Militant or sinner: Moroccans divided over drama series spotlighting female singers
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Loading... - Maria Laine
- 27 Jul 2022
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A Moroccan Ramadan series has divided Moroccans over "the relevance" in spotlighting a character of the so-called "Shikha," a Moroccan female performer of popular music.
Broadcasted on state TV, the drama series titled "Al-Maktoub" tells the story of two Moroccan families in the context of class disparities and family conflicts.
Moroccan actress Dounia Boutazout plays the character of a performer of popular music; "Shikha" in the Moroccan dialect.
The stigma around the profession of "Shikha," which is usually linked to a carefree lifestyle, for decades has been used to vilify Morocco women who opt to pursue a career as popular music performers in a conservative society, where even the right to work by women is still hotly debated.
The series depicts the journey of Boutazou's character and her daughter in challenging the stigma and fighting to prove that they are worthy of respect and dignity within a judgemental environment.
The drama series is not to the liking of many Moroccans, particularly religious scholars.
In a seminar earlier this month, Yassine El Omari, a Moroccan scholar, attacked the series' concept. He accused the creators of "Al-Maktoub" of trying to "normalise" the concept of "Shikha" and aiming "to destroy the values of the Moroccan family." Read More...
