Bahá'í Faith in Morocco
Encyclopedia
The Bahá'í Faith in Morocco began about 1946. In 1953 the Bahá'ís initiated a Ten Year Crusade
during which a number of Bahá'ís pioneered
to various parts of Morocco - many of whom came from Egypt
and a few from the United States including Helen Elsie Austin
. By April 1955 the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of Ceuta
was elected. By January 1958 the first Bahá'í summer school was held in Rabat
. By spring 1958 the Bahá'í population may have been 100 and there were six assemblies and a regional committee coordinated activities promulgating the religion. In 1960 the first all-Moroccan local assembly was elected in Zaouiat Cheikh
and most of its members were Berbers
. On December 7, 1961 an article in Al Alam laments the decline of Islam and attacks the Bahá'ís. During the year Bahá'í homes are entered by police and literature of the religion is taken. On April 12 four Bahá'ís are arrested in Nador. A regional National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa was organized which included Morocco in 1962. In 1963 a survey of the community counted 10 Assemblies, 12 organized groups (between 1 and 9 adults) of Bahá'ís. In 1963 the arrests in Morocco had gotten attention from Hassan II of Morocco
, US Senator Kenneth B. Keating and Roger Nash Baldwin
, then Chairman of the International League for the Rights of Man and would echo in analyses of politics of Morocco for years to come. All Bahá'í meetings were prohibited in 1983 followed by arrests. This time the response emphasized the non-partisan and obedience to government principles of the religion. 1992 estimates by the US Department of State counted some 150-200 Bahá'ís. while 2001 through 2009 estimates mention the Bahá'í community at 350 to 400 persons. However Association of Religion Data Archives
and Wolfram Alpha
estimated 30,000 Bahá'ís in 2005 and 2010, the third largest religion in the country.
during which a number of Bahá'ís pioneered
to various parts of Morocco - many of whom came from Egypt
and a few from the United States. Since these were first arrivals in the country they were listed as Knights of Baha'u'llah
for introducing the religion to Morocco. Starting in September for the Moroccan International Zone
they were: Manuchihi Hizari, Hurmuz Zindih; then in October more arrivals came - Dr. Helen Elsie Austin
and Muhammad-'Ali Jalili came. In November Husayn & Nusraat Ardikani, 'Ali Akhbar & Shayistih Rafi'i, and 'Abbas Rafi'i arrived. For Spanish Morocco
in October 1953 they were: Fawzi Zaynu'l-'Abidin & family, Luella McKay, John & Earleta Fleming, and Alyce Janssen. Others arrived in April 1954 - Richard & Evelyn Walters and Richard & Mary L. Suhm. Helen Austin was teaching at the American School of Tangier
from 1954 to 1957. She was a member of the regional National Assembly of North and West Africa (1953–58), and, in her lifetime, Local Spiritual Assemblies in five countries—including Morocco. By February 1955 there is mention of conversions from the Moroccan population. By April 1955 the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Ceuta
, an enclave of Spain in Morocco, was elected. Sometime during 1956 a Roman Catholic priest lodges a complaint against the Bahá'ís of Morocco with the Moroccan Security Service. By January 1958 the first Bahá'í Summer School was held in Rabat. By spring 1958 the Bahá'í population may have been 100 and there were six assemblies and a regional committee is coordinating activities promulgating the religion. In 1960 the first all-Moroccan local assembly was elected in Zaouiat Cheikh and most of its members were Berbers
. A regional National Spiritual Assembly for North East is organized in 1956. In 1957 the first Tuareg joins the religion. Louella McKay was another pioneer from about spring 1959 through the fall of 1963 in Spanish Morocco.
A regional National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa was organized in 1962-3 including the merging countries of French
, Spanish Morocco
and the Moroccan International Zone
centered on Tangiers. In 1963 a survey of the community counted 10 Assemblies, 12 organized groups of Bahá'ís and 8 isolated individuals. The assemblies were: Casablanca
, Ceuta
, Fez
, Kenitra
, Larache
, Marrakesh, Meknès
, Nador
, Rabat
, Sala
, Tetuan and Zaouiat Cheikh
.
there were episodes of religious persecution in 1962-1963, on the basis of condemnation from Allal El Fassi when 15 Bahá'ís were arrested for their religious convictions; three were given death sentences On December 7, 1961 an article in Al Alam laments the decline of Islam and attacks the Bahá'ís. During the year Bahá'í homes are entered by police and literature of the religion is taken. On April 12 four Bahá'ís are arrested in Nador. In September the Bahá'ís in the United States contacted Hassan II of Morocco
during a visit to the United Nations. On October 31, fourteen Bahá'ís are arrested and are charged with rebellion, disorder, attacks on public security, being an association of criminals, and attacking religious faith. On 10 December the trial begins with charges of sedition. On the 14th the verdict is given - four are acquitted as they claim to be Muslims, one is acquitted through family connections, one is released on 15 years probation, five are committed to life imprisonment and three are sentenced to death. The sentences are appealed to the Moroccan supreme court. Initially Bahá'ís did not publicize the events. On December 17, 1962 news is released among the Bahá'ís and efforts are aimed at asking for the applicability of the UN charter which condemns religious intolerance. On January 31 Roger Nash Baldwin
, then Chairman of the International League for the Rights of Man, appeared before a UN sub-commission of Preventing Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and states that, as far as they knew, the Bahá'í prisoners in Morocco are the only example in recent history where members of a religions have been condemned to death solely for holding and expressing religious views regarded as heretical. There were months of diplomatic efforts; US Senator Kenneth B. Keating stated in the U.S. Senate on February 18, 1963, "How far religious freedom under the Moroccan Constitution really applies, will be revealed in the coming weeks when the appeal before the Supreme Court [of Morocco] is heard." On March 31, 1963 during a visit to the United States and the United Nations, Hassan II of Morocco
was interviewed on television on Meet the Press
then with Lawrence E. Spivak
and was asked about the treatment of Bahá'ís in his own country. He addressed the audience saying that the Bahá'í Faith was not a religion and "against good order and also morals". However on April 2 he makes a public statement that if the Supreme Court confirms the penalty of death that he would grant them a royal pardon. However on November 23 the Supreme Court hears the appeals and reversed the decision of the lower court. On December 13 the prisoners are actually released. Coverage in newspapers of the day included Wisconsin, Winnipeg and Lethbridge, Canada and Elyria Ohio as well as the New York Times The New Republic
January 25, 1964 issue had an article by Roger Nash Baldwin
, founder of the American Civil Liberties Union
and member of the International League for the Rights of Man (an organization accredited by the UN which aims to spread civil liberties around the world). Baldwin mentions how the League, by applying public pressure on the King of Morocco helped save the lives of the Bahá'í prisoners who had been sentenced to death. Baldwin was quoted discussing the League, "All this adds up to the very tiny beginnings of a system by which the UN itself would examine and process complaints and ultimately help set up a world court of human rights."
Morocco, Old Land, New Nation published in 1966 discusses briefly the exploitation of the religion by a Moroccan political party, in an effort to dramatize a claim "to be the stanch defender of faith and country," and the resultant persecution and imprisonment of several young Baha'i men from Nador. Concerning the Faith, the authors write: "The attractiveness of the movement stemmed from its belief in world brotherhood (a factor in its recent appeal in certain parts of Africa), the dedication of its organizers, and the vitality of its discussions, which contrasted sharply with the small concern in Morocco with the possibility of modernizing Islam." The reactions of various Moroccan leaders, newspaper publicity, and the final reversal of the convictions are noted.
. A summer school in Meknes was held August 1–7, 1966, which attracted about forty participants. Basic courses on administration and history were given, with additional lectures on special topics such as Women and the Bahá'í Faith
, Bahá'í Faith and education
, and a special study of the Message of the Universal House of Justice
to Bahá'í youth. The First winter school was held in Rabat February 25–26, 1967 with twenty-five communities represented. In before fall 1967 Hands of the Cause
William Sears
and Shu'á'u'lláh `Alá' met with the Bahá'ís in Casablanca and the regional national assembly for a week. The fifth national summer school was held in Meknes September 3–9, 1967, with about 70 attendees from 14 localities. A young girl from Marrakech delivered a prepared lecture on the role of women in the Baha'i Faith presenting an example of women as efficient and active participants. The annual convention for the regional assembly was held in Rabat in April 1968. An international conference was held in Madrid in early April, 1969, organized by the National Youth Committee of Spain with over thirty young Baha'is attendees, representing Austria, England, France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. In 1968 a Bahá'í was arrested and would spend four years in prison. The 1970 French summer school, held at Annecy/Sevrier from August 30 to September 8, had attendees of 150 persons from Germany, England, Belgium, Denmark, India, Luxembourg, Dominica, Morocco, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia. However in 1970 the annual Convention did not take place due to the situation in Morocco. The elections were accomplished through mail correspondence. On October 6, 1971 Morassa (Yazdi) Rawhani, a pioneer since February 1957, died. She had actively participated in the formation of two assemblies of Rabat and Sale. Her burial in the Bahá'í Cemetery at Rabat, was attended by a large number of believers of Morocco, the majority native believers; also in attendance was a representative from the Iranian Embassy in Rabat. After four years of imprisonment Allal Rouhani has been released and on January 30, 1972, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of North-West Africa held a luncheon attended by about sixty Bahá'ís and friends from all the local assemblies in the area. The Universal House of Justice was represented by Salim Nounou from France.
In 1975 the regional assembly of North West Africa was split into North and West separately. The regional National Assembly of Northern Africa included Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Spanish Sahara. In July 1975 the National Summer School of Spain in July which was at- tended by believers from Spain, Germany, France, and Morocco. More than one parent/child conference was sponsored by the Bahá'ís of Morocco to mark the International Year of the Child
. At the discussions on the draft of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief at the Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs Committee of the United Nations General Assembly
there were several mentions of situation of the Bahá'ís in Iran - the Moroccan delegate made reference to "religious fanaticism" in a statement which also provoked a reply from Iran. Manuchihi Hizari, one of the first Bahá'ís in Morocco, left with his family in 1982 for the United States where he died in 2010. However persecutions occurred again in Morocco in 1983. All Bahá'í meetings were prohibited. In June 1984 a Bahá'í in Tetuan is arrested and sentenced to three years in prison for violating the ban on meetings. A response to these developments was to seek diplomatic redress emphasizing the non-partisan and obedience to government principles of the religion.
Bahá'ís have more recently been denied passports and can practice their religion only in private.
.
and Wolfram Alpha
estimated 30,000 Bahá'ís in 2005 and 2010, the third largest religion in the country.
Ten Year Crusade
The Ten Year World Crusade was launched by Shoghi Effendi in an effort to facilitate an organized expansion of the Bahá'í Faith....
during which a number of Bahá'ís pioneered
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
to various parts of Morocco - many of whom came from Egypt
Bahá'í Faith in Egypt
The Bahá'í Faith in Egypt has a history over a century old. Perhaps the first Bahá'ís arrive in 1863. Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the religion, was himself briefly in Egypt in 1868 when on his way to imprisonment in `Akká. The first Egyptians were converts by 1896...
and a few from the United States including Helen Elsie Austin
Helen Elsie Austin
Helen Elsie Austin was an attorney, US Foreign Service Officer, and member of the Bahá'í National Spiritual Assemblies in the United States and North West Africa. She was among the first African Americans admitted to the practice of law in the United States.-Personal life:Austin was born in Alabama...
. By April 1955 the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
was elected. By January 1958 the first Bahá'í summer school was held in Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
. By spring 1958 the Bahá'í population may have been 100 and there were six assemblies and a regional committee coordinated activities promulgating the religion. In 1960 the first all-Moroccan local assembly was elected in Zaouiat Cheikh
Zaouiat Cheikh
Zaouiat Cheikh is a town in Béni-Mellal Province, Tadla-Azilal, Morocco. According to the 2004 census it has a population of 22,728.-References:...
and most of its members were Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
. On December 7, 1961 an article in Al Alam laments the decline of Islam and attacks the Bahá'ís. During the year Bahá'í homes are entered by police and literature of the religion is taken. On April 12 four Bahá'ís are arrested in Nador. A regional National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa was organized which included Morocco in 1962. In 1963 a survey of the community counted 10 Assemblies, 12 organized groups (between 1 and 9 adults) of Bahá'ís. In 1963 the arrests in Morocco had gotten attention from Hassan II of Morocco
Hassan II of Morocco
King Hassan II l-ḥasan aṯ-ṯānī, dial. el-ḥasan ettâni); July 9, 1929 – July 23, 1999) was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999...
, US Senator Kenneth B. Keating and Roger Nash Baldwin
Roger Nash Baldwin
Roger Nash Baldwin was one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union . He served as executive director of the ACLU until 1950....
, then Chairman of the International League for the Rights of Man and would echo in analyses of politics of Morocco for years to come. All Bahá'í meetings were prohibited in 1983 followed by arrests. This time the response emphasized the non-partisan and obedience to government principles of the religion. 1992 estimates by the US Department of State counted some 150-200 Bahá'ís. while 2001 through 2009 estimates mention the Bahá'í community at 350 to 400 persons. However Association of Religion Data Archives
Association of religion data archives
The Association of Religion Data Archives is a free source of online information related to American and international religion. Founded as the American Religion Data Archive in 1997, and online since 1998, the archive was initially targeted at researchers interested in American religion...
and Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is an answer-engine developed by Wolfram Research. It is an online service that answers factual queries directly by computing the answer from structured data, rather than providing a list of documents or web pages that might contain the answer as a search engine might...
estimated 30,000 Bahá'ís in 2005 and 2010, the third largest religion in the country.
Early phase
There is a mention of contact with a Bahá'í in Morocco in 1946 but it's unclear with division (Spanish, French, International Zone.) In August 1947 Marie Claudet, former member of the Baha'i Assembly of Guayaquil (Ecuador) was reported in May to be en route to French Morocco. In 1953 the Bahá'ís initiated a Ten Year CrusadeTen Year Crusade
The Ten Year World Crusade was launched by Shoghi Effendi in an effort to facilitate an organized expansion of the Bahá'í Faith....
during which a number of Bahá'ís pioneered
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
to various parts of Morocco - many of whom came from Egypt
Bahá'í Faith in Egypt
The Bahá'í Faith in Egypt has a history over a century old. Perhaps the first Bahá'ís arrive in 1863. Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the religion, was himself briefly in Egypt in 1868 when on his way to imprisonment in `Akká. The first Egyptians were converts by 1896...
and a few from the United States. Since these were first arrivals in the country they were listed as Knights of Baha'u'llah
Knights of Bahá'u'lláh
The title Knight of Bahá'u'lláh was given by Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, to Bahá'ís who arose to open new territories to the Faith during the Ten Year Crusade....
for introducing the religion to Morocco. Starting in September for the Moroccan International Zone
International zone
An international zone is a type of extraterritoriality governed by international law, or similar treaty between two or more nations. They can be found within international airports and can contain duty free shopping. In areas of conflict there may be international zones called green zones that form...
they were: Manuchihi Hizari, Hurmuz Zindih; then in October more arrivals came - Dr. Helen Elsie Austin
Helen Elsie Austin
Helen Elsie Austin was an attorney, US Foreign Service Officer, and member of the Bahá'í National Spiritual Assemblies in the United States and North West Africa. She was among the first African Americans admitted to the practice of law in the United States.-Personal life:Austin was born in Alabama...
and Muhammad-'Ali Jalili came. In November Husayn & Nusraat Ardikani, 'Ali Akhbar & Shayistih Rafi'i, and 'Abbas Rafi'i arrived. For Spanish Morocco
Spanish Morocco
The Spanish protectorate of Morocco was the area of Morocco under colonial rule by the Spanish Empire, established by the Treaty of Fez in 1912 and ending in 1956, when both France and Spain recognized Moroccan independence.-Territorial borders:...
in October 1953 they were: Fawzi Zaynu'l-'Abidin & family, Luella McKay, John & Earleta Fleming, and Alyce Janssen. Others arrived in April 1954 - Richard & Evelyn Walters and Richard & Mary L. Suhm. Helen Austin was teaching at the American School of Tangier
The American School of Tangier
-Introduction:Welcome to The American School of Tangier. For sixty years, our school has been an anchor of learning and culture in northern Morocco...
from 1954 to 1957. She was a member of the regional National Assembly of North and West Africa (1953–58), and, in her lifetime, Local Spiritual Assemblies in five countries—including Morocco. By February 1955 there is mention of conversions from the Moroccan population. By April 1955 the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
, an enclave of Spain in Morocco, was elected. Sometime during 1956 a Roman Catholic priest lodges a complaint against the Bahá'ís of Morocco with the Moroccan Security Service. By January 1958 the first Bahá'í Summer School was held in Rabat. By spring 1958 the Bahá'í population may have been 100 and there were six assemblies and a regional committee is coordinating activities promulgating the religion. In 1960 the first all-Moroccan local assembly was elected in Zaouiat Cheikh and most of its members were Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
. A regional National Spiritual Assembly for North East is organized in 1956. In 1957 the first Tuareg joins the religion. Louella McKay was another pioneer from about spring 1959 through the fall of 1963 in Spanish Morocco.
A regional National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa was organized in 1962-3 including the merging countries of French
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
, Spanish Morocco
Spanish Morocco
The Spanish protectorate of Morocco was the area of Morocco under colonial rule by the Spanish Empire, established by the Treaty of Fez in 1912 and ending in 1956, when both France and Spain recognized Moroccan independence.-Territorial borders:...
and the Moroccan International Zone
International zone
An international zone is a type of extraterritoriality governed by international law, or similar treaty between two or more nations. They can be found within international airports and can contain duty free shopping. In areas of conflict there may be international zones called green zones that form...
centered on Tangiers. In 1963 a survey of the community counted 10 Assemblies, 12 organized groups of Bahá'ís and 8 isolated individuals. The assemblies were: Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
, Fez
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, Kenitra
Kenitra
Kenitra is a city in Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sebou River, has a population in 2004 of 359,142 and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region. During the Cold War Kenitra's U.S...
, Larache
Larache
Larache is an important harbour town in the region Tanger-Tétouan in northern Morocco. It was founded in the 7th century when a group of Muslim soldiers from Arabia extended their camp at Lixus onto the south bank of the Loukkos River.In 1471, the Portuguese settlers from Asilah and Tangier drove...
, Marrakesh, Meknès
Meknes
Meknes is a city in northern Morocco, located from the capital Rabat and from Fes. It is served by the A2 expressway between those two cities and by the corresponding railway. Meknes was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail , before it was relocated to Marrakech. The...
, Nador
Nador
Nador is a city located in the northeastern Rif region of Morocco. The city is a Mediterranean port on the Bḥar Ameẓẓyan lagoon , and it is the major trading center in the region for fish, fruit, and livestock...
, Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
, Sala
Chellah
Chellah, or Sala Colonia is a necropolis and complex of ancient Roman Mauretania Tingitana and medieval ruins at Rabat, Morocco. It is the most ancient human settlement on the mouth of the Bou Regreg River.-History:...
, Tetuan and Zaouiat Cheikh
Zaouiat Cheikh
Zaouiat Cheikh is a town in Béni-Mellal Province, Tadla-Azilal, Morocco. According to the 2004 census it has a population of 22,728.-References:...
.
Persecution
In MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
there were episodes of religious persecution in 1962-1963, on the basis of condemnation from Allal El Fassi when 15 Bahá'ís were arrested for their religious convictions; three were given death sentences On December 7, 1961 an article in Al Alam laments the decline of Islam and attacks the Bahá'ís. During the year Bahá'í homes are entered by police and literature of the religion is taken. On April 12 four Bahá'ís are arrested in Nador. In September the Bahá'ís in the United States contacted Hassan II of Morocco
Hassan II of Morocco
King Hassan II l-ḥasan aṯ-ṯānī, dial. el-ḥasan ettâni); July 9, 1929 – July 23, 1999) was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999...
during a visit to the United Nations. On October 31, fourteen Bahá'ís are arrested and are charged with rebellion, disorder, attacks on public security, being an association of criminals, and attacking religious faith. On 10 December the trial begins with charges of sedition. On the 14th the verdict is given - four are acquitted as they claim to be Muslims, one is acquitted through family connections, one is released on 15 years probation, five are committed to life imprisonment and three are sentenced to death. The sentences are appealed to the Moroccan supreme court. Initially Bahá'ís did not publicize the events. On December 17, 1962 news is released among the Bahá'ís and efforts are aimed at asking for the applicability of the UN charter which condemns religious intolerance. On January 31 Roger Nash Baldwin
Roger Nash Baldwin
Roger Nash Baldwin was one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union . He served as executive director of the ACLU until 1950....
, then Chairman of the International League for the Rights of Man, appeared before a UN sub-commission of Preventing Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and states that, as far as they knew, the Bahá'í prisoners in Morocco are the only example in recent history where members of a religions have been condemned to death solely for holding and expressing religious views regarded as heretical. There were months of diplomatic efforts; US Senator Kenneth B. Keating stated in the U.S. Senate on February 18, 1963, "How far religious freedom under the Moroccan Constitution really applies, will be revealed in the coming weeks when the appeal before the Supreme Court [of Morocco] is heard." On March 31, 1963 during a visit to the United States and the United Nations, Hassan II of Morocco
Hassan II of Morocco
King Hassan II l-ḥasan aṯ-ṯānī, dial. el-ḥasan ettâni); July 9, 1929 – July 23, 1999) was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999...
was interviewed on television on Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
then with Lawrence E. Spivak
Lawrence E. Spivak
Lawrence Edmund Spivak was an American publisher and journalist who was best known as the co-founder, producer and host of the prestigious public affairs program Meet the Press...
and was asked about the treatment of Bahá'ís in his own country. He addressed the audience saying that the Bahá'í Faith was not a religion and "against good order and also morals". However on April 2 he makes a public statement that if the Supreme Court confirms the penalty of death that he would grant them a royal pardon. However on November 23 the Supreme Court hears the appeals and reversed the decision of the lower court. On December 13 the prisoners are actually released. Coverage in newspapers of the day included Wisconsin, Winnipeg and Lethbridge, Canada and Elyria Ohio as well as the New York Times The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
January 25, 1964 issue had an article by Roger Nash Baldwin
Roger Nash Baldwin
Roger Nash Baldwin was one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union . He served as executive director of the ACLU until 1950....
, founder of the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
and member of the International League for the Rights of Man (an organization accredited by the UN which aims to spread civil liberties around the world). Baldwin mentions how the League, by applying public pressure on the King of Morocco helped save the lives of the Bahá'í prisoners who had been sentenced to death. Baldwin was quoted discussing the League, "All this adds up to the very tiny beginnings of a system by which the UN itself would examine and process complaints and ultimately help set up a world court of human rights."
Morocco, Old Land, New Nation published in 1966 discusses briefly the exploitation of the religion by a Moroccan political party, in an effort to dramatize a claim "to be the stanch defender of faith and country," and the resultant persecution and imprisonment of several young Baha'i men from Nador. Concerning the Faith, the authors write: "The attractiveness of the movement stemmed from its belief in world brotherhood (a factor in its recent appeal in certain parts of Africa), the dedication of its organizers, and the vitality of its discussions, which contrasted sharply with the small concern in Morocco with the possibility of modernizing Islam." The reactions of various Moroccan leaders, newspaper publicity, and the final reversal of the convictions are noted.
Development of the community
The first summer school of Morocco for Bahá'ís was held in Meknes, from August 31 to September 6. Over twenty participants were gathered on a farm situated in a suburb of Meknes, belonging to one of the Persian pioneers, Hossein Rowhani Ardakani. The city of Meknes, with more than seventy registered Baha'is, has the largest Bahá'í community in Morocco in 1964. Bahá'ís from Morocco, Tunisia, Belgium, England, Monte Carlo and Holland attended a school in Périgueux, France and shared news of the progress of the religion in their countries. Before June 1965 Hand of the Cause Taráz'u'lláh Samandarí visited the Bahá'ís of Morocco. The Rabat Bahá'í community hosted the May 1–2, 1965 convention for the regional national assembly of North West Africa. All the delegates, except one, were present. The three Benelux countries held their schools at a combined site at De Vechtstrom in the northern Netherlands from August 23 through 30 1965 together with 150 attendees from fifteen countries including Morocco, Tunisia, Japan, Great Britain, United States and others from Europe. The second summer school of Morocco was held in Meknes, August 23 to 29, 1965 with about one hundred Bahá'ís and inquirers and for the first time a greater number of women were present than at previous schools. Issam Tahan died on August 8, 1965 in London during treatment for heart problems. He was the small boy who, while his father was in prison in Morocco, chanted a prayer before the audience at the first Bahá'í World CongressBahá'í World Congress
The Bahá'í World Congress is a large gathering of Bahá'ís from across the world that is called irregularly by the Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Bahá'ís...
. A summer school in Meknes was held August 1–7, 1966, which attracted about forty participants. Basic courses on administration and history were given, with additional lectures on special topics such as Women and the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith and gender equality
One of the fundamental teachings of the Bahá'í Faith is that men and women are equal, and that the equality of the sexes is a spiritual and moral standard that is essential for the unification of the planet and the unfoldment of peace. The Bahá'í teachings note the importance of implementing the...
, Bahá'í Faith and education
Bahá'í Faith and education
The theme of education in the Bahá'í Faith is given emphasis. Its literature gives a principle of universal and compulsory education, which is identified as one of key principles alongside monotheism and the unity of humanity....
, and a special study of the Message of the Universal House of Justice
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
to Bahá'í youth. The First winter school was held in Rabat February 25–26, 1967 with twenty-five communities represented. In before fall 1967 Hands of the Cause
Hands of the Cause
The Hands of the Cause of God, Hands of the Cause, or Hands were a select group of Bahá'ís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Bahá'í Faith...
William Sears
William Sears (Bahá'í)
William Sears was a Hand of the Cause of God, writer and a popular television and radio personality. In 2010, he was honored at the Dawn Breakers International Film Festival for achieving excellence as a professional media personality.-Personal life:Sears was married twice and had two children...
and Shu'á'u'lláh `Alá' met with the Bahá'ís in Casablanca and the regional national assembly for a week. The fifth national summer school was held in Meknes September 3–9, 1967, with about 70 attendees from 14 localities. A young girl from Marrakech delivered a prepared lecture on the role of women in the Baha'i Faith presenting an example of women as efficient and active participants. The annual convention for the regional assembly was held in Rabat in April 1968. An international conference was held in Madrid in early April, 1969, organized by the National Youth Committee of Spain with over thirty young Baha'is attendees, representing Austria, England, France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. In 1968 a Bahá'í was arrested and would spend four years in prison. The 1970 French summer school, held at Annecy/Sevrier from August 30 to September 8, had attendees of 150 persons from Germany, England, Belgium, Denmark, India, Luxembourg, Dominica, Morocco, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia. However in 1970 the annual Convention did not take place due to the situation in Morocco. The elections were accomplished through mail correspondence. On October 6, 1971 Morassa (Yazdi) Rawhani, a pioneer since February 1957, died. She had actively participated in the formation of two assemblies of Rabat and Sale. Her burial in the Bahá'í Cemetery at Rabat, was attended by a large number of believers of Morocco, the majority native believers; also in attendance was a representative from the Iranian Embassy in Rabat. After four years of imprisonment Allal Rouhani has been released and on January 30, 1972, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of North-West Africa held a luncheon attended by about sixty Bahá'ís and friends from all the local assemblies in the area. The Universal House of Justice was represented by Salim Nounou from France.
In 1975 the regional assembly of North West Africa was split into North and West separately. The regional National Assembly of Northern Africa included Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Spanish Sahara. In July 1975 the National Summer School of Spain in July which was at- tended by believers from Spain, Germany, France, and Morocco. More than one parent/child conference was sponsored by the Bahá'ís of Morocco to mark the International Year of the Child
International Year of the Child
* Maureen Millicent Bomford founded International Year of The Child and it was endorsed by the United Nations. Maureen was born in Canterbury Punchbowl in 1930 and had four brothers. Her father was a Mayor and she always learned to appreciate the value of leadership. As the wife of a prominent...
. At the discussions on the draft of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief at the Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs Committee of the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
there were several mentions of situation of the Bahá'ís in Iran - the Moroccan delegate made reference to "religious fanaticism" in a statement which also provoked a reply from Iran. Manuchihi Hizari, one of the first Bahá'ís in Morocco, left with his family in 1982 for the United States where he died in 2010. However persecutions occurred again in Morocco in 1983. All Bahá'í meetings were prohibited. In June 1984 a Bahá'í in Tetuan is arrested and sentenced to three years in prison for violating the ban on meetings. A response to these developments was to seek diplomatic redress emphasizing the non-partisan and obedience to government principles of the religion.
Bahá'ís have more recently been denied passports and can practice their religion only in private.
Modern community
The events of 1962–3 are still considered a note on Moroccan politics. The 50th anniversary of the religion in Cameroon attracted some 560 Bahá'ís including visitors from a host of countries including Morocco in 2003. Moroccan Bahá'ís have managed to obtain acceptable national ID cards, avoiding the Egyptian identification card controversyEgyptian identification card controversy
The Egyptian identification card controversy is a series of events, beginning in the 1990s, that created a de facto state of disenfranchisement for Egyptian Bahá'ís, atheists, agnostics, and other Egyptians who did not identify themselves as Muslim, Christian, or Jewish on government identity...
.
Demographics
1992 estimates by the US Department of State counted some 150-200 Bahá'ís. while 2001 through 2009 estimates mention the Bahá'í community, mostly in Rabat and Casablanca, at 350 to 400 persons. However Association of Religion Data ArchivesAssociation of religion data archives
The Association of Religion Data Archives is a free source of online information related to American and international religion. Founded as the American Religion Data Archive in 1997, and online since 1998, the archive was initially targeted at researchers interested in American religion...
and Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is an answer-engine developed by Wolfram Research. It is an online service that answers factual queries directly by computing the answer from structured data, rather than providing a list of documents or web pages that might contain the answer as a search engine might...
estimated 30,000 Bahá'ís in 2005 and 2010, the third largest religion in the country.
See also
- Religion in MoroccoReligion in MoroccoIslam is the majority religion in Morocco, which is the case for the Moroccan Berbers as well. Only a fraction of the former number of Jews has remained in the country, many having moved to Israel.- Islam :...
(Islam in MoroccoIslam in MoroccoIslam is the largest religion in Morocco, with roughly 98.7% of the population adhering to it.-History:Islam was first brought to Morocco in 680 by an Arab invasion under Uqba ibn Nafi, who was a general serving under the Umayyads of Damascus. In 788, The Idrisids ruled Morocco, being the first...
, Christianity in MoroccoChristianity in MoroccoChristians in Morocco constitute approximately 1.1% of the country's population . Article 6 of the Moroccan constitution states, that Islam is official religion of the state...
, History of the Jews in MoroccoHistory of the Jews in MoroccoMoroccan Jews constitute an ancient community. Before the founding of Israel in 1948, there were about 250,000 to 350,000 Jews in the country, but fewer than 7,000 or so remain.-Under the Romans:...
) - History of MoroccoHistory of MoroccoThe History of Morocco spans over 12 centuries, without considering the Classical antiquity. The country was first unified by the Idrisid dynasty in 780, representing the first Islamic state in Africa autonomous from the Arab Empire. Under the Almoravid dynasty and the Almohad dynasty, Morocco...
- Persecution of Bahá'ísPersecution of Bahá'ísThe persecution of Bahá'ís is the religious persecution of Bahá'ís in various countries, especially in Iran, where the Bahá'í Faith originated and the location of one of the largest Bahá'í populations in the world...