Morocco’s Islamist party disrespects Al-Houaz quake dead

LONDON - Secretary General of the Islamist Justice and Development Party and former Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane linked last month’s powerful earthquake to the “sins” committed by Moroccans, in disrespect to the almost 3,000 lives that perished mostly in the High Atlas mountains.

The PJD’s statement insinuated that the Al-Houaz earthquake was a divine punishment in response to the sins committed by all Moroccans.

“We must return to God Almighty so that he may heal our wounds and compensate us for this catastrophe with good, but we must also return to God, because everything that happens to a person is a warning, and the righteous is to reconsider ourselves as Umma,” he said the statement signed by Benkirane on Saturday.

The Islamist party also mentioned what they considered to be a “capital sin” in reference to the alleged falsification of the 2021 legislative elections which ended their ten-year rule.

“We should also seek to know if what happened is due to our sins and transgressions, not only in their individual sense, but in their general and political sense, because the question posed does not only concern individual violations, but rather sins, transgressions and violations in the political sense, and those found in political life in general, elections, responsibilities, public management and others,” it added.

Abdelkader Amara, former minister of equipment tendered his resignation from all authorities of the PJD following the controversial statement that has triggered anger against the Islamist party on social networks.