Moroccan feminist activist's blasphemy trial postponed

The trial of Moroccan feminist and LGBTQ+ rights activist Ibtissame “Betty” Lachgar, accused of "offending Islam" for wearing a provocative T-shirt, has been postponed, according to court reports.

Lachgar, a co-founder of the Alternative Movement for Individual Liberties (MALI), a secular and feminist organization, was detained after posting a photo of herself wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Allah is a lesbian." She accompanied the image with a caption describing Islam as “fascist, phallocratic and misogynistic.”

Her arrest triggered a wave of threats and online outrage—and a heated debate over freedom of expression in the kingdom. Under Moroccan law, public insults against Islam—including online—can carry up to five years in prison and substantial fines.

Amid a flood of criticism from feminist and secular groups demanding her release, Moroccan authorities have delayed her trial. The postponement brings both hope and tension, as her supporters rally for civil liberties, while conservative voices call for strict enforcement of religious protections.