In 2003, the paper published critical articles against those who listened to heavy metal in the country and developed an analogy between heavy metal music and satanism.[4] On 6 January 2005, Attajdid published an article by its editor-in-chief Lhassan Sarrat that the deadly 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and ensuing tsunami was God's punishment for sex tourism, homosexuality and child trafficking in southeast Asia, and that the best warning system for such catastrophes was following the teaching of Islam.[6] They stated that Morocco was the next destination for this "tourism of debauchery". This statement attracted considerable controversy and opposition. The newspaper then distanced itself from the article; director Abdelilah Benkirane declared that the article represented only the opinion of its author.