[Today's Prayer] “Religious Freedom in Morocco Legally Guaranteed, but Restricted in Practice”

Although Morocco claims to uphold religious tolerance, an analysis has found that laws and practices concerning Ramadan fasting, religious conversion, funerals, and other matters restrict religious freedom.

According to Christian Today (CT) in the UK, the report “Freedom of Religion in Morocco,” published by the Center for Global Justice at Regent University in the United States, points out that although the Moroccan Constitution guarantees freedom of belief, laws and institutions centered around Islam restrict people of other religions from freely expressing their faith.

(Excerpt)

Morocco’s 2011 Constitution recognizes Islam as the state religion. At the same time, Article 3 of the Constitution states, “Everyone is guaranteed the freedom to practice their religion.”

However, the authors of the report argue that these constitutional guarantees are weakened by other laws and practices. In particular, they point out that laws and institutions exist that restrict expressions of faith that depart from Morocco’s dominant religious framework.

The report describes this as “a persistent and deliberate gap between official guarantees and the realities of life,” and analyzes that this issue is particularly evident in laws concerning Ramadan fasting, religious conversion, and funerals.

(Excerpt)

One of the laws primarily addressed in the report is Article 222 of Morocco’s Penal Code.

This provision makes it punishable to publicly break the Ramadan fast without a religiously recognized exemption. A person who is “widely known” to be Muslim may face up to six months in prison and a fine for publicly refusing to fast.

The report raises concerns that the provision does not clearly define who is considered a Muslim. In particular, it is unclear how the law applies to someone who has converted to another religion or who no longer considers themselves Muslim.

(Excerpt)

Article 220 of the Penal Code was also criticized in the report. This provision makes it punishable to use “means of seduction” to undermine a Muslim’s faith or encourage conversion.

The authors of the report argue that expressions such as “seduction” are not sufficiently clear from a legal standpoint and give authorities broad discretion to determine which forms of religious dialogue, evangelism, or persuasion should be considered illegal.

The report also mentions the case of Abdelmouttalib Ghaffar, a Moroccan Christian convert. According to the report, his identity card was confiscated in 2019, and he was subsequently unable to have it returned or receive a replacement identity card.

(Excerpt)

The report also points out that Morocco is the only African country that has not yet ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

In its conclusion, the report argues, “Taken together, these laws and practices reveal a legal framework in which religious freedom is formally recognized but effectively restricted when an individual’s faith departs from the state’s Islamic identity.”

It continues, “By criminalizing peaceful religious interaction, compelling public adherence to Islamic religious practices, and regulating funerals according to imposed religious classifications, Morocco is failing to fulfill its obligations under the ICCPR.”

It further emphasizes, “What the international covenant protects is not merely the right to worship within permitted boundaries, but the more fundamental right of every individual to define, express, and live according to their beliefs and conscience.”

Source: Christian Daily

“But as for me, may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14)

Heavenly Father, we hear the news that although Morocco legally guarantees the freedom of faith for people who follow religions other than Islam, its state religion, in practice, laws and institutions centered around Islam are restricting the faith of people of other religions.

Lord, have mercy on all the Christians in Morocco who, despite having the right to freely express their faith according to what is written in the Constitution, are having their right to worship restricted by Islamic law and are being discriminated against without being granted true religious freedom.

May every law that disadvantages Christians be nailed to the cross and abolished, and may all unjust Islamic laws that further strengthen Morocco’s Islamic identity and prevent its people from knowing Jesus, who carried the cross for the sake of the world, quickly be brought down.

At this time, may the global Church and the local Church in Morocco become even more watchful and devoted to prayer rather than retreating. May Morocco nail all the laws and sins of this world to the cross, confess that there is nothing to boast in except the cross of Christ, and boldly proclaim the Gospel and advance throughout Morocco and the entire Maghreb region.

Therefore, may Morocco become a nation that proclaims to all peoples the power of the cross of Jesus Christ, who has overcome every enemy, and praises the Lord alone.