Unauthorized Churches in Casablanca Garages Spark Resident Complaints

An unusual sight in the Hay Hassani neighborhood. According to the residents, several garages and residential premises have been transformed into unauthorized churches and temples, where migrants from sub-Saharan Africa practice their religious rituals on weekends, reports the site Al3omk. Annoyed, these residents have addressed complaints to the governor of the prefecture of the Hay Hassani districts and to the public prosecutor near the correctional court of first instance of Casablanca. They demanded urgent intervention to put an end to the nuisances caused by these behaviors, due to the infringement of public morals and the noise caused by musical instruments during religious rituals, and this, until late at night.

The latest one was transmitted to the public prosecutor’s office. In their complaint, the residents specify that more than 100 people of African nationalities attend these religious rituals. According to them, they have committed an offense: it is the demolition of the wall separating two apartments to accommodate a larger number of participants. They also pointed out that some homes have been transformed into places resembling nightclubs. They also said they had tried to dialogue with the owners, without getting any response.

"If these groups have the necessary documents for the exercise of these rituals, they must respect the law regarding the number of participants and the set schedules, while respecting the rights of neighboring residents," they added.