Tattoos become more popular in conservative Morocco

(10 Oct 2021) LEAD IN:
Tattoos are gaining popularity in Morocco despite being considered haram, or forbidden, in Islam.
Young people in Rabat are increasingly embracing body art - even though many of their elders still frown upon it.

STORY-LINE:  
Ahmed Tberr proudly shows off his tattoos.
The 34-year-old has several tattoos on his body, leg, arms and more.
Each tattoo reminds him of of an experience in his life.
But Tberr says that some people don't look favourably on people with tattoos.
"The obstacles faced by a person who has tattoos come up when they want to work somewhere. Sometimes, when employers see the tattoo they refuse to hire a person.”
Tattoos were historically an important element of Berber traditions in Morocco, but the tattoos of the Amazigh have almost disappeared from view here.
Modern styles are increasingly becoming popular, but they remain divisive and are not widely accepted.
Today tattoo artist Nabil Eddakhiri is creating a design in the style of Japanese writing.
Considered haram, or forbidden, under Islam, few Muslims embrace the trend.
The Prophetic Hadith, which reports the words and actions of the prophet Muhammad, condemns any attempts to change the God's creations.
But over the past few years, more young people in Morocco have started to get the inkings.
Tattoo parlours are increasing in numbers, but many people still hold conservative attitudes, says sociologist Mustapha Yassine.
"Moroccan society still rejects the idea of tattooing, for many reasons, including religious, health, and social reasons. Despite this rejection, there is an increasing turnout at tattoo parlours, but there isn’t absolute freedom, because there are some young people who get tattoos in secret. And there are those who defy society despite being subjected to some bullying.”
Artist Nabil Eddakhiri says that opinions are slowly changing.
"I think, that the view changes year after year. There is a difference between (the view) in 2008, compared to 2010, 2016 and 2021. We can see that with time, people started accepting the idea of tattoos little by little. There is also a change in the age categories of people who accept tattoos, which are currently not just restricted to young people. But there are people of different ages who express an interest in tattoos."
Tattoo salons are not recognised in Moroccan law and can only be found in a few large cities such as Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech.
There is nowhere to train and Eddakhiri taught himself by following videos on the internet.
Now he sees between 5 and 10 clients per day, and demand is steadily increasing.
"It is very difficult to reach the same level (of acceptance for tattoos) as America and Europe. It may take another 10 years to achieve this. Currently I only have one dream. I wish people would see tattoos as an art. When we see someone who has a tattoo that they will live with for the rest of their life, we should see it as art," he says.

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