At least 20 Christian aid workers have been accused of proselytising and expelled from Morocco in recent weeks.
a Christian church in MoroccoIn principle, Christian groups are allowed to do charitable work in Morocco so long as they don’t try converting Muslims, who make up 98 percent of the population. In practice, hundreds of foreign Christians have been quietly spreading their faith in Morocco for years, says Jean-Luc Blanc, head of the Casablanca-based Evangelical Church of Morocco.
In the past, Mr. Blanc said the government would typically deport one or two missionaries per year whom it judged to have crossed the line. But in his nine years here, Blanc says he hasn’t seen a mass expulsion like this.
The largest incident took place at an orphanage for 33 abandoned children in the Middle Atlas mountains on Monday. Moroccan police showed up in the village of Ain Leuh, located 50 miles south of the ancient city of Fez, and separated orphans from their adoptive parents before telling the volunteers that they were accused of spreading Christianity – a crime in Morocco.
Moroccan authorities say there were responding to complaints by people who live near the orphanage who said Christians were targeting children under age 10, and according to the Interior Ministry "exploiting some families' poverty" to proselytize.Morocco's Communication Minister Khalid Naciri says the deportations are about disrespecting Moroccan law, not about religion.
Naciri says this is not an act against Christians. It is an act against people who are breaking the law. Naciri says Moroccan law deals severely with anyone who violates rules protecting religious behavior, and the government is equally severe with Muslim extremists.
photo: Christian Science Monitor
19 comments:
Morocco wants one day to join the EU!!!
So grow up and let your citizens believe in whatever fairy story they wish. Within the EU we have very many different faiths including persons who have no faith. So Morocco change or forget joining the EU.
@Piggy: If Morocco has to exchange the religion of its citizens, which is Islam, in order to join EU, we do not need this join. Stop this colonial view looking to Morocco as a student who has to prepare well for the EU exam. As we profit from EU, the latter do the same, and EU is the most profitable. Concerning, christians, they have their freedom in morocco to practise thier religion and no one have ever prevented that freedom, but there is sth called Moroccan law, and it is to be respected.
How can Morocco join the European Union being located in Africa? Morocco doesnt need foreigners to tell them to grow up...how rude!! Also,referring to Islam or Christianity or whatever religion one professes to as a "fairytale" is also incredibly offensive. If Piggy thinks that he/she speaks for Europe and Europeans...he/she doesnt!
Village of Hope is an amazing home for orphans. I volunteered there last year and did construction and sports projects. We had to sign a form that said we will not proselytize to even be considered as a volunteer. These people are innocent and the government has forced them to re-abandon 33 children. It's crazy!
Morocco is part of the EU's southern neighbourhood program for countries on the eastern and southern rim of the Med. that can't join because of their location but want trade and economic ties. So don't think that unless things dramatically change Morocco will be part of the EU whether this law changes or not. But that is besides the point. Every one should be able to practice their religion as they see fit with no pressures. Prosleytizing in this day and age is wrong. Should it be a punishable offense probably not. Live and let live!
As an Atheist I think all religions are 'fairy stories'. That is my view and if my view offends tough! Grow up Anonymous.
We are visiting Morocco and interested to note the article on Christians being expelled. On the train from Marrakech to Fez this week we were actively encouraged to accept the Islamic faith and offered an English Koran. Looks like "evangelism" is only viewed one way... KL
When I lived in Morocco, my Moroccan land lord gave me a dvd to convert me to islam. I wish the gov't would have expelled him for his proselytizing. I wish the gov't would spend more time taking care of REAL problems in that culture. How many glue addicts, poor people rummaging through garbage looking for some form of nutrition, smokers, muslims packed in the alcohol shops, drunk drivers, pot smokers, prostitutes, perverts openly sexually abusing innocent girls...(well I guess they have the right as a religion that allows you to sleep w/ 4 wives. Just like God created Adam and Eve, Eve2, Eve3, and Eve4...right?) I'm sure if their "prophet" came today, he'd be behind bars for...how old was his 1st wife??? hmmm...just like other religious zealots came. Why not worry about people that are in real need?
there are 500.000 Moroccons in the Netherlands. Over 1% have big difficulties with keeping the Dutch law. Do we sent them back?
What a contrast with these people from Village of Hope for they took care of kids who nobody wanted...
Likewise christians in The Netherlands take care of Moroccon kids nobody wants to love.
Return love and care for hate and fear...
I've lived as a stranger among Moslims in Fez, for 1,5 years...
I know these 'village of hope' people very well: they weren't proselytizing.
Moroccons needs healthy relationships education and role modelling, for that is a hughe problem amongst them...
Being exhorted to change your religion is generally tiresome. However, actively trying to convert Muslims to another faith is a crime in Morocco. All missionaries are aware of this when they arrive in the country.
If it's true that children's bible stories were found at the orphanage, then the staff were indeed proselytising.
Seeing what has happened in the civilised world i.e. home grown Muslims killing for religion makes you think we have it wrong by allowing religious freedom.
The last thing Morocco wants is home grown Christians killing for religion.
Think about it!
Ah yes! There is no compulsion in religion...unless, of course, if you happen to be a Muslim. In this case, you will be compelled to stay Muslim. This is preposterous! If Muslims believe that Islam answers the unavoidable existential questions, that all human must face, better than that any other religion, then let the free market of ideas flow. Why should Muslims fear hearing that there is indeed one God, but in Three Persons (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit)? Similarly, why should it concern the Hukumah of Morocco that Christians preach a God who created the world and all its inhabitants out of Love? Puzzling!
When people are expelled without going to court or having any evidence presented against them, it's like Morocco is taking steps backward to the rein of Hassan II where men in power did as they liked with no justice or fairness to foreigners or moroccans! How sad, now these foreign dollars are gone from the Moroccan economy as well as jobs and others will think twice about investing in Morocco...
There appears to be a widespread misunderstanding in many of these comments of just how seriously this offence is seen here. The laws are very clear and well understood. Those involved knew full-well the risks they were taking and so when the local people complained, the government had to act. Once can question the law, but until it is changed, what happened here was correct.
Bernard, once upon a time in a continent not so far from Morocco people complained to the church and witches were burnt or drowned. No need for courts or evidence either.
This time it was the Christians. When are we going to see the homosexuals being sent home? There is also a law against homosexuality.
The LAW was very clear in Nazi Germany. Jews were to be expelled or executed. Some of the comments that I have seen are preposterous. They seem to indicate that the law was clear in Maghrib. Let me only propose that neither the fact that Christians should not proselytize nor that this law is understood indicated that such is a JUST law. Why is true freedom (of speech, of thought, of religion, etc.)so repulsive to Moroccans?
The parents of the orphanage had permission to share Bible stories with their children. The did NOT commit any crime. This was a purely political move. Besides Mohammed told his followers to read from the Bible and ask questions of Christians whom he called "the People of the Book". If Mohammed were living today I believe he would be outraged at the way "The People of the Book" are being treated in Morocco.
I live in Europe and cannot tell you how many times I have been evangelized by Muslims. I use it as a time to learn about their perspective. It does not mean they are strong arming me to change my faith. They are sharing part of who they are. I dont see this as proselytizing. Moroccans are also very interested to hear my views on Christianity. It doesn't mean I am proselytizing if I tell them what I believe. The government of Morocco should be ashamed. They have expelled good people who have made Morocco their home for many years just because they are not Muslims! If England or the USA did this they would call it what it is... racism!
This is what Village of Hope proselytisers have been doing In Ain Leuh: The other side of the story.
What is Village of hope! It is a plan. Moreover it is a conspirational, wicked representational effort reflecting the most iniquitous and devilish character of the talents, skills, abilities, and processes designed and implemented by Evangelicals to effectively operate in Muslim countries. Their efforts included affiliations, relationships, courtesy along with undercover destruction of the whole value system of Muslim countries, in our case Morocco. They have a keen eye on the end product of achieving goals, objectives, and effective results to meet the changing needs of poor, illiterate and even, at least to them, "benighted” Ishmaelites. Of course, within their so-called fellowship, the Evangelicals overseas provide instructional and supportive services which the masterminds of civilizational chaos and cross-cultural wickedness make use of in pursuit of their Machiavellian goals.
Chris Broadbent and his disciples were not merely charismatic superhuman Satans as some of us used to think. Rather, they were a horde of pathetic schizoid men who had a demented vision of “purifying” the gene pool of Morocco by inseminating hatred in little innocent Muslim children. They tried aimlessly to achieve their sick goals by exercising total control over their innocent subjects in the suburbs of Ain Leuh. Acts of brainwashing were cherished inside the destitution. In other words, their ambitions, backed by their psychic numbness, justified in their deranged minds all acts of cruelty.
A few years ago, a stunning children auction took place at the hearth of the Village of Hope three miles outside Ain Leuh, Morocco. Two little innocent orphans were put on the auction block. Word of the sale had spread throughout the Evangelical world for weeks, drawing potential buyers from the four corners of the world. Village of Hope institution and other lodging spaces were quickly appropriated by the influx of visitors. In the days running up to the auction, the VOH underwent daily inspections to inspect, evaluate and determine an appropriate price for the human merchandise on display.
As Muslims, this is the first time we hear of children being sold. The rules of the auction stipulated that the kids would be sold to Evangelical "families" - defined as a husband and wife and any offspring. However, there was no guarantee that this rule would be adhered to in this case. The sale gained such renown that it attracted the attention of eminent evangelicals overseas, some of whom are descendants of the early Puritans.
I want to reveal to the readers the barbarity inherent in these proselytisers' ability to own and sell innocent little Muslim children.
The Unholy Alliance: Story of the Village of Hope
In the late 1990s, so the authentic version goes, two middle aged men came from overseas to a peaceful, pretty but poor Moroccan “Muslim” town called Ain Leuh. This pair of men, with the help of a few Moroccan money-hungry opportunists, arranged all the legal papers for an orphanage that was to be established in the outskirts of this modest town. These warlords were Errol Muller and Herman Boonstra, two landless and barely wise strangers- the first is South African and the second Dutch-. They were veteran Evangelists who had lost all kinds of clear vision when they decided to fight Muslims. In fact, they were so disillusioned by the corruption of each other that they tried vainly to kick one another off by hook or by crook. So sickened was Errol Muller by his “closest” co-operator that he summoned some other Evangelists and swore with them to rid VOH of the devil, Boonstra, who was destroying their dream : the establishment of an outpost of estranged 33 kids ready to be unleashed on the Muslim community in the years to come. In other words, the Evangelicals wanted to have a Zionist Christian minority inside our country capable of toppling the religious stability of our beloved Morocco, God forbid.
The Strategy:
On the local level, the whole group of Evangelists went from one bordello or knocking shop to another calling for she-volunteers: Wenches/prostitutes who were ready to get pregnant for money and willing to “donate “ the baby or the bastard to the institution which will make a priest out of him/her. To achieve these goals, they had to use a notorious townsman, a guy/gay or maybe pimp with some degree in “geography”. For his own benefit, we won’t mention his name. Anyway, the men who founded VOH (village of Hell) were no real ideologues, but the men who joined them, and who became their closest lieutenants were very much of a type, since some of them were the product of an Evangelist institution, while the others were ex-convicts. All of them Newborn Againers.
What those Evangelists lost sight of was that right beneath them a lot of overwhelmingly law-abiding men and women were digging down the whole stuff/staff: you know the work of the devil can easily be washed away by water.
Some patriotic Moroccans,”Moors” you might call them, have been doing the work of God simply to establish an alternative institution with strong Islamic moral Values. These are people who wish nothing more than to live in harmony with their Muslim and non-Muslim overseas neighbors.
We want to see others embrace our faith, but are no more and no less bent on world domination than Christian Evangelicals who wish to see humankind “saved”.
History teaches us that Evangelical theocracy does not work, because people simply will not put up with it.
So footloose VOH Christian Evangelicals have been!!!!!!!!!!!!
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