Moroccan Christian groups have called on Head of Government-designate Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri to address their demands for equal citizenship and freedom of belief in her government’s program.
In a memorandum sent to El Mansouri last week, the Coordination of Moroccan Christians and the Union of Moroccan Christians reiterated demands they said they had previously submitted to former heads of government Aziz Akhannouch and Saad Eddine Al Othmani.
The groups called for Moroccan Christians to be able to openly and safely practice their faith in officially recognized churches, within what they described as a clear legal and administrative framework.
They also called for a legal framework allowing Christian couples to marry through civil or church ceremonies, rather than being required to use marriage contracts that do not reflect their religious beliefs, according to the memorandum.
The groups urged authorities to allow Christian parents to give their children Christian names and register them with civil-status offices.
On education, they proposed making Islamic education optional for Moroccan Christian children and facilitating access to Christian religious education in schools.
They also called for designated burial spaces for Moroccan Christians where the dead could be buried according to Christian religious rites and traditions.
The groups stressed that they were not seeking special privileges, but equal citizenship, dignity and freedom of belief.
They said they hoped the next government would take steps to address their demands in line with Morocco’s constitutional and international commitments.
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