A body of legal practitioners in Morocco, “The Club of Moroccan Lawyers”, has filed a lawsuit against a French rapper, Yaffa Elie Thitia, also known as Booba, for allegedly insulting Moroccan women in two of his recently released songs.
The songs, according to the lawyers, sparked controversy in the North African country especially in one line where he sings: “I only go to chicha for Arabs,” and “Little Moroccan f***s Berlusconi.”
The President of the Club of Moroccan Lawyers, Mourad Elajouti, who disclosed this in a series of tweets, said the club decided to file a complaint against Booba for defamation and insults against Moroccan women.
In a series of Twitter threads, Elajouti wrote:
“We have received hundreds of letters and messages asking us to act, and after studying the elements sent to us, the remarks made in several of his (Booba’s) songs represent an offense to the feelings and dignity of the Maghreb woman in general.”
Elajouti added that the recent posting of the singer’s visit to a private aviation lounge in Casablanca was “another provocation to the Moroccan people, especially since he has not expressed neither regret nor apology in relation to the remarks defamatory language used in his songs.”
He further explained that under Moroccan law, the French rapper could be banned from entering Moroccan soil following his actions.
“The provisions of article 4 of law 02-03 relating to the entry and stay of foreigners, access to Moroccan territory may be refused to any foreigner whose presence would constitute a threat to order,” Elajouti wrote.
The lawsuit is coming two months after the Moroccan Justice and Development Party (PJD) petitioned the Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, Mehdi Bensaid, calling on him to cancel an upcoming concert of the rapper in the country.
Women activists have also risen against Booba, calling for his prosecution.
A prominent activist, Al-Fathaoui, in a post on Instagram, accused the rapper of using misogynistic and sexist language that directly targets Moroccan women.
“The rapper in question was famous for raising controversy in many cases, and Instagram banned his account by decision of the Judicial Court in Marseille in 2022, after a complaint related to sexual harassment,” Al-Fathaoui wrote.