Pray for Morocco

Islam is Morocco’s state religion — a nation often regarded as more religiously tolerant than other predominantly Muslim countries and proud to market itself that way, according to a 2019 Reuters report.

The nation’s constitution “guarantees to all the free exercise of beliefs” and voluntary conversion is not a crime under official Moroccan law. Still, authorities have jailed some converts under Islamic law. The Supreme Council of Religious Scholars even issued a religious decree in 2013 that Moroccan apostates from Islam should be sentenced to death.

So, while conversion is not technically illegal, evangelism is: Any attempt to convert a Muslim to another religion risks a sentence of up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine. “Morocco has expelled dozens of foreigners suspected of proselytizing, or ‘shaking the faith of a Muslim,’” reported The New York Times in 2019. 

More than 99% of Morocco is Muslim, with less than 1% of the country’s population of 36,500,000 identifying as Christian. Christianity first entered Morocco during the Roman era, followed by Arabs introducing Islam in the eighth century. During the French, Spanish, Portuguese, and British colonial periods, the number of foreign Christians in Morocco again increased, and many colonial groups established churches.

After years as a French protectorate, Morocco declared its independence in 1956. However, historians can trace an Islamic fundamentalist movement back to the 1920s. As a result, much of Morocco’s cultural identity is interwoven with Islamic beliefs. The official language is Arabic. 

“Moroccans generally associated Christians with colonization,” says U.S. anthropologist Aomar Boum, quoted in The New York Times article. 

While foreigners find relative freedom to worship, Moroccan converts to Christianity do not. The government only permits expats and foreign visitors to use church buildings, so Moroccan Christians worship privately or at clandestine meetings in nondescript buildings, usually a private home. They fear societal harassment, according to the Morocco 2020 Religious Freedom Report, published by the U.S. Department of Justice. This harassment can range from employment discrimination to outright violence.

Converts also face severe ostracism from family and community. Imagine missing all significant holidays and feasts where your extended family gathers, because they are Islamic celebrations. Imagine being forced to marry a Muslim. Imagine sending your children to schools where you know they are required to memorize the Qu’ran. Imagine being forbidden to enter church buildings to worship alongside other Christians.

The 2019 visit of Pope Francis awakened hope that non-Muslims would be granted more freedoms. “The general trend is one of progress towards religious freedom, but one that is slow and fraught with setbacks,” reads “Religious Freedom in the World Report 2021.”

However, the recent proliferation of media ministries are breaking through some long-held barriers, making true Christianity more accessible. Moroccans are reading and listening more eagerly than before, reports Aomar Boum, because this approach “highlights stories of individuals who went through the experience and at the same time stress their Moroccanness.”

Please pray:

1. For AMM’s media outreaches — that God uses them to open hearts across Morocco.
2. For converts to Christianity, who must worship in secret and stand strong in the face of community and family opposition. 
3. For Muslims who are seeking, that they find our programs and that God’s Spirit opens their hearts to the truth. 

With your support, AMM’s ministries are touching lives in Morocco — both Muslims and those believers who practice their faith in secret. Click here to learn how you can help us share the gospel with those who are seeking truth.

___

Sources: Aida Alami, “Pope Francis’ Visit to Morocco Raises Hopes for Its Christians,” The New York Times, March 29, 2019; Ahmed Eljechtimi, “Morocco trains foreign students in its practice of moderate Islam,” Reuters, April 23, 2019; The World FactBook: Morocco, Central Intelligence Agency; Morocco 2020 International Religious Freedom Report, U.S. Department of Justice; Religious Freedom in the World Report - 2021, Aid to the Church in Need.