Morocco's former prime minister Saad Eddin El Othmani is under fire for sharing a homophobic theory regarding monkeypox, as the virus spreads rapidly worldwide.
"The vast majority of modern monkeypox cases are sexually transmitted, and the vast majority of those infected are homosexual men, according to the largest study on the subject," he tweeted Monday, sharing an article on the topic.
"The lesson learned is that deviating from nature is a danger to man, his health, his life, and even his existence," El Othmani Monday added.
Queers of North Africa, an LGBTQ+ movement based in Morocco and Tunisia, said on Tuesday on an Instagram thread that the article El Othmani shared as scientific proof of his homophobic discourse was actually misinterpreted
Published by C-news, a French news channel, the article states: "the vast majority of recent cases of monkeypox have been transmitted through sexual contact, suggests the largest study to date. It also shows that the vast majority of those affected are gay men."
The French article has also included a statement from a French LGBTQ NGO calling out L’élysée for its "lack of preparation and transparency."
"This epidemic overwhelmingly affects (more than 9 out of 10 cases) men who have sex with men. For some / some of us, the news brought back the trauma of the AIDS years," stated the French LGBT NGO in the C-news article.
The movement Queers of North Africa also said El Othmani's tweet was misleading on multiple levels as it frames monkeypox as" the new gay cancer" similar to what occurred with AIDS.
Health experts stress that the virus is not a sexually transmitted infection. It's mostly caught through close physical skin-to-skin contact, which is why it can be spread to sexual partners.
Morocco has not officially recorded any monkeypox cases as of yet.
Health organisations continue to study the nature of the viral infection that has symptoms similarly seen in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.
Gay and bisexual communities were subject to stigma and homophobia following the AIDS crisis during the 1980s and 1990s.
Today, UNAIDS alongside doctors and charities across the world are keen to ensure this isn't repeated with monkeypox and are concerned it could also prevent others from realising they might have the virus.
"[El Othmani] encourages stigmatisation and violence against the LGBTQ community," wrote North Africa Queer on Tuesday, flagging the dangers such statements could result.
A therapist and Faqih, El Othmani is openly homophobic as many members of the Islamist party of Justice and Development (PJD).
In 2017, Mustapha Ramid, a minister of justice and human rights at the time, referred to gay people as "trash" and called reporters to stop asking questions about the situation of the community in the kingdom.
In 2021, Abdelilah Benkirane, former PM and head of PJD, said that "we will not strive for homosexuals to publicly declare the disobedience of God," as he warned that individuals who are publicly gay in Morocco will be held responsible before the law.
Moroccan penal law criminalises sexual relationships between persons of the same sex.
"Whoever commits an act immodest or against nature with an individual of their sex is punished by imprisonment of six months to three years and a fine of 200 to 1,000 dirhams, unless the fact constitutes a more serious offence," states Article 489 of the penal code.
Morocco is ranked as the 30th most unsafe travel destination for the LGBTQ+ community as homophobia continues to be normalised among most Moroccan citizens and politicians.