Pray for Morocco

A doorway to the Sahara Desert, Morocco’s ancient mud-brick fortresses of Ouarzazate have long captivated Hollywood. Moroccan sands fade into mountain slopes, where the famous blue city of Chefchaouen sits high in the Rif Mountains. Further inland, the towering Atlas Mountains cut across the country, forming a natural wall between the vast Sahara and the northern coastlines of Atlantic and Mediterranean waters that stretch toward Europe. Throughout this nation, community and Arabic hospitality are ways of life; families eat from a single shared plate, and daily life often pauses for conversation over cups of mint tea. Long ago, indigenous Amazigh culture merged with Islamic tradition following Arab conquest in the late 7th century. Having survived French and Spanish rule before achieving independence in 1956, Morocco is now a constitutional monarchy. Arguments about territory are far from over, though. Morocco disputes Spanish ownership of coastal cities Ceuta and Melilla, and it lays claim to neighboring Western Sahara. The nomadic Saharawi people who live there are fighting for independence in a prolonged conflict.

Morocco treats any challenge to its borders as a national security threat. Under three strict “red lines,” Moroccan law bans any public speech that criticizes the monarchy, insults Islam, or questions the nation’s claim over Western Sahara. Under these laws, police routinely arrest activists, shut down independent news outlets, and suppress protests. Meanwhile, severe, multi-year droughts drive a larger wedge between the wealthy and poor, pushing desperate families out of rural areas into city slums. Morocco has also drawn sharp international criticism over harsh human rights abuses along its borders, which are primary transit points for Sub-Saharan migrants heading to Europe.

Morocco’s state religion is Sunni Islam, and ninety-nine percent of the population is Muslim. Official state documents promote Morocco as a land of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, but authorities closely monitor Christians, using laws against “shaking the faith” of Muslims to arrest converts. In an effort to avoid the religious violence and conflict occurring between Muslims and Christians in other African nations, the Moroccan people and government suppress Christian activity. While official churches exist for foreign residents, authorities prevent local Moroccans from attending, forcing native Christians to gather secretly in house churches. Many Moroccan Christians face social pressure and rejection, especially from family, since leaving Islam is viewed as a betrayal of identity. Because believers are scattered and forced to hide, building a strong church community is difficult, and isolated converts are vulnerable to falling away.