In a powerful denunciation, former Moroccan Justice Minister El Mostapha Ramid has taken a strong stand against hazing practices prevalent in higher education institutions. He characterized these activities as not only illegal but also degrading, urging university officials to take immediate action against those culpable. In a recent Facebook post, Ramid expressed his outrage over what he described as "barbaric, humiliating, and illegal" practices that target new students at the start of each academic year.
Ramid highlighted the troubling reality faced by first-year students, who are often subjected to both physical and psychological abuse by their peers in higher years under the guise of facilitating their integration into university life. He pointed out the disturbing nature of these practices, which reportedly include forcing students to imitate animal behaviors, using obscene language, stripping off their clothes, donning women’s clothing, and enduring sleep deprivation. Other alarming reports suggest that students are made to kneel for prolonged periods until they bleed and are coerced into performing physically demanding tasks that exceed their capabilities.
Describing the treatment as "sadistic," Ramid emphasized that such actions undermine students’ dignity rather than prepare them for the rigors of university life. He firmly asserted, "Higher education institutions should be spaces for learning and personal development, not places of torture." The former minister raised concerns about the psychological harm these experiences could inflict, potentially discouraging students from pursuing their studies. He called upon officials from institutions where hazing occurs to act decisively, ensuring that those responsible face appropriate consequences.
“These practices are barbaric and wholly unacceptable in Morocco today,” Ramid declared, underscoring the urgent need to safeguard students’ physical integrity and dignity.
Controversy at Mines Rabat
Ramid's remarks come at a time of renewed scrutiny regarding hazing at Morocco’s National School of Mines in Rabat, commonly referred to as Mines Rabat or ENSMR. First-year students at this engineering school have voiced their concerns about initiation practices that they argue blur the lines between social integration and humiliation. Reports indicate that a complaint has been lodged with the school administration and the overseeing authority, detailing initiation activities that can span approximately 15 days. These activities allegedly involve sleep deprivation, coercion to remove clothing, and exposure to offensive language, along with humiliating physical positions and enforced head-shaving for male students.
Students have also reported that refusal to participate in these initiation rituals could lead to social ostracism or exclusion from extracurricular activities and group engagements. This situation has ignited a broader debate over hazing, or 'bizutage,' a term used to describe initiation rituals imposed by senior students on newcomers. While some proponents argue that such traditions foster camaraderie and assist new students in acclimating, critics maintain that coercive and degrading practices have no place within educational settings. This controversy has revived discussions regarding past hazing allegations at Mines Rabat, including a 2019 dispute that school officials and student representatives claimed was unrelated to initiation practices.
As reported by moroccoworldnews.com.
