In addition to the short-term damage it inflicts on the young bride or groom, child marriage is also the cause of longer-term suffering, including rape, unwanted pregnancies, lack of access to education and the continuation of poverty in the family.

While multiple interpretations of this verse are possible, the general explanation is that polygamy is conditional on the ability to treat all wives fairly. In response to the uproar caused by el-Tayeb’s comments, al-Azhar quickly issued a statement clarifying that the grand imam had in no way called for the banning of or legal restrictions on polygamy.

The historical acceptance of homosexuality within Ottoman society in turn fuelled a European fetishism of Ottoman eroticism, inevitably Orientalizing the apparent perversity of Turkish society. Victorian audiences were publicly scandalized by, but loved to read, exaggerated tales of Ottoman harems and sexual promiscuity (like John Benjamin Brookes’ The Lustful Turk).

The crackdown on LGBT+ events has been so important that it has pushed the international organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) to file a complaint in the United Nations for discrimination and attempts against freedom of expression, assembly and association in Lebanon.

All of this signifies that the LGBT discussion is in the public sphere in Jordan, although it may be a discussion that is still more accepted in the higher social classes. However, protection from discrimination needs to be put in place in order for the LGBTQ+ community to feel truly safe.

In Morocco, bill imposes tougher penalties on perpetrators of various types of violence committed both in the private and public spheres, including rape, sexual harassment and domestic abuse, and includes ae definition of sexual harassment, including unsolicited acts and statements or signals of a sexual nature, delivered in person, online or via telephone.

Among the first threats affecting children living in MENA conflict areas is child labour. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), child labour refers to work that ‘is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children.

This last judgment shows us that it’s clear that judges are willing to interpret unnatural sex acts as excluding consensual sex between same-sex partners. But the parliament needs to reform the Penal Code in order to remove Article 534 [which states that homosexual acts are punishable by up to a year in prison]. As long as it exists, LGBT people will continue to be prosecuted.

A serious dialogue on proposals that could contribute to more legitimacy and institutional trust seems to be out of reach as long as gender and sexuality remain central to the debate and the experience of identity, reinforced by media and foreign (formal) colonial powers, who still tend to consider those issues as critically important indicators for progress and democracy. Given the current economic and political crisis, the Colibe recommendations could serve as an excellent opportunity to reinvigorate the identity discourse and develop a more practical approach to establishing a sustainable and democratic rule of law.

Whether the President reacts positively or not, the issue is now in the public sphere and the COLIBE’s recommendations for a better Tunisia are out in the open. If it was to be adopted and the article 230 abolished, it would be a first step towards decriminalizing homosexuality and a unique example in the MENA region for other countries to follow.