Morocco, Catholicism, and Evangelism

[RonRule]

Some question(s):

My wife’s brother and their pastor (reformed baptists) recently went on a mission trip to Morocco. They requested prayers and such, and stated that it was a “closed” country and dangerous to be a christian/pastor/etc.

But Wikipedia shows that they have 2 catholic dioceses, cathedrals, etc. Is this just a case of Muslim country outlawing protestant evangelical sects and freechurch folks? Is this common in the islamic world (RCism is allowed, non-denominational protestants not allowed)?

 

[Dale_M]

I am guessing that the Roman Catholic dioceses were set up during the colonial era, and the Moroccan Catholic community is a legacy of that time. I am also guessing that the Catholics don’t try to convert Muslims.

According to an ABC (Australian) Radio news report last December,

Morocco is officially 99 per cent Muslim, and the Government has strict penalties for those convicted of trying to shake people’s faith.

Those Moroccan Muslims who do convert to Christianity face ostracism and even jail.

MARK WILLACY: Protestant pastor Jean Luc Blanc is well aware of Morocco’s strict laws preventing Muslims converting to Christianity.

And he knows that if a Moroccan was to attend his Sunday service it would lead to trouble.

JEAN LUC BLANC: There is no religious freedom in Morocco. That’s a fact. The Moroccan individual is not allowed to change from one community to the other one. Well, it’s a kind of apartheid in a way, religious apartheid.

abc.net.au/correspondents/content/2005/s1522716.htm

The U.S. State Department reports in 2004:

Any attempt to induce a Muslim to convert is illegal. According to Article 220 of the Penal Code, any attempt to stop one or more persons from the exercise of their religious beliefs or from attendance at religious services is unlawful and may be punished by 3 to 6 months’ imprisonment and a fine of $10 to $50 (115 to 575 dirhams). The article applies the same penalty to “anyone who employs incitements to shake the faith of a Muslim or to convert him to another religion.” Foreign missionaries either limit their proselytizing to non-Muslims or conduct their work quietly. The Government has cited the prohibition on conversion in the penal code in most cases in which courts expelled foreign missionaries.

Citizens who convert to Christianity and other religions generally face social ostracism, and a small number of converts have faced short periods of questioning or detention by authorities for proselytizing and have been denied issuance of passports. Voluntary conversion is not a crime under the criminal or civil Codes; however, until 5 years ago, the authorities had jailed some converts on the basis of references to Islamic law. Nevertheless, Muslim citizens are allowed to study at Christian and Jewish schools.

state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35504.htm

 

[jc-servant]

My sister’s boyfriend is a Muslim from Morroco. He told us that the government allowed some monks to maintain an ancient Catholic church where he lived although they did not allow evangelization or open mass where anyone could come. He learned how to play guitar and how to speak Spanish from the monks who were allowed to interact with the community so long as they were not teaching Christianity.

Apparently they respect your need to worship if that is already your faith, but they don’t believe in “freedom of religion” such as many Americans think is a right given around the world. I cannot imagine how these people got into Morroco as missionaries unless they lied about their purpose for coming.