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Christian orphanage workers ordered out of Morocco
Sixteen Christian foreign workers in an orphanage in Ain Leuh, Morocco have been ordered to leave the country, leaving 33 children abandoned. The order was given due to allegations that the staff were "trying to make them Christian." The Village of Hope orphanage cares for children abandoned by their parents and society.
A staff member has stated, "We have always been open about our faith to the authorities.... 33 children have just been abandoned again by the actions of the Moroccan state.... Watching the children be told by their parents that they had to leave, that they would maybe never see them again, is the most painful thing I have ever witnessed." (Source: Village of Hope)
Pray that these foster parents will be allowed to return to their children. Ask God to provide others to love and care for the children at this time. Pray that those ordered to leave will find strength in Jesus.
To find out more about the struggles believers face in Morocco, click here.
The charges against Mohamed El Baladi, a convert to Christianity who was arrested for "shaking the faith of a Muslim," were recently overturned. While the judge ruled that Mohamed had engaged in general conversation about his faith, there was no evidence that he had coerced or offered financial incentives to others for converting.
Mohamed El Baladi was released from the Moroccan prison where he had been confined since his arrest in late August. However, the release has only been granted until his official appeal hearing, which is scheduled for October 10th. Mohamed was initially sentenced to two-and-a-half years' imprisonment for the crimes of evangelism and "shaking the faith of a Muslim." To review a previous report on this case, please click here.
During a recent court hearing, a Moroccan Christian man was ordered to serve a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for evangelizing Muslims. On August 28th, police raided the home of 34-year-old Mohamed el Baldi, of Ain Aicha, confiscating his Bible and about 30 additional Christian books. Following the raid, Mohamed was arrested and interrogated by police. At the court hearing, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined 5,000 dirhams (about $600) for "shaking the faith of a Muslim."
Three Christian men were arrested in a city café on March 1 in Morocco. During the arrest, police apparently gained information about other secret believers in the country. The arrest involved two young men who were meeting with an older believer from another city. While the two young men were released later that night, the older believer remains in custody. The families of the two young men did not know the men were following Christ. One of them was no longer welcome in his home once his beliefs were discovered.
Many foreign Christians were expelled from Morocco two years ago, and this had a significant impact on the Church as anti-Christian sentiment seems to be growing in the country. Moroccan believers now meet in small groups for fear of persecution. While becoming a Christian in Morocco is not actually illegal, it is forbidden to share the gospel with non-Christians.
Please pray that Moroccan Christians will continue to gather despite the threats of reprisals. Pray that the believer in prison will remain strong in his faith and will be freed. Pray that Moroccan Christians' passion for Christ will be the light that draws others to Jesus (Matthew 5:14-16).
For more information on persecution in Morocco, please visit the Morocco Country Report.
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