The US International Religious Freedom Report for 2013, just released, does not make for happy reading. Christianity in Syria is a shadow of its former self, it states. One wonders how the report would describe Christianity in Iraq today, where ISIS has given Assyrian Christians in Mosul an ultimatum - convert or leave. The report does not even bother to point out that Judaism in the Arab Middle East is almost extinct - except in Morocco where some 2,500 Jews still live 'in safety'.
Here is an analysis by Aziz Alilou in Morocco World News of his country's record of religious tolerance:
Here is an analysis by Aziz Alilou in Morocco World News of his country's record of religious tolerance:
Hailing Morocco for its constitutional, legal, and political protection of religious freedom, the 2013 International Religious Freedom Report
states that the Moroccan constitution and other laws and policies
“generally protect freedoms of worship and conscience, but restrict
attempts to convert Moroccans from Maliki Islam. The constitution
stipulates that Islam is the religion of the state and that the state
guarantees the free exercise of religion,”the report said.
However, while the free exercise of
religion is guaranteed, all citizens, including members of Parliament,
who are normally immune to arrest, as well as the media, “may be
prosecuted on charges of expressing opinions injurious to Islam.”
The report goes on to say that the
Moroccan government permits the display and sale of Bibles in French,
English, and Spanish, and a limited number of Arabic translations of the
Bible are available for sale in select bookshops.
The Moroccan government does not require
the designation of religion on passports or national identity
documents. Nor are there any prohibitions on religious clothing or
symbols in either the public or private sphere.
The Moroccan government gives
“preferential treatment to Islam of the Maliki School and to
Judaism,”according to the Report. “The government’s annual education
budget funds the teaching of Islam in all public schools and Judaism in
some public schools. The government also funds the study of Jewish
culture and its artistic, literary, and scientific heritage at some
universities. At the University of Rabat, Hebrew and comparative
religion are taught in the Department of Islamic Studies. Approximately a
dozen professors teach Hebrew throughout the country,” the report
stated.
While the report highlighted many
positive facets of religious freedom in Morocco, it noted that some
Moroccan Christians reported increased police harassment. “Christians
continued to report societal scrutiny and pressure from non-Christian
family and friends.”On the other hand, “Jews lived in safety throughout
the country,”the report said.
According to the report, while the
Moroccan law permits Sunni Muslims of the Maliki school of Islam to
proselytize, it prohibits efforts to convert Sunni Muslims to other
religions.
Because religious freedom in Morocco is
guaranteed by law, any act of preventing or impeding a person from
worship or attending worship services of any religion can be punished by
six months to three years of imprisonment and a fine of 115 to 575
dirhams ($14 to $68).
While voluntary conversion from Islam to
another religion is not a crime under the criminal or civil codes, the
government considers it an offense (my emphasis) to proselytize and convert Moroccan
Sunni Muslims to other religions, and anyone accused of such an offense
will be subject to the same penalty.
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