“We want to be recognized as Moroccan Christian citizens and to enjoy the right to legal marriages and burial ceremonies according to our religion.”Morocco cracking down on Christian faith, arresting believersMorocco cracking down on Christian faith, arresting believersThe top 7 stories of the day, curated just for you! The Kingdom of Morocco, at the westernmost edge of the region, presents a unique opportunity to preserve and even restore the role of Christianity. “Moroccan Christians worship in secret house churches to avoid state sanctions or harassment from society.”To ensure Moroccans are not attending services, expatriate churches are monitored intensely, Open Doors says, adding that foreigners accused of sharing the Gospel in Morocco have been deported.Apart from law, Christians from Muslim backgrounds face pressure also from their families and communities, especially in rural areas, so they may be forced to keep their faith a secret.
The official language in Morocco is Although there are relatively few Jews in Morocco today, the country has a long Some Islamic nations enforce the death penalty on people who leave the faith. Moroccan children can only be given In a society where more than 90% of the population identify as being religious, those who leave Islam risk ruining relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. While Morocco does not have the death penalty for apostasy (the renunciation of a religion), when it comes to Islam, a religious decree was issued in 2013 by the Supreme Council of Religious Scholars (based in Saudi Arabia) stating that Moroccan apostates should be sentenced to death. Of the 34.6 million people in Morocco, between 8,000 and 25,000 are estimated to be indigenous Moroccan Christians, according to the charity. Although Morocco is considered to be relatively tolerant, Christians suffer persecution from both the state and society.

It is also estimated that about 30,000 foreign residents are Catholic and 10,000 are Protestant, but they are generally allowed to worship freely if they do not evangelize. The reverse, however, is not true; a man of any faith other than Islam that wants to marry a Moroccan woman must first convert to Islam. Many of the pre-Christian religions were then reduced in number as Christianity spread. Sometimes, rifts caused by religious differences can be irreconcilable. Groups of Christians in Morocco are starting to hold discussions regarding their religious freedom with the National Council of Human Rights. Radical Muslims within the general populace also put pressure on Christians. Learn more about the secret communities of Christians in Christianity first entered Morocco during the Roman era. This has never been, and is unlikely to be, implemented, though.A Moroccan man can, if he chooses, marry a Jewish or Christian woman. During the French, Spanish, Portuguese, and British colonial periods, the numbers of foreign Christians in Morocco increased and many colonial groups established churches in the nation. Moroccan law criminalizes “shaking the faith of a Muslim,” which means that Christians who talk to others about their faith risk criminal charges and arrest, according to the Christian ministry “If a Moroccan enters a church, one of two things can happen – either a policeman sitting in front of the church arrests him or her, or the cleric in charge of the church asks the person to leave, unless the purpose is tourism,” Elhamidy said. During the French, Spanish, Portuguese, and British colonial periods, the numbers of foreign Christians in Morocco increased and many colonial groups established churches in the nation.Much of Morocco’s cultural identity is interwoven with Islamic beliefs. They have also reported having religious texts and reading materials confiscated.In the current social climate in Morocco, openly celebrating a Christian holiday or festival, establishing a Christian group, or even praying openly would be problematic.Reports indicate that there is a growing number of Moroccans converting to Christianity. Converts to Christianity can lose inheritance rights and custody of children.Other restrictions imposed by Islamic authorities include the confiscation of Christian literature in Arabic (including Bibles) and serious challenges in securing places of worship for Christians with a Muslim background.Open Doors adds that Islamic extremists are also a threat, as advocates for the rights of Christians have been targeted for violent attacks in this parliamentary constitutional monarchy.In 2018, a newly married Christian couple, Loubna and her husband Kamal, “We want to be treated on an equal footing with Moroccan Jews,” Chouaib El Fatihi, coordinator of the Christian committee at the Moroccan association for religious rights and freedoms, said at the time. In 788 AD, Idris I of the Zaydi sect of the Shia faith founded the first Islamic dynasty in Morocco. However, after the arrival of Islam, Christianity ceased to have a significant population in the country. In the past, police regularly raided places that were thought to be secret places of worship for Moroccan Christians. [2] [3] According to tradition, the martyrdom of St. Marcellus took place on 28 July 298 at Tingis ( Tangier ).

Under Islam, the faith of a child follows that of the father, and so these provisions are to ensure that any children born with Moroccan parentage will be born into Islam. Maybe one day, Moroccan Christians will no longer need to hide in small apartments with crucifixes and crosses hanging above a makeshift altar, and instead will be able to attend church services openly, without fear of legal or social backlashes. Converts who have spoken out have told of having been spat at in the streets, harassed, ignored, verbally abused, and, in extreme cases, assaulted. While Morocco’s Constitution provides freedoms to worship and to meet with others for the purposes of worship, the situation isn’t so straightforward in practice. After Islam came to the country, the numbers of Christians fell. Many converts are, therefore, reluctant to tell people of their decisions.
Christianity in Morocco appeared during the Roman times, when was worshipped by Christian Berbers in Roman Mauretania Tingitana, although it disappeared after the Islamic conquests. Morocco first experienced Christianity while under Roman rule, as the Empire converted to the faith in its later years. Christianity first entered Morocco during the Roman era. Of the 34.6 million people in Morocco, between 8,000 and 25,000 are estimated to be indigenous Moroccan Christians, according to the charity. Introduction of Christianity to Morocco. It is also estimated that about 30,000 foreign residents are Catholic and 10,000 are Protestant, but they are generally allowed to worship freely if they do not evangelize. Over time the native Berbers converted to Islam.


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