Morocco and Religion

I’ve tried to stay away from writing this post, because I know it will be problematic. As such, I feel the need to clarify that, like all my blogposts, this is how I see religion in Morocco from my own view. While this may not be the view of all people in Morocco, this is how I have observed it. Furthermore, this is a HUGE topic, and as such I cannot cover every facet, but I will try to cover important topics.

Islam in Morocco Basics

Morocco is one of the least religiously diverse countries in the world today. An estimated 97%-99% of people follow Islam, the vast majority of whom follow Sunni Islam. Of the four major branches of Sunni Islam, most Moroccans follow the Maliki interpretation, which is arguably one of the most moderate interpretations. For an outline of Islam as a whole, here’s the wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam

Morocco and Prayer

When I think of Morocco, one of the first sounds I hear is the Adhan or call to prayer. Five times a day, each mosque calls worshippers to come to pray- invoking them with a rhythmic chant-like call. It sounds something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_LN0hznp-A

However, even though Morocco is a majority (97%-99%) Muslim country, life does not stop at prayer time. While the mosques are open and many go pray, the cities does not shut down. Stores stay open, the medina (the main market in town) stays alive. Life goes on.

The only time there is a notable slowdown in life is on Fridays at the noon (jumaa) prayer. Similar to Sunday mass is Christianity, the Friday prayer is seen as the most important prayer. At that time, many stores do close, and mosques fill up to the point of people praying outside the mosques.

One thing I like is that some tv channels at prayer time will take a break then play the adhan accompanied by a beautiful photo montage

Furthermore, on Fridays, the cafe I go to televises the prayer from one of the main mosques in Rabat. Sometimes the King is even there praying alongside other worshippers. It’s really cool to be able to watch it happen.

Friday is also couscous day, aka my favourite day of the week. The tradition came out of the Muslim tradition of charity. Traditionally people have the dish after Friday prayer, and give some to the poor. It’s not uncommon to see couscous sitting on a tray outside mosques.

Religion and Politics in Morocco
Islam in Morocco is clearly a part of Moroccan life, although it is practiced quite different from other countries. Morocco is a monarchy under King Mohammed VI, who claims to be a descendent of the Prophet Muhammad. As a result, the King is the only one who can speak on behalf of Islam in Morocco, unlike other states when religious scholars can issue a Fatwa (religious decree) on a subject. The King also appoints a religious committee which crafts the Friday sermon the Imams read to their followers.

Politically, the way I see it, religion is not a key factor in political decisions. Morocco has an elected parliament, comprised of multiple political parties. While the government is controlled by a mildly Islamist party and does ground some of its decisions in religious texts, the majority of its decisions are political, based on the will of the people. The difference being that the government does not consult religious texts to make decisions, but rather makes decisions based on what will get them elected in the next election.

Morocco is officially has Islam as the State Religion, however it is less strict about practice compared to other Muslim states.

Other Religions in Morocco

Although the vast majority of people in Morocco are Muslim today, this has historically not been the case. Morocco was once home to around 300 000 Jews, and Judaism has had a strong influence on the country.

The first Jews settled among the Berber tribes around the first century AD, while the second and more substantial wave came after the fall of Moorish Spain in the early 16th century. The King of Morocco gave special protection to Jews in the country, and they subsequently settled near the Royal Palaces. These areas became known as the Mellah, and have a different architecture and feel from other parts of cities.

After the creation of Israel and the rise of anti-semitism in the Muslim world, many Jews emigrated from Morocco to Israel, Canada, and Western Europe, where most still live. Today it is estimated that around 3000 remain, with most living in Casablanca.

Morocco is also home to an increasing number of Christians, mostly immigrants from West and Subsaharan Africa. However the numbers are still small. Rabat also has a beautiful Cathedral called Notre Dame de Neige (Our Lady of Snow who should be the Patron Saint of Canada). Here’s a picture from inside:

Morocco and Islamic Terrorism

This is a touchy and troubling subject. Here are some facts:
Fact: Morocco has officially been targeted by ISIS/Daesh (The Arabic name of ISIS), including again recently.
Fact: Morocco has taken serious steps to counter these threats including installing armed guards at major points of interest.
Fact: Around 1500 Moroccans have gone to fight for ISIS, according to official statistics.

This is all troubling and scary for me. However, the same threats have been levelled against every western state, and almost every Muslim state. The government here seems to be taking productive steps to stopping these threats. There is no sense of panic- instead there seems to be an increased support of the Monarchy and security institutions.

The response from the general population indicates a general hatred for extremist Islam as perverting the faith of Islam. Every time I’ve asked the question to people, the response is strongly against extremist movements, especially ISIS/Daesh).

Morocco and the Veil

Because of Morocco’s distance, both geographically and ideologically, from the Arab Peninsula, the ideas of dress and modesty differ. First the terms:

Burqa: The most concealing item of dress. A one piece robe which hides both the body and the face. Usually only includes a mesh over the eyes.
Niqab: A face and head cover which leaves the eyes uncovered. Often worn with a separate full body cover called an abaya.
Hijab: A scarf which is used to cover the head and hair, but leaves the full face visible.

In Morocco, the Burqa and Niqab are both incredibly rare. They are more common in the Middle East, Egypt, Somalia, Bangladesh, and other countries.

On the other hand, it’s not uncommon to see people wearing the hijab. It is often a personal choice, rather than an obligation. The state does not encourage or pressure people to wear it, it is almost universally a personal choice. While many choose to wear it as an act of submission to God, it does not necessarily mean that the person wearing it is religious, pious, conservative, or anything else. Some, generally older, women wear it with the Moroccan djellaba- a traditional one piece robe of bright colour with a ballin’ pointy hood. However, others will style the hijab with skinny jeans, leggings, dresses, skirts, or anything else fashionable.

My brilliant friend, Sanaa, wrote an incredible piece on the hijab and how it is perceived in Western society. Check it out: http://thewandereronline.com/the-hijab-as-a-cultural-symbol/

Finally, here’s a picture of me in a djellaba: