can escape prosecution if he marries his victim, thereby restoring the honor of his victim and her family. The legal system in Morocco supports this tradition, but activists are pressing for change.

Abdeljalil Bounhar / AP

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