As Morocco prepares for a battle at the polls, Christian organizations are demanding that political parties address freedom of belief and the rights of religious minorities.
On September 23, the country will elect all 395 members of its House of Representatives, an exercise that will shape the country’s next parliamentary majority and its political agenda at least for the next term. According to Moroccan media reports, The Coordination of Moroccan Christians and The Union of Moroccan Christians say that they want political parties to include these freedoms in their electoral and government programmes.
The President of The Union of Moroccan Christians announced that the organization has engaged some parties regarding its proposals and possible political participation. He also said that an appeal sent through a senior member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party received no response. Currently, the group is not formally authorized by Moroccan authorities but says it will decide on whether to encourage Moroccan Christians to vote after reviewing candidates and their platforms.
Meanwhile, Mustapha Soussi, secretary-general of the Coordination of Moroccan Christians has alleged that several parties remain hesitant to engage publicly because they fear losing votes from the muslim population of the country. In a memorandum issued on August 21, the group stressed that it is not looking for special privileges, but is fueled by belief in the principle of “equality in dignity and rights,” and in ensuring freedom of belief in the framework of the law.
The group plans to continue discussions after the election because most parties have already prepared their electoral programmes. Both groups believe that political parties generally treat religious freedom as an individual matter instead of crafting formal policies pertaining to the rights of minorities in the country where the majority of citizens identify as Muslims.
Amid these demands, are legal complexities birthed by the country’s constitution, which identifies Islam as the religion of the state. Simultaneously, it guarantees freedom to practice religious affairs. In addition, the country’s monarchy has a prominent religious role, as King Mohammed VI holds the constitutional title of Commander of the Faithful. This title grants the monarch supreme and independent religious authority over the nation.
As a result, Islam has a constitutional advantage while also claiming to recognize religious freedom as a fundamental principle.
This contrast has impacted Moroccan citizens who identify as Christian for years, as Morocco permits the operation of 44 registered Christian churches serving foreign residents, in locations where foreign residents and visitors can worship without restriction.
Authorities, however, have allegedly denied Christian organizations made up of Moroccan citizens the right to establish new churches and to conduct Christian or civil marriage and funeral services.
The U.S. State Department has also reported that these citizens have encountered roadblocks in establishing churches and organizing Christian marriage and funeral services.