Morocco Clamps Down on Shiites, Gays in Newly Launched 'Morality Campaign'

The Moroccan government has begun a clampdown on what it sees as threats to the kingdom's religious and moral foundations, with Shiite Islam and gays particularly targeted. "At stake is the image of the state," Mohammad Darif, an expert on Islamic movements in Morocco, told AFP.
"The authorities are seeking to prove that they are still the guarantors of the religious and moral values" of the country.

Government sources say there is a counter-attack against press articles calling for greater tolerance of homosexuality. Newspapers report that about 20 gays were recently arrested in the center of the country.

A French feminist organization was earlier this year refused permission to open a branch in Morocco. Fouzia Assouli, a women's rights campaigner, said the new emphasis on moral values was linked to local polls due to take place in June.

Read More At the Daily Star

US Signs UN's Declaration to Decriminalize Homosexuality

The Obama administration on Wednesday formally endorsed a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality, a measure that former President George W. Bush had refused to sign.

The move was the administration's latest in reversing Bush-era decisions that have been heavily criticized by human rights and other groups. The United States was the only western nation not to sign onto the declaration when it came up at the U.N. General Assembly in December.

Read More At the Associated Press