On Sunday, the Acting Dean of the faculty of Islamic law in Fes banned a program organized by student organization Attajdid Attolabi, affiliated to the Movement of Unity and Reform which is close to the Justice and Development Party. Despite this refusal, the conferences were held during this week at the faculty.
On Monday, Islamist scholar Shaykh Nhari, who has been prevented from preaching since 2011 by the Moroccan authorities, chaired a conference on the «University and the question of ethical values» at the faculty in Fes, according to a Facebook post on the Attajdid Attolabi’s page.
The student organization’s section in Fes stated that the meeting «took place in a distinguished atmosphere that was marked by the excellent interactions of students who participated to the first day of the activities».
Students vs. the ban on their activities
On Tuesday, the student organization received Islamist scholar Jamila Ziyane, according to the same Facebook page which posted several photos and a video from the meeting. Meanwhile, the Facebook page reported that a third conference was held on Wednesday afternoon, and that it was chaired by Salafist scholar Adil Reffouch, who coheads the «Ibn Tachfine foundation for studies and research».
On Sunday, the student organization’s Fes section reacted to the decision of the Acting Dean, who banned the event. «We are surprised by the announcement of the acting Dean of the Faculty of Islamic law and the ban imposed on the activities scheduled from the 11th to the 13th of March», wrote the student organization in a communiqué.
The organization stressed on «students’ right to host cultural, educational and scientific activities within the faculty». Moreover, a march was held on Sunday to denounce the decision of the faculty’s Acting Dean.
This came as a reaction to the communiqué released by the dean, in which he banned a student activity chaired by Abdellah Nhari and Adil Reffouch. Reacting to the program put together by Attajdid Attolabi, the acting Dean said that this «activity is not authorized within the faculty» and that the university’s administration would «put the blame on anyone that intends to disturb the normal course of the institution», the same source said.