Missions in Morocco

Roman historian Gaius Crispus Sallust wrote that the first occupiers of Morocco were Libyan, a people, “without any form of religion…”.[1] He notes that the aboriginals were followed by white-skinned peoples “of Semitic stock”[2]. It is said that Jews were in Morocco before the First Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. One website speaks of legends which say,

“in the days of Solomon and the Phoenicians, the Hebrews came to Sala (Chella) in the vicinity of Salé (Rabat) in order to purchase gold in large quantities”.[3] Additionally, it recalls Joab being “sent to Morocco to fight the Philistines, who had been driven out of Canaan,”.[4] Joab is mentioned in relation to David frequently throughout the Old Testament (I Kings, and I and II Samuel). As he was David’s, Commander of the Army, it is not difficult to assume that might have been the Joab of these legends.[5]

          North Africa, especially the Maghreb, experienced Jewish missions long before the Arabs made their conquests of the area. There was a large population of North African Jews, some of them converted from the Berbers, in the 6^th and 7^th centuries.[6] Due to persecution, many Spanish Jews fled the Iberian Peninsula and settled in North Africa, as well.

Hebrew and Greek tombstone inscriptions near Fez and Rabat, attest to this Jewish populace[7].

          Germanic Vandals, as well as Romans, eventually invaded the region containing Morocco, but to little religious effect.[8] Raiders along the coast in the fifty years after Mohammed’s death opened the door to Islam in North Africa. The incursions occurred through a convenient opening in the Atlas Mountains, the Taza Gap. Frequent tribal conflict necessitated the assistance of foreign help, but these outsiders brought along their religion, etc., and their support ultimately led to subjugation. By the early 8^th century, Islam had gained a stronghold via three-pronged contact. Bedouin tribes to the West “infested Upper Egypt” as marauders, as one website quotes.[9]

Another group, led by a descendant of Mohammed found asylum with the Berber, who cast him into leadership of the sect. A third group of Berbers who inhabited the area between the Mediterranean and the Western Sahara were influenced by Sanhaja chiefs who returned from a pilgrimage to Mecca full of Islamic fervor, introducing Sunni beliefs. This triangulation of conversion led to Islamic dynasties that proceeded to rule Morocco for centuries, becoming more powerful, authoritarian and zealous.[10]

          In the Middle Ages, Frankish Jews, from Holland and other northern European locations, came to Morocco to escape persecution.[11] This may seem antithetical, as Muslims and Jews are notorious historic rivals. However, the established Jewry long existing in Morocco, as well as the relatively hands-off policies regarding Jews and Christians made this Islamic state a hospitable option. As time passed and the rulers of Morocco came and went, policies changed. At times this led to harsher circumstances for non-Muslims, while at other times, the severity diminished. Ultimately, however, few Jews continued to relocate to the ever-evolving Islamic nation, until nowadays all that remain are mostly elderly Jews. They, along with Christians, make up only 1% of the Moroccan population.[12]

One of the earliest Christian missionaries to Morocco was an American, George C. Reed, who arrived in 1897. He spent 54 years preaching throughout Morocco and Mali, translating the Bible into a challenging Berber dialect, and living among the various tribes.[13] Another was Paul E. Freed, who arrived in Morocco in 1952 to create a radio station to transmit the Gospel over the what became, the Voice of Tangiers.[14]

As recently as 2004, there were as many as 800 missionaries who accounted for 1000 conversions to Christianity, although these numbers remain unofficial due to fear of reprisals, if recorded.[15] Catholic and Christian missions continue to be the modern-day evangelical presence in Morocco, but usually surreptitiously.[16] Modern law prohibits proselytizing,[17] and those found with Arabic Bibles can be imprisoned.[18] Nevertheless, mission groups representing various Protestant faiths, and the Catholic Church, have established businesses in the country which fund their covert work.[19] Although the Moroccan constitution guarantees freedom of religion, Islam is the state religion, and mission work is basically forbidden.[20] Muslims who convert do not face imprisonment or death, as in some other African and Middle Eastern Islamic countries, but they are usually excommunicated by family and friends and fellow Muslims, and lose their jobs.[21] Neither missionaries, nor converts, in Morocco may live their faith in the open, and remain consigned to the shadows for living out or sharing their faith.[22]. 

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[1] "The Political and Economic History of Morocco," The Political and Economic History of Morocco, accessed February 23, 2017, http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/morocco.htm.

[2] Ibid.

[3] "Morocco Virtual Jewish History Tour," Jewish Virtual Library, 2008, accessed February 23, 2017, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/morocco-virtual-jewish-history-tour.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid., Political and Economic.

[7] Ibid., Morocco Virtual History.

[8] Ibid., Political and Economic.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid., Morocco Virtual History

[12] Kacie Graves, "Christians in Morocco: A Crisis of Faith," U.S. News & World Report, September 30, 2015,  accessed February 23, 2017, https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/09/30/christians-in-morocco-a-crisis-of-faith.

[13] Gerald H. Anderson, "Diary of African Christian Biography," George C. Reed, Morocco / Mali, Gospel Missionary Union, accessed February 23, 2017, http://www.dacb.org/stories/morocco/reed_george.html.

[14] Howard Culbertson, "February Missions History: It Happened Today...," Missions History: What Happened on This Date in February, 2002, accessed February 23, 2017, https://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/february.htm.

[15] "Christian Missionaries Eye Morocco," Morocco Muslim Population Article, accessed February 23, 2017, http://www.muslimpopulation.com/africa/Morocco/.

[16] Ibid., Graves.

[17] "Missionaries Seek New Converts in Morocco and North Africa," UsIslam, accessed February 23, 2017, http://www.usislam.org/missionaries/Missionaries-in-Morocco-and-North-Africa.htm.

[18] "Religious Beliefs In Morocco," WorldAtlas, October 27, 2016, accessed February 03, 2017, http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/religious-beliefs-in-morocco.html.

[19]. Ibid., Christian Missionaries.

[20] Ibid., Missionaries Seek New.

[21] Tom Pfeiffer, "Christian Missionaries Stir Unease in North Africa," Reuters, December 15, 2008, accessed February 23, 2017, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-maghreb-missionaries-idUSTRE4BE0JL20081215

[22] Ibid., Graves.

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Pictures (chronologically):

Edward Poynter, The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, 1890, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, in Wikipedia Commons, accessed February 23, 2017, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:'The_Visit_of_the_Queen_of_Sheba_to_King_Solomon',_oil_on_canvas_painting_by_Edward_Poynter,_1890,_Art_Gallery_of_New_South_Wales.jpg

Yvonne Garcia, "The History of the Crypto-Jews/Hispanic Sephardic Jews," map, The Association of Crypto-Jews, accessed February 23, 2017, http://cryptojew.org/the-history-of-the-crypto-jewshispanic-sephardi.

                 Bedouin Berbers, 1000 Images of Beduoin Berbers, in Google Images, , accessed February 23, 2017, https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/6e/40/96/6e409620c075f2a1477695c28300fa5c.jpg.

                 Trans World Radio - A Tribute. On the Shortwaves, Letterhead. 1956.