Morocco

How are Christians persecuted in Morocco?

• Christians – particularly converts from Islam – are likely to encounter severe pressure to recant their faith from their family and local community.
• Believers must meet in house churches because they cannot gain permission or official recognition to be able to gather in public.
• 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.
• Converts often face persecution from their families, including ostracism, loss of inheritance or financial support, house arrest, forced divorce and denial of access to children.
• Every year, police question numerous Christian men in Morocco for incidents such as owning a Bible or discussing the Christian faith with a Muslim. It’s also harder for Christian men to find and secure a new job if their faith is known.
• In rural areas especially, women are still expected to remain at home. As a consequence, religious persecution against women typically takes place within the family home. The high level of stigma attached to rape, or the threat of rape, makes it a highly effective weapon for religious coercion. 
• Immigrant Christians are relatively free to meet and worship, although they are often under surveillance and risk deportation if they are found to be sharing their faith with Muslims. 

Why are Christians persecuted in Morocco?

• Despite the 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.
• 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. Even on social media, believers must be very careful in what they post.
• Persecution from those in power could be linked to fear of radical Muslim groups; by appeasing them, the authorities want to prevent any unrest.
• By leaving Islam, a believer is perceived to bring ‘shame’ on his family – and so they face extreme pressure to ‘reconvert’.

Who is particularly vulnerable in Morocco?

• Converts from Islam face the highest risk of persecution from family, community and the authorities.
• It can be particularly difficult for Christians in rural areas, where the Islamic population tends to be more conservative.

What has changed in Morocco in the past year?

• Morocco rose on the World Watch List by three places this year. This is mainly due to a higher number of reported violent incidents involving house churches.
• The growing number of Moroccan Christians is increasingly leading to more incidents in the young church community.

How can I help Christians in North Africa?

Please keep praying for your brothers and sisters in Morocco. Your prayers make an enormous difference to those following Jesus no matter the cost.

Open Doors works with local partners and churches in North Africa to provide leadership and discipleship training, livelihood support, legal aid, trauma counselling, Bibles and pastoral care.

*Name changed for security reasons