Minorities in Morocco

This clipping is part of the royal speech delivered during the opening of the Conference, in which Morocco was portrayed as an example of coexistence.

"A large number of Muslims moved from al-Andalus to Morocco in difficult circumstances. The Jews were also added to the Jews in Morocco. The Moroccan Muslims did not interact with them as a minority. Just like Muslims, they were present in all activities and fields. They belonged to all social classes, they contributed to the building of society and they hold official posts. They also had their own and distinctive culture. […] We in the Kingdom of Morocco do not see any justification for the deprivation of any right of religious minorities and we do not accept that this happens in the name of Islam. We are committed to protect the rights of Muslims and non-Muslims alike. [...] We enable Christians living legally in Morocco to perform their religious duties in their various denominations and churches. We are also working to ensure that Moroccan Jews enjoy the same rights as Muslims. They engage in parties, participate in elections and form associations, and they play remarkable roles in economic activity."

Context:

The rights of religious minorities in an Islamic context have been a significant issue, particularly during the period of persecution in the Middle East under the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) between 2014 and 2017. In 2016, the Marrakesh Declaration Conference on the Rights of Religious Minorities in Predominantly Muslim-Majority Communities was held under the auspices of the King of Morocco. This event brought together Muslim scholars from over 120 countries alongside leaders from non-Muslim religious groups.

During the conference's opening, the royal speech highlighted Morocco’s historical and contemporary role as a model of coexistence between Muslims and Jews. Officially, Moroccan public discourse recognizes two religious minorities: Jewish citizens and foreign Christian residents. The rest of the population is categorized as Sunni Maliki Muslims.

However, the actual religious landscape of Morocco appears more diverse. Several local religious minority groups, including Christians, Baha’is, Shia Muslims, and Ahmadiyya Muslims, seek official recognition to freely and publicly practice their faiths. The Moroccan Association of Human Rights estimates that there are approximately 25,000 Christian citizens in Morocco, while Jewish citizens are estimated to number between 3,000 and 3,500.

This clipping aims to draw attention to the question of which groups are included and excluded from the category of "religious minority". It also shows some of the gaps between official discourses around national myths of coexistence and the reality on the ground.

This raises important questions: How are decisions made about which groups qualify as "religious minorities," and what criteria are used to include or exclude them?