Despite growing Western influence on Moroccan society, 99% of the population are Muslim, and the country remains socially conservative. This can make life challenging for the tiny Christian minority, particularly those who convert from Islam. They are likely to encounter severe pressure to recant their faith from their family and local community.
Let's delve into the history of Christianity in Morocco and examine the current situation for Christians in the country.
Historical Background
Christianity first entered Morocco during the Roman era. After Islam came to the country, the number of Christians fell. 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.
Map of Morocco showing its diverse terrain and strategic location.
Various ancient civilizations traded and controlled regions of Morocco since antiquity, including the Phoenicians and Romans. Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, Visigoths, Vandals, and Byzantine Greeks ruled the region. Arabs conquered the region in the late seventh century and spread Islam. Moorish dynasties ruled Morocco after 788 AD.
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After the Middle Ages, Portugal and other European powers competed for control of North Africa and the Strait of Gibraltar for trade. The local Moroccan monarchy resisted such efforts. Spain controlled Morocco in the latter half of the nineteenth century. France had vested interest in Morocco in the nineteenth century, and successfully obtained sovereignty of the area by the early twentieth century.
In 1912, the Treaty of Fes made Morocco a French Protectorate and ceded territory south of Morocco along the coast to Spain. Following World War II, Morocco took greater interest in gaining independence, which occurred in 1956.
The Role of Islam in Morocco
Islam strongly influences daily life, cultural practices, and customs. Morocco has been a center of Islamic learning and from antiquity a region integrated into Mediterranean trade routes that accelerated learning and commerce. Major influences on local culture have come from the Berbers, Arabs, Europeans, Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
Much of Morocco’s cultural identity is interwoven with Islamic beliefs. The official language in Morocco is Arabic, the language of Islam and a language that uses many religious phrases for day-to-day life. With the exception of Moroccan-born Jews, all Moroccans are considered to be Muslim. Although there are relatively few Jews in Morocco today, the country has a long Jewish heritage. For this reason, Jewish communities are tolerated in Morocco and there are instances, such as legal matters, when Jewish citizens are dealt with outside of the usual Islamic framework. The Christian faith, however, is seen as being foreign to Morocco.
Legal and Social Restrictions
Although conversion is not a punishable offence legally, converts risk being arrested and interrogated by the government, and the country’s strong and well informed security services make it difficult for believers to express their faith. The government’s paranoia explains why it is illegal to 'shake the faith of a Muslim', meaning that Christians who talk about their faith risk arrest and criminal prosecution. Distribution of Christian resources in Arabic (including Bibles) is also restricted.
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Several of Morocco’s penal codes act to deter Moroccans from leaving Islam and converting to Christianity or any other belief system. For example, it is illegal to have a copy of the Bible written in Arabic. Moroccans are not allowed to enter churches in the nation; they can only be used by expats and foreign visitors.
It is forbidden for anyone to try and encourage a Moroccan to leave Islam. There was a high-profile case in 2010 of Christian missionaries being made to leave the country. If found guilty of an offence of trying to tempt people to Christianity, people can face a jail sentence of up to three years.
Some Islamic nations enforce the death penalty on people who leave the faith. 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. This has never been, and is unlikely to be, implemented, though.
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. Sometimes, rifts caused by religious differences can be irreconcilable. Many converts are, therefore, reluctant to tell people of their decisions. Converts who have spoken out have told of having been spat at in the streets, harassed, ignored, verbally abused, and, in extreme cases, assaulted. 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.
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MOROCCAN CHRISTIAN | An Extraordinary Encounter with the HOLY SPIRIT and JESUS!
Current Christian Community
Most Christians are foreigners. The local Christian population is estimated around 2,000-6,000. Non-Muslim foreigners may openly practice their beliefs, but local non-Muslims and non-Jews face threats of government surveillance, ostracism, and persecution for worshipping. Local Christian converts tend to meet in private homes to worship.
Reports indicate that there is a growing number of Moroccans converting to Christianity. Agadir and Marrakech, in particular, have fairly significant Christian populations. Due to restrictions on entering churches and the personal ramifications of being known to be a Christian, Moroccan Christians commonly worship privately or at clandestine meetings in nondescript buildings, usually a private home. Small groups may come together in apartments to pray, sing hymns, study the Bible, and discuss various religious and social matters.
There is often a reluctance to worship alongside non-Moroccans for fear of causing trouble for the other person; if the authorities believe that associated individuals encouraged the conversion, they can be prosecuted. In the past, police regularly raided places that were thought to be secret places of worship for Moroccan Christians. This is less common today.
Moroccan Christians worship in secret.
The Evangelical Protestant Church in Morocco (EEAM)
The Evangelical Protestant Church in Morocco (Eglise Evangélique au Maroc, EEAM) serves Christ on a land at the crossroads of north and south (Africa and Europe) and east and west (the Muslim World and the West). With ten congregations in cities all over Morocco (Agadir, Marrakesh, Casablanca, Mohammedia, Rabat, Meknes, Fez, Kenitra, Tangier, and Oujda) served by four pastors and several pastoral interns, the EEAM has a membership representing more than fifty nationalities, the majority young people coming as students from Sub-Saharan Africa.
Recognizing their “internationality,” the EEAM sees welcoming the stranger as one of its principal ministries. They are committed to offering hospitality - hospitality toward those who come to live and worship with them in Morocco and hospitality toward those passing through the country as migrants.
As most of their membership is also very young, EEAM sees education and training as another priority ministry, emphasizing interfaith and multicultural theological reflection. They offer theological formation opportunities to all our members, training members to preach and lead worship in programs organized throughout the year.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Morocco
One of the thirty-four cities with over 100,000 inhabitants has LDS congregations. Small groups of foreign Latter-day Saints have met for church in Morocco since as early as the 1950s. Membership appears to be largely, if not entirely, composed of foreign members from Europe and North America and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Church has conducted many humanitarian and development projects in Morocco in recent years, including donating an ophthalmology microscope and providing neonatal resuscitation training. LDS Charities has conducted thirty-nine projects in Morocco since 1985.
The LDS Church remains unregistered with the government, and meetings occur privately for expatriate members in harmony with governmental regulations. Government policies and attitudes towards locals converting from Islam is a major obstacle if missionary activity occurs among the population one day.
Jeffrey R. Holland, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, visited a small branch in Morocco in 2012.
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite the challenges, Morocco offers abundant opportunities for humanitarian and development work, such as literacy programs and employment workshops for youth, which have yet to be explored by the LDS Church. Prospects for increasing the number of service projects appear favorable in the coming years and may help create a positive relationship with the government and aid beneficiaries.
Groups of Christians in Morocco are starting to hold discussions regarding their religious freedom with the National Council of Human Rights. 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.
| Religious Group | Estimated Population |
|---|---|
| Sunni Muslim | Over 99% of the population |
| Shia Muslim | Less than 0.1% of the population |
| Jewish | Approximately 3,500 |
| Christian Citizens | Between 1,500 and 25,000 |
| Foreign-Resident Christians | Approximately 40,000 |
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