Mission Charity Helps ‘Attenuate Odium'

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30368, 18 February 1964, Page 20

Mission Charity Helps ‘Attenuate Odium'

RABAT, (Morocco.) i Christianity is a minority faith in the predominantly Moslem, newly independent countries of North Africa . today, and is likely to remain so for years to come, at least in Morocco.

In most independent Moslem states at the present time, there is a tendency to associate Christianity, to a greater or lesser extent, with i colonialism, because it is the religion of the former colonising powers. In Morocco, it is tolerated but not condoned. The Moroccan Constitution guarantees fredom of worship for all, but the Penal Code publisfied last June emphatically forbids proselytism, or missionary work, aimed at converting Moslems to another faith. An article of the code says it is an offence “to use means of seduction to shake the faith of a Moslem or convert him to another religion, either by exploiting his weakness or needs, or by using to the same end educational or health organisations, homes or orphanages.” Penalty for Breach The penalty for offences against the article are from six months’ to three years’ imprisonment and fines of up to about £36.

Although freedom of worship is guaranteed under the Moroccan Constitution, Islam is the state religion, and the law of the land is based on the precepts of Moslem dogma which, in turn, is founded on the tenet that Islam is the only true faith. Thus, the State cannot condone any attempt from whatever quarter to woo its citizens from Islam. Even before the Penal Code was promulgated, three members of the Bahai sect were sentenced to death last December, and nine others sent to prison, after being found guilty of heresy and proselytism. Nevertheless, approximately 239.000 Christians living in Morocco, nearly all of them Romain Catholics of French or Spanish nationality, enjoy complete freedom of worship They have a Cathedral in Rabat, which is the seat of the Archbishop of Morrocco, the Most Rev. Amadee Lefevre, and they run 35 schools, which are attended by over 5000 Moroccan Moslem children as well as Christian children. Conversion Forbidden In general, however, the Romain Catholic Church has never tried to proselytise in Morocco. When the French established a Protectorate over the country in 1912, the French colonfist, Marshal Hubert Lyautey, expressely forbade Roman Catholic missionary work, ordering that the Moslem religion and its institutions remain inviolate. Thus, neither during the 44 years of the protectorate regime nor since independence in 1956 has there been any serious religious conflict between Christians and Moslems in Morocco. Now, it found guilty of pro-

Roman Catholics and members of other Christian sects have been allowed to practise their religion freely. If the Roman Catholics, particularly. have made no sustained efforts to convert Moslems, it is also true that the Moslems have not tried to impose their beliefs on Hie infidels. Protestants’ Activity There are however, in Morocco 196 British and American missionaries, nearly all of whom are Protestants, whose avowed aim is to convert Moslems to Christianity. They are spread all over the country, in the major cities and tiny hamlets. Most of them run schools teaching children to read and wrtte Arabic with Bible text's. Others run hospitals, like the Tuloch Memorial Hospital in Tangier, run by the North Africa Mission or small dispensaries and child-care clinics in the countryside. All their activities in the educational, health and social fields are admitted to be part of their missionary designs. In the hospitals and schools patients and pupils are continually subjected to missionary overtures. It is this aspect of missionary work which is condemned by the Penal Code.

selytism, a missionary establishment can be closed permanently or for a period of up to three years. The threat of the Protestant missionaries to Islam in Morocco would appear to be small, judging by results. In the last 60 years no more | than 500 Moroccans have been converted, the missionaries say, and many of them are blacksliders. On the other hand, sever■al thousand Europeans are I known to have embraced : Islam and numerous I Moroccan Jews, particularly I young girls, have also been converted to the religion of ! Mohamomed. ! As there are about 12,000,000 Moslems in the country, most 1 observers agree that the misi sionaries present no danger ! to Islam, whereas they do an incalculable amount of good I work by feeding, clothing, j teaching and healing the poor. If they preach the Gospel I while doing so, they do at I least help to earn a good name for Christianity. I One Roman Catholic priest commented: i “Christianity has too often jbeen associated with colon- | ialism because it is the I religion of the colonising I powers, so that the charitable [ work of the missionaries helps Ito attenuate the odium.”