AL ARABIYA NEWS CHANNEL: RABAT - Marrakesh will host its first international salsa festival amid controversy as officials and religious leaders expressed dismay over the city’s hosting of a festival devoted to the sexy Latin dance.
The festival, which runs Oct. 8-12, features 100 dancers from Cuba, Mexico, Los Angeles, New York, Oslo, Milan, including Francisco Vasquez and Alex da Silva, choreographers for Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. The contestants will also give salsa classes to students of Moroccan universities.
But some locals voiced objections that the dance is un-Islamic and violates local social norms.
One Islamic scholar said the salsa festival violates sharia Islamic law. Mohamed Al-Taweel, pprofessor of jurisprudence at the University of al-Karaouine said that the festival is sinful for a number if reasons, no the least of which is the mingling between men and women.
Moroccan sheikh Abdul-Bari al-Zamzami, a member of the Moroccan Scholars Association, told AlArabiya.net that the festival promotes vice among the youth, who are easily deceived by such Western activities. Islamic Scholars Say Dance Violates Sharia: Salsa festival in Morocco stirs controversy >>> | October 9, 2008
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