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Christian, Bahai, and Shia Muslim citizens are facing societal, familial and cultural pressure in Morocco because of their faith, according to the US Department of State International Religious Freedom report for 2017, released Tuesday.
Investigating the status of religious freedom in 200 countries and giving an overview of the abuses committed by the government, terrorist groups or individuals in this regard, the survey believes that religious minorities in Morocco are facing a series of restrictions when trying to practice their faith.
«According to human rights organizations and local Christian leaders, the government detained and questioned some Christian citizens about their beliefs and contacts with other Christians», reported the US department of state. Fearing government harassment, some of these citizens alongside Shia Muslims in the Kingdom decided to hold meetings in their homes.
Some Christian converts have even «been pressured by the authorities to renounce their faith», wrote the same source.
For the Bahai community, things are slightly different. According to the US State Department’s annual report, Bahai citizens in Morocco practiced their religion without formal registration. However, they have been prevented in October by the authorities from «publically celebrating the bicentennial of the birth of the faith’s founder».
Moreover, some minority religious groups have not been able to register as associations, says the survey.
When it comes to the status and societal respect granted to religious minorities in the Kingdom, the US State Department reported that :
«Christian, Shia Muslim, and Bahai citizens, said fear of societal harassment, including ostracism by converts’ families, social ridicule, employment discrimination, and potential violence against them by 'extremists', were the main reasons leading them to practice their faiths discreetly».
Christian, Shia and Bahai communities when trying to hold a conference to demand legal protection have faced «backlash» from members of the ruling party Justice and Development Party (PJD).
Societal pressure
On the other hand, Christians have reported being socially pressured to renounce their faith. Some converts have been unable to voice their religious orientations to their families and friends fearing rejection and societal harassment.
Bahai citizens were openly accepted by their families and friends but feared the reaction of extremist elements in society.
Although they remain a minority (accounting for less than 1% of the population), Jews freely practiced their faith in Morocco, visited synagogues and held annual commemorations.
For the record, Sunni Muslims in Morocco account for 99% of the population (34.0 million in July 2017) while Shia Muslims represent 0.1 of it, according to governmental estimates. Less than 1 percent of the population includes Christians, Jews, and Bahais.
