2014 Report on International Religious Freedom - Western Sahara
Publisher | United States Department of State |
Publication Date | 14 October 2015 |
Cite as | United States Department of State, 2014 Report on International Religious Freedom - Western Sahara, 14 October 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5621052fe.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Executive Summary
Moroccan laws and policies regarding religious organizations and religious freedom applied in the approximately 85 percent of the Western Sahara that Morocco administers.
The Moroccan constitution stipulates that "Morocco is a sovereign Muslim state, Islam is the religion of the state," and prohibits political parties from infringing upon Islam. The constitution also guarantees freedom of thought and religious practice. There were no known places of worship for Bahai or Shia citizens. The government allowed Jewish and foreign Christian communities in Morocco and Western Sahara to attend worship services in approved places. Christian citizens in Western Sahara generally do not attend these services. The government discouraged conversion from Islam, and the law criminalizes attempts by non-Muslims to "shake the faith" of Moroccans from the Maliki-Ashari school of Islam, which the government has interpreted as prohibiting attempts to convert Muslims to other religions. There were no reports of significant Moroccan government actions affecting religious freedom in Western Sahara.
The Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro (POLISARIO), a Sahrawi independence movement based in Algeria, administered the part of the territory not under Moroccan administration. There were no reports of significant government actions affecting religious freedoms in either the territory administered by Morocco or that administered by the POLISARIO.
There were no reports of significant societal actions affecting religious freedom.
U.S. embassy officials discussed religious freedom in the territory with the quasi-governmental Moroccan National Council for Human Rights during official meetings and visits.
Section I. Religious Demography
The U.S. government estimates the total population at 555,000 (July 2014 estimate). The majority of the population is Sunni Muslim. Islamic practice is frequently characterized by maraboutism, the veneration of religious figures and the tombs in which they are believed to be interred. There is a small group of Roman Catholics.
There is a small foreign community working for the United Nations Mission for a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). Many of its members are non-Muslims.
Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom
Legal Framework
Due to continuing Moroccan administrative control of approximately 85 percent of the territory, laws and restrictions regarding religious organizations and religious freedom for this territory are the same as those in Morocco. The POLISARIO administers the remaining territory.
The Moroccan constitution stipulates that Morocco is a sovereign Muslim state, Islam is the religion of the state, and prohibits political parties from infringing upon Islam. The constitution also guarantees the freedom of thought and religious practice. The law criminalizes attempts by non-Muslims to "shake the faith" of Moroccans from the Maliki-Ashari school of Islam, which the government has interpreted as prohibiting attempts to convert Muslims to other religions, including through the distribution of non-Islamic religious materials.
The constitution also stipulates that the king holds the Islamic title of Commander of the Faithful, Protector of Islam, and the guarantor of freedom to practice one's religious affairs. As well, it provides that the king must approve all fatwas (authoritative religious guidance).
Government Practices
There were no reports of significant governmental actions affecting religious freedom in either the part of Western Sahara administered by Morocco or in the area controlled by the POLISARIO.
Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom
There were no reports of significant societal actions affecting religious freedom.
Section IV. U.S. Government Policy
U.S. embassy officials discussed religious freedom in the territory with the Moroccan National Council for Human Rights, a quasi-governmental organization, within the context of official meetings and visits.