Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RABAT265
2009-04-01 15:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rabat
Cable title:
CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES EXPELLED FROM MOROCCO;
how-toVZCZCXRO6811 OO RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHTRO DE RUEHRB #0265/01 0911530 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 011530Z APR 09 FM AMEMBASSY RABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9877 INFO RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 000265
SIPDIS
STATE FOR DRL/IRF, DRL/NESCA AND NEA/MAG
LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2019
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL SCUL SOCI KPAO KIRF MO
SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES EXPELLED FROM MOROCCO;
DISAVOWED BY RESIDENT CHURCHES
REF: A. RABAT 0230
B. RABAT 0221
Classified By: POLCOUNS Craig Karp for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 000265
SIPDIS
STATE FOR DRL/IRF, DRL/NESCA AND NEA/MAG
LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2019
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL SCUL SOCI KPAO KIRF MO
SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES EXPELLED FROM MOROCCO;
DISAVOWED BY RESIDENT CHURCHES
REF: A. RABAT 0230
B. RABAT 0221
Classified By: POLCOUNS Craig Karp for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Moroccan authorities expelled five
expatriate female Christian missionaries from the country
Sunday morning for proselytizing and their involvement
leading a regular women's Bible study group in Casablanca,
according to press and church sources. The Moroccan women in
the study group were taken to the local police station, then
quietly released without charges. The police were responding
to an unrelated complaint from a neighbor and appear to not
have been targeting the meeting or missionary activity,
according to our source. This is the first time in more than
four years that Morocco has publicly expelled formal
missionaries from Morocco. Proselytizing is illegal in
Morocco, and while the government is clearly unhappy about
it, has generally turned a blind eye to activities it is
certainly aware of. The local Catholic Archbishop and the
head of the authorized Evangelical Church issued a press
release disavowing and criticizing proselytizing. The
expulsion comes on the heels of a crackdown on Shi,a Muslims
earlier this month and publicizing it may have been seen as
an opportunity for the GOM to show balance. End summary.
--------------
GOM Disbands Bible Study, Expels Missionaries
--------------
2. (C) Rabat Protestant International Church Pastor Jack
Wald (strictly protect) contacted PolOff Sunday morning to
report that Moroccan police entered a Casablanca apartment on
Saturday evening and arrested a group of 13 Moroccan resident
women and 5 expatriate women who were participating in a
women's Bible study. The Moroccan women were taken to the
police station, questioned and released with no charges
brought against them. A female AMCIT who is married to a
local Moroccan Christian man was a part of the 13 local women
who were questioned and released. The expatriate women (4
from Spain and 1 from Germany) were taken to Tangier,
questioned and expelled from Morocco for proselytizing. Wald
told PolOff that this is the first time in more than four
years that the GOM has taken such action against formal
missionary activity.
--------------
Bibles Instead of Brassieres
--------------
3. (C) According to Wald, authorities were called to the
Casablanca apartment by concerned citizens who also rented
apartments in the same building who suspected immoral
activity going on behind closed doors. The apartment where
the arrests took place is rented by two male Moroccan
Christian leaders who allow it to be used by local Moroccan
Christians for religious meetings. Neighbors became
concerned when they saw so many women enter the apartment
that was rented by men and notified authorities who arrived
expecting to bust a prostitution ring. They were surprised
when they found Bibles instead of brassieres and were
initially taken aback not knowing what to do. Wald informed
PolOff that the Moroccan women were escorted to the local
police station where they were politely questioned and
discreetly returned in unmarked police cars to their homes.
Wald opined that the use of unmarked police cars showed that
the authorities were trying to be low-key and not create a
big scene.
--------------
Church Concern Over Growing GOM Intolerance
--------------
4. (C) Wald shared with PolOff that although the GOM
authorities handled the matter discreetly with the local
Moroccan women, he was concerned that the Ministry of
Interior decided to make a public statement about the event.
Wald said that the GOM could have chosen to handle the entire
situation discreetly without much publicity but instead,
press reports were rampant throughout the country the next
day. "Recent GOM actions against Shi,a Muslims and
homosexuals in addition to the actions carried out against
the women's Bible Study group on Saturday appear to show a
growing intolerance toward other religions and ideas," opined
Wald (Ref A).
--------------
Proselytizing Illegal in Morocco
RABAT 00000265 002 OF 002
--------------
5. (C) The Moroccan Constitution provides for the freedom to
practice one's religion. Islam is the official state
religion and the King is the "Commander of the Faithful and
the Supreme Representative of the Muslim Community."
Non-Muslim foreign communities openly practice their faiths
in Morocco. It is, however, illegal to proselytize in
Morocco. Yet, there are numerous evangelical Christian
groups operating in Morocco, and they are largely left
unhindered as long as they refrain from publicly
proselytizing and conduct themselves in accordance with
societal expectations. Those whose religious activities
become public face expulsion (Ref B).
--------------
No Other Actions against Evangelical Workers
--------------
6. (C) PolOff contacted representatives from the
International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist
Convention (IMB) who are working throughout Morocco and asked
if they were aware of any other GOM activities targeting
their work in the country. IMB representative David Hutton
(Protect) informed PolOff that he was not aware of any
actions against their people or any other evangelical group
at this time but assured us that he would let us know if he
hears of anything new.
7. (SBU) The heads of the officially authorized Catholic
Church and the Chairman of the Evangelical Church of Morocco,
Archbishop Vincent Landel and Jean-Luc Blanc respectively,
issued a joint press release March 30, noting that they had
operated in Morocco for more than a century, disavowing and
criticizing proselytizing activities. Their churches
concentrate on a dialogue between Muslims and Christians,
they wrote, which ruled out proselytizing.
--------------
Comment
--------------
8. (C) From what we know now, it appears that authorities
were not targeting the church or even proselytizing
activities but when faced with them felt obliged to react.
This event may have provided a convenient opportunity for the
GOM to portray a sense of balance, in light of the recent
crackdown on Shi,a Muslims, but it clearly avoided an
opportunity to act against local Christians. There appears
to be a difference of views between the resident Christians,
and shorter-term foreign missionaries. The vast majority of
Christians in Morocco, even evangelicals, oppose active
clandestine proselytizing, fearing it could undermine the
relative tolerance that they experience. Post will continue
to monitor this situation closely.
*****************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Moro cco
*****************************************
Jackson
SIPDIS
STATE FOR DRL/IRF, DRL/NESCA AND NEA/MAG
LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2019
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL SCUL SOCI KPAO KIRF MO
SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES EXPELLED FROM MOROCCO;
DISAVOWED BY RESIDENT CHURCHES
REF: A. RABAT 0230
B. RABAT 0221
Classified By: POLCOUNS Craig Karp for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Moroccan authorities expelled five
expatriate female Christian missionaries from the country
Sunday morning for proselytizing and their involvement
leading a regular women's Bible study group in Casablanca,
according to press and church sources. The Moroccan women in
the study group were taken to the local police station, then
quietly released without charges. The police were responding
to an unrelated complaint from a neighbor and appear to not
have been targeting the meeting or missionary activity,
according to our source. This is the first time in more than
four years that Morocco has publicly expelled formal
missionaries from Morocco. Proselytizing is illegal in
Morocco, and while the government is clearly unhappy about
it, has generally turned a blind eye to activities it is
certainly aware of. The local Catholic Archbishop and the
head of the authorized Evangelical Church issued a press
release disavowing and criticizing proselytizing. The
expulsion comes on the heels of a crackdown on Shi,a Muslims
earlier this month and publicizing it may have been seen as
an opportunity for the GOM to show balance. End summary.
--------------
GOM Disbands Bible Study, Expels Missionaries
--------------
2. (C) Rabat Protestant International Church Pastor Jack
Wald (strictly protect) contacted PolOff Sunday morning to
report that Moroccan police entered a Casablanca apartment on
Saturday evening and arrested a group of 13 Moroccan resident
women and 5 expatriate women who were participating in a
women's Bible study. The Moroccan women were taken to the
police station, questioned and released with no charges
brought against them. A female AMCIT who is married to a
local Moroccan Christian man was a part of the 13 local women
who were questioned and released. The expatriate women (4
from Spain and 1 from Germany) were taken to Tangier,
questioned and expelled from Morocco for proselytizing. Wald
told PolOff that this is the first time in more than four
years that the GOM has taken such action against formal
missionary activity.
--------------
Bibles Instead of Brassieres
--------------
3. (C) According to Wald, authorities were called to the
Casablanca apartment by concerned citizens who also rented
apartments in the same building who suspected immoral
activity going on behind closed doors. The apartment where
the arrests took place is rented by two male Moroccan
Christian leaders who allow it to be used by local Moroccan
Christians for religious meetings. Neighbors became
concerned when they saw so many women enter the apartment
that was rented by men and notified authorities who arrived
expecting to bust a prostitution ring. They were surprised
when they found Bibles instead of brassieres and were
initially taken aback not knowing what to do. Wald informed
PolOff that the Moroccan women were escorted to the local
police station where they were politely questioned and
discreetly returned in unmarked police cars to their homes.
Wald opined that the use of unmarked police cars showed that
the authorities were trying to be low-key and not create a
big scene.
--------------
Church Concern Over Growing GOM Intolerance
--------------
4. (C) Wald shared with PolOff that although the GOM
authorities handled the matter discreetly with the local
Moroccan women, he was concerned that the Ministry of
Interior decided to make a public statement about the event.
Wald said that the GOM could have chosen to handle the entire
situation discreetly without much publicity but instead,
press reports were rampant throughout the country the next
day. "Recent GOM actions against Shi,a Muslims and
homosexuals in addition to the actions carried out against
the women's Bible Study group on Saturday appear to show a
growing intolerance toward other religions and ideas," opined
Wald (Ref A).
--------------
Proselytizing Illegal in Morocco
RABAT 00000265 002 OF 002
--------------
5. (C) The Moroccan Constitution provides for the freedom to
practice one's religion. Islam is the official state
religion and the King is the "Commander of the Faithful and
the Supreme Representative of the Muslim Community."
Non-Muslim foreign communities openly practice their faiths
in Morocco. It is, however, illegal to proselytize in
Morocco. Yet, there are numerous evangelical Christian
groups operating in Morocco, and they are largely left
unhindered as long as they refrain from publicly
proselytizing and conduct themselves in accordance with
societal expectations. Those whose religious activities
become public face expulsion (Ref B).
--------------
No Other Actions against Evangelical Workers
--------------
6. (C) PolOff contacted representatives from the
International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist
Convention (IMB) who are working throughout Morocco and asked
if they were aware of any other GOM activities targeting
their work in the country. IMB representative David Hutton
(Protect) informed PolOff that he was not aware of any
actions against their people or any other evangelical group
at this time but assured us that he would let us know if he
hears of anything new.
7. (SBU) The heads of the officially authorized Catholic
Church and the Chairman of the Evangelical Church of Morocco,
Archbishop Vincent Landel and Jean-Luc Blanc respectively,
issued a joint press release March 30, noting that they had
operated in Morocco for more than a century, disavowing and
criticizing proselytizing activities. Their churches
concentrate on a dialogue between Muslims and Christians,
they wrote, which ruled out proselytizing.
--------------
Comment
--------------
8. (C) From what we know now, it appears that authorities
were not targeting the church or even proselytizing
activities but when faced with them felt obliged to react.
This event may have provided a convenient opportunity for the
GOM to portray a sense of balance, in light of the recent
crackdown on Shi,a Muslims, but it clearly avoided an
opportunity to act against local Christians. There appears
to be a difference of views between the resident Christians,
and shorter-term foreign missionaries. The vast majority of
Christians in Morocco, even evangelicals, oppose active
clandestine proselytizing, fearing it could undermine the
relative tolerance that they experience. Post will continue
to monitor this situation closely.
*****************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Moro cco
*****************************************
Jackson