Freedom of religion in Morocco refers to the extent to which people in Morocco are freely able to practice their religious beliefs, taking into account both government policies and societal attitudes toward religious groups. The constitution declares that Islam is the religion of the state, with the state guaranteeing freedom of thought, expression, and assembly. The state religion of Morocco is Islam. The government plays an active role in determining and policing religious practice for Muslims, and disrespecting Islam in public can carry punishments in the forms of fines and imprisonment.
Sunni Islam and Judaism are the only religions recognized by the Moroccan constitution as native to the country, with all other religions being considered "foreign". While foreigners can generally practice their religion in peace, citizens who practice "foreign religions" face obstacles from the government and social pressure. In particular, Shia Muslims and members of the Baháʼí Faith as well as Submitters to God Alone or members of United Submitters International face discrimination from the government, as do some Christian groups. In 2022 there were no Shia mosques in the country or any mosques of Submitters dedicated to God Alone.
Historically, Morocco has oscillated between periods of religious tolerance and intolerance. From the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb in 698 through the reign Almoravid dynasty in the 11th and 12th centuries, the region experienced a period of significant religious tolerance; Jews and Christians were required to pay special taxes, but otherwise were allowed to practice their religions in peace, allowing for the flourishing of a Jewish Golden Age. The following Almohad Caliphate instituted harsh religious rule, and forced all non-Muslims to convert on pain of death. Later dynasties reinstated policies of religious tolerance, allowing Jews and Christians to return to the country, although these later dynasties were also sometimes marked by the persecution of religious minorities, either by the government or by violent mobs. During World War II, Morocco fell under the Nazi-backed Vichy Regime, which attempted to deport the Jewish population to concentration camps. This attempt was blocked by Mohammed V of Morocco, although other anti-Jewish laws were successfully passed. Following independence in 1956, Morocco established a constitution which re-established Islam as a state religion, and nominally provides for the freedom of religion, although as mentioned above, discrimination against certain minority groups continues to the present day.
Demographics
According to US Government estimates in 2022, more than 99 percent of the population was Sunni Muslim. Other groups making up the remaining 1 percent of the population include Christians, Jews, Shia Muslims, and Baháʼís.
According to Jewish community leaders in 2019, there are an estimated 3,000 to 3,500 Jews, approximately 2,500 of whom reside in Casablanca. The Rabat and Marrakech Jewish communities each have approximately 75 members.
Shia Muslim leaders estimate there are tens of thousands of Shia citizens, with the largest proportion in the north. In addition, there are an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 foreign-resident Shia from Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. Leaders of the Ahmadi Muslim community estimate their numbers at 700 while leaders of the Baháʼí community estimate there are 350–400 members throughout the country.
Christian leaders estimate there are between 2,000 and 6,000 Christian citizens distributed throughout the country, although some leaders state there may be as many as 38,000.Middle East Online website Foreign-resident Christian leaders estimate the foreign-resident Christian population numbers at least 30,000 Roman Catholics and 10,000 Protestants, many of whom are lifelong residents of the country whose families have resided and worked there for generations but do not hold Moroccan citizenship. There is a small foreign-resident Russian Orthodox community in Rabat and a small foreign-resident Greek Orthodox community in Casablanca. Most foreign-resident Christians live in the Casablanca, Tangier, and Rabat urban areas, but small numbers of foreign Christians are present throughout the country. Many are migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.
According to BBC Arabic, as of 2019 15% of the population identifies as nonreligious, an increase of 10% over 2013. According to Arab Barometer, 38% of citizens self-identified as "religious", 44% as "somewhat religious", and 13% as "not religious", with younger age cohorts displaying significantly lower levels of religiosity.
History
Early Islamic Morocco (698–1060)
Following the invasion of the Maghreb in 698 c.e., the Muslim states controlling territories that roughly correspond to present day Morocco had relatively tolerant attitudes toward their Christian and Jewish subjects, who were considered "people of the book", although they were required to pay a special religious tax known as jizya. Berbers who did not profess Abrahamic religions, however, were forced to convert to Islam. Following the Berber Revolt, the Moroccan region was divided into several Berber states, some of which maintained Islam as a state religion, while others founded syncretic religions which mixed elements of Islamic, polytheistic, and Jewish religious practice.Abun-Nasr, Jamil M. A History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period, pp. 33–34, 42; Cambridge University Press, 1987.
While Christianity would largely disappear from the region over the following century, this has been attributed to a combination of social and economic pressure, as well as the waning prestige and influence of the Christian Church in the region, rather than to persecution.The Disappearance of Christianity from North Africa in the Wake of the Rise of Islam C. J. Speel, II Church History, Vol. 29, No. 4 (December, 1960), pp. 379–397 Meanwhile, the Jewish community expanded, particularly in the then-new city of Fez (founded in 789), and experienced a golden age, which would last until roughly the 11th century. In 1033 as part of a broader military conflict, there was a massacre of Jews in Fez by invaders of the Banu Ifran tribe, with thousands killed and many sold into slavery. The rule of the early Muslim dynasties in al-Andalus and the Maghreb comprised what is referred to as a golden age of Jewish culture, which would continue until the rise of the Almohad Caliphate.
Berber dynasties (1060–1549)
Almoravid dynasty (1060–1147)
The Almoravid dynasty which came to power in the 11th century imposed stricter interpretations of Islamic law on its territories, comprising the western parts of modern Morocco, as well as the southern half of Iberia. While their rule was mostly free of major abuses against religious minorities, social hostility against them increased.Norman Roth, Jews, Visigoths, and Muslims in Medieval Spain: Cooperation and Conflict, Brill, 1994, pp.113–116. Additionally, some explicitly anti-Jewish laws were enacted, such as a ban preventing Jews from living in the new Almoravid capital of Marrakesh.M.J. Viguera. "Almoravids." Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World. Executive Editor Norman A. Stillman. Brill Online, 2014.
Almohad Caliphate (1147–1248)
The Almohad Caliphate represented a significant departure from prior religious policy, both in terms of Islamic law and the treatment of religious minorities. In matters of law, the Zahiri and Ashʿari schools were given preference, and the caliphs of the Almohad Caliphate were hostile to the Maliki school, which had been preferred by the Almoravids.Adang, "The Spread of Zahirism in al-Andalus in the Post-Caliphal Period: The evidence from the biographical dictionaries," pg. 297–346. Taken from Ideas, Images and Methods of Portrayal: Insights into Classical Arabic Literature and Islam. Ed. Sebastian Gunther, Leiden: 2005. In the 12th century, laws were passed banning all non-Zahirite religious texts;Kees Versteegh, The Arabic Linguistic Tradition, pg. 142. Part of Landmarks in Linguistic Thought series, vol. 3. New York: Routledge, 1997. by the end of the century, such books were ordered to be burned.Shawqi Daif, Introduction to Ibn Mada's Refutation of the Grammarians, pg. 6. Cairo, 1947.
The Almohads abolished the practice of preferential treatment for "people of the book", ending the practice of jizya, which was replaced by a policy of forced conversion. Following a seventh month grace period,Amira K. Bennison and María Ángeles Gallego. "Jewish Trading in Fes On The Eve of the Almohad Conquest." MEAH, sección Hebreo 56 (2007), 33–51 most of the Jews and Christians in Morocco were forced to convert to Islam on pain of death,M.J. Viguera, "Almohads". In Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, Executive Editor Norman A. Stillman. First published online: 2010 First print edition: , 2114 or fled the country.Ross Brann, Power in the Portrayal: Representations of Jews and Muslims in Eleventh- and Twelfth-Century Islamic Spain, Princeton University Press, 2009, pp. 121–122. Many cases of Jews and Christians choosing to die as martyrs were recorded. Converts were further treated with suspicion, and were forced to wear identifying clothing.
Marinid and Wattasid dynasties (1248–1549)
The Marinid dynasty which followed the Almohad Caliphate represented a return to previous policies of religious tolerance. Members of minority religions, particularly Jews, were appointed to high-ranking official posts in Morocco during this period. The end of the dynasty's rule, however, was punctuated by the 1465 Moroccan revolt, during which almost the entire Jewish community of Fez was killed. During the reign of the Wattasid dynasty which followed, the Jewish population recovered significantly, as refugees fleeing the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition settled in Morocco.
Arab dynasties (1549–1830)
Saadi dynasty (1549–1659)
The Saadi dynasty reimposed heavy taxes against non-Muslims, but also continued to appoint non-Muslims to positions of authority in Morocco. Local rulers, as well as general Arab society, were not always as tolerant, at times subjecting non-Muslims to harsh humiliations.
Independent Alaouite Morocco (1666–1880)
Many of the sultans of the Alaouite dynasty appointed non-Muslims to positions of power, although as a consequence of various power struggles and succession crises, non-Muslims who were awarded with high appointments by one sultan were sometimes later singled out for punishment by his successor. The position of town consul in Morocco was held almost exclusively by Jewish merchants until 1875. Towards the end of this era, European powers extended "protection" to Jewish communities in Morocco, and then used this as a pretext to interfere in Moroccan politics. During the Spanish-Moroccan War of 1859, Jewish communities in Morocco were subject to pogroms.
In 1864, Muhammad IV passed a royal decree granting equal rights to Jews. This decree, however, was largely ignored by local authorities. The following sultan, Hassan I, continued his predecessors' policies of tolerance.
European dominion (1912–1956)
As the 19th century drew to a close, Morocco fell further under the control of European powers, particularly France and Spain. Following the Agadir Crisis, Morocco was divided into French and Spanish protectorates, which officially recognized Roman Catholicism, Judaism, and Islam as the three religions of Morocco. During this period, intellectuals in the nascent Moroccan nationalist movement tended to advocate for a secular state, favoring the separation of church and state and opposing the influence of religious authorities. The popularity of these tendencies could be attributed first to French republican ideals such as laïcité, and later to the influence of Marxism in Moroccan nationalist politics.