Polygamy, the economy and Ramadan pepper Maghreb blogs

2009-08-21

Topics as varied as the economic impact of Ramadan and the Tunisian debate about polygamy caught bloggers' attention this week.

[www.medmouad-blog.blogspot.com] Extravagant weddings, polygamous unions, the economy of Ramadan, and a host of other issues surfaced in Maghreb blogs recently.

With Ramadan around the corner, many Maghreb bloggers discussed issues relating to the holy month.

Tunisian Islaminfratjtihad wrote, "In a few hours, it will be Ramadan… Will the imams be talking to us, as usual, as if we were lacking faith and religion, or will they come closer to daily reality and will they bring reality closer to us?"

Le républicain, also from Tunisia, points out the economic impact of Ramadan. According to Maroc Hebdo, Morocco's loss of productivity is estimated at 20% during the holy month. Lavieeco.com also noted that economic activity slows down, and bladi.net remarked that consumers often spend beyond their means during the month. Le républicain concludes that, "Given the fragility of our economy, one can understand why Bourguiba asked Tunisians not to fast."

Tunisian blogger Kiffe Grave joined the current debate in Tunisia about polygamy, writing, "Polygamy is not an expression of extreme love, but of extreme disdain for women." Kiffe Grave explained that there are as many men as women on the planet, and that polygamy would only result in single men going to extremes to seduce married women in polygamous unions.

Moroccan blogger Mouad commented on what he considered to be the excesses of the marriage ceremony in Morocco. First, Mouad noted the large consumption of different meats, the limited variety of songs played, and the materialism displayed by the guests. Finally, Mouad noted that the newly wedded couples are required to remain seated during most of the festivities and must endure several changes of outfits.

Aien Aristeuein, from Tunisia, posted about the "myth of the middle class in Tunisia." Aien Aristeuein detailed how a dynamic middle class traditionally forms, contrasting it with the stagnating Tunisian middle class. The Tunisian middle class stagnated since it "requires maintaining the political docility, economic frustration and social paralysis of a population who bought into the illusions of school achievement, political maturity and material prosperity".

Tunisian blogger El Manchou added that 71% of female Tunisian students would like to leave Tunisia and go abroad. A further 28% would interrupt their studies if asked to marry a man who lives abroad. Finally, 28% are ready to abandon their current fiancés if given the opportunity to go abroad.

Subjectif, blogging from Tunisia, posted about a Tunisian woman who is said to be pregnant with six boys and six girls. Japan meets Tunisia also blogged about the same story.

StartUpArabia reprinted the results of a study "focusing on the numbers of active Facebook users around the world". Morocco came in third in the Arab world with 860,00 users, and Tunisia fifth with 690,000 users.