Moroccan Christians Welcome Liberal Party Victory as Islamists Lose Power

"We thank Jesus Christ, the Islamists are gone. God has heard our prayers, and now we have the government we wanted," said Imounan, a Christian living in Agadir, to Christian Today. Like him, many of these Moroccan Christians express their happiness to see the PJD leave power. Morocco has between 20,000 and 25,000 Christians. According to them, a new era is opening in the kingdom with the arrival in power of the liberal parties. The latter promote freedom, while the Islamists wanted to impose sharia, cover women and remove pork and alcohol from sale, they claim.

"Akhannouch is a businessman. Whether you worship the sun or the moon, he doesn’t care," said Youssef Ahmed, one of the few second-generation Christians in Morocco. "He won’t persecute anyone." According to him, the RNI boss is the best man appointed by King Mohammed VI to lead the government. "He is close to the king, and well known in Europe. Let’s give him time," he added.

"Greater religious freedom would lead to greater economic prosperity for Morocco," estimates Jack Wald, the recently retired senior pastor of the International Church of Rabat. Referring to the main desire of most Moroccans to leave the country, he says it is time for the aristocracy to transform into a meritocracy. "Discrimination against Christians is just a small part of the problem," he regretted.

"I don’t know if this government will offer more freedom to Christians, but at least there will be a dialogue," hopes Imounan.