Morocco’s long-dormant debate over religious freedom has resurfaced just as a new government takes shape. Two associations representing the country’s Christian community have sent a memorandum to the newly appointed head of government, Fatima Zahra Mansouri, laying out a set of demands that have gone unanswered for years.
The letter comes from the Moroccan Coordination of Christians and the Union of Moroccan Christians, two groups that say they have already approached former heads of government Saad Eddine El Othmani and Aziz Akhannouch on the same issues, without seeing any tangible progress. Their decision to try again, this time with Mansouri, reflects both frustration with years of inaction and a cautious hope that a new administration might finally listen.
The memorandum lists five concrete requests. The first is the right to worship openly and safely in recognized churches, under a clear legal and administrative framework rather than the informal tolerance that currently prevails. The second calls for a legal mechanism to formally register civil or religious marriages conducted according to Christian rites, something that currently falls into a legal grey zone. Third, the associations want administrative hurdles removed so that newborns can be registered with Christian first names without complications at the civil registry. Fourth, and arguably the most sensitive point, they are asking that Islamic religious education be made optional for Christian students, paired with access to religious instruction that matches their own faith. Finally, the memorandum calls for designated burial grounds that respect Christian funeral rites.
Notably, both groups took care to restate their loyalty to Moroccan national identity and their respect for the Kingdom’s institutions, including the religious authority of King Mohammed VI as Commander of the Faithful. They describe themselves as ready for genuine dialogue with the head of government, while noting that restrictions on religious practice persist, a point echoed in past international reports on religious minorities in the region.
The timing is notable: Mansouri has only just taken office and is still assembling her cabinet. Whether this long-standing file, largely shelved under previous governments, finally earns a place on the new executive’s agenda remains an open question.
