Taroudant- In an Interview with the weekly magazine Tel Quel, Lahcen Haddad, the Moroccan Minister of Tourism, said he is against the prohibition of alcoholic beverages in Morocco.
Haddad said that the prohibition of alcohol will create the opposite of the desired effect.
Responding to a question on whether he is for banning alcohol in Morocco, Haddad said, “No. When alcohol was banned in Bejaad, illicit trade has grown and crimes have increased. Prohibition creates the opposite of the desired effect.”
The Moroccan law prohibits the consumption and purchase of alcohol by Moroccan Muslims.
In this regard, Haddad said that the “law is ambiguous”, adding that “It is not written anywhere on your identity card that you are Muslim or not.”
The controversial issue of selling and consuming alcohol in Morocco has been raised in many occasions.
In 2010, Bayt Al-Hikma “the house of wisdom” published a press release calling for the lifting of the ban on the consumption and purchase of alcohol by Moroccans.
On the other hand, regarding the national debate about legalization of the cultivation and exploitation of cannabis in Morocco, Haddad said expressed his support for the legalization of cannabis.
“We can legalize cannabis cultivation without decriminalizing consumption,” he said.
In a step to increase state revenue, the Islamist-led government increased tax on liquor sales last year.
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or or redistribute
