Men are banned: Muslim women demand female-only beach in Morocco

The women's rights group are campaigning to have their own beach where they can sunbathe with their burkas off - without ‘disobeying Allah’ or ‘being sexually harassed’.

But the move has sparked controversy in the country - as liberals and traditionalists have clashed over the campaign. 

Feminist Noor Alhoda said they are a 'conservative' group, who want to be able to both go to the beach and conform with Islamic law - as Islam bans women from showing certain parts of their body in public.

She added that they do not want to ‘disobey Allah by wearing swimsuits in front of men gazing at us’. 

‘After the end of Ramadan, everyone wants to enjoy the summer holidays - but the women are not able to enjoy the party and the swimming in the same way as the men,' she wrote.

The women argue that - with a coastline that stretches ‘hundreds of kilometres’ - it should be possible for the country to have both mixed-sex and women-only beaches.  

One campaign supporter wrote on the Facebook page: ‘Like men, we also need a private place to cool off during the scorching summer months, without mixing with the opposite sex.’

Another added: ‘Sexual harassment is alarmingly increasing even in the streets – let alone beaches – women need a women-only beach to swim carefree.’ 

Supporters of the campaign claim sexual harassment is an increasing problem on the city’s streets, ‘especially at summer time’.

n Morocco, attitudes towards women's bodies are conservative, which can put women who are deemed to be inappropriately dressed at risk of attack.

In July two hairdressers were facing up to two years in jail after being accused of ‘gross indecency’ for wearing skirts in a market in Agadir.

The two women, whose skirts fell just above their knees, had been harassed by a man who wanted their phone numbers.

When they refused, he said they were dressing provocatively, and they were attacked by a group of men, who pushed and shoved them, calling others to witness their ‘indecent’ clothes.

The women, aged 23 and 29, were forced to appear in court as prosecutors accused them of wearing clothes that were ‘flimsy’ and ‘immoral’.

The women cried with relief when they were cleared of all charges against them. 

More recently another woman, who was carrying her baby daughter in her arms, was attacked by a crowd in Tangier for showing her legs.

Noor also said that sexual harassment does not always come from strangers, and that ‘family jealousy’ is also a problem in Morocco. 

‘Women’s husbands, boyfriends, fathers, brothers and sons can feel jealous or offended if they feel that strange men are looking at our bodies,’ she added.

‘But there are a lot of women that accept it because they don’t have any other option.’

Meanwhile the Facebook campaign has been met with fierce opposition.

Many have claimed a women-only beach would encourage intolerance and gender segregation, the like of which are enforced by ISIS.

We cannot support segregation of men and women in public spaces, just as we oppose segregation in universities here in the UK,’ Diana Nammi, executive director of the Iranian & Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO) told MailOnline.

‘We are very concerned about this growing Islamist trend.

‘Has [gender segregation] made women safe? No. The focus must be achieving a safe and equal society. Everyone has the right to be safe. 

‘Governments must ensure women and girls are safe in public and in private. They must punish perpetrators of harassment and all forms of violence against women.’

Ms Nammi, whose organisation represents women and girls from Middle Eastern and North African communities, added: ‘The key to this is education. Safety of women and girls will not be achieved by hiding them away. We need women and girls to be strongly present in society.’

At the launch of a similar beach in Turkey last year, protest groups insisted women-only beaches ‘isolate women from society’.

In August last year Sarisu beach in Turkey was opened solely for women, but liberals protested the move which was seen as an attempt to ‘Islamise’ the state.

(dailymail.co.uk)