A picture depicting a woman sitting in a chair in a Zawiya – a religious school – without a headscarf has sparked significant controversy over the weekend, as Moroccan social media users accused the woman of not respecting the sanctity of the religious premise.
The picture was reposted online today with social media users claiming that the woman unrightfully sat on a Minbar – the pulpit from which the sermon (khutbah) is delivered – without wearing a headscarf, which is a prerequisite for women when entering a mosque in Islam.
A source told Morocco World News that the picture does not depict a mosque, but rather the Sidi Abdelkader Fassi Fihri Zawiya, a religious school whose architecture widely resembles that of a mosque.
Also known as Zawiya al-Fassiya, the Sidi Abdelkader Fassi Fihri Zawiya has a rich historical and religious significance as one of the most important religious complexes and Sufi sanctuaries in the city. Named after the 17th-century Muslim scholar, mufti, and Sufi saint Sidi Abdelkader al-Fassi, the zawiya is his final resting place.
The same source added that the chair shown in the picture is not a Minbar, but a simple elevated chair.
The source specifies that the woman, who is a college professor in architecture, had asked whether or not it was required of her to enter the premises with a headscarf and was informed that it was not necessary.
The visit was part of a three-day event organized by NGO Fes Memoire, aimed at architecture students to visit the city’s rich architectural heritage.
In addition to the visit to the Sidi Abdelkader Fassi Fihri Zawi&ya, Fes Memoire organized guided tours of landmark monuments around the University Al Quaraouiyine. The tours were supervised by professional volunteers, academics, and students.
