A Jewish woman is campaigning for a seat in Morocco’s parliament.
Maggie Cacoun, a centrist politician known for her work on women’s rights, is considered among the front-runners in an election for the Rabat assembly to be held later this week.
Since details on her ethnic background emerged, Cacoun, 54, has been at pains to stress her patriotism as a Moroccan.
“I do not want to be treated as a Jew,” Cacoun said in one interview. “I did not seek permission to run from the Jewish community. The only person I consulted with was my husband, and he gave me his blessing.”
Most of Morocco’s Jews left decades ago, mainly for Israel or Europe, but the 5,000 or so who remained tend to voice satisfaction about living in the moderate Muslim Arab country.
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