March Madness

Today is my last day to record memories of this March. From the looks of my blog you would think that March has been pretty boring here. Anything but! It has been one of the craziest months in Morocco to date.

For those of you who don't know there has been a long series of deportations of international folks from Morocco over the past month. I have known some of these people personally.


One place that has been extremely effected is an orphanage about an hour away from where we live. Somewhere around 30 children had their parents, aka caretakers, taken from them.

The response from the Moroccan people has been split. Some people agree, and some are outraged. Some have remarked that this is sparking a new movement in Morocco similar to that of the civil rights movement in the states. One article in the most widely read Moroccan magazine was particularly striking. If you have the time to read it, here it is translated into English:

Shameful!
Nothing justifies depriving love and parental care of abandoned children. Has the State lost all discernment, all heart, all sensitiveness?

That which happened on Monday, March 8 in Aïn Leuh is a scandal from every point of view. That day, a brigade of policemen arrived without warning at an orphanage in this small town in the Atlas Mountains and gave 90 minutes for the 16 Christian educators that directed it to pack their bags before being expelled indefinitely from the country.

For 10 years these people did what local authorities were unable to do: to collect and take care of abandoned children dumped somewhere or left on a door step. These humanitarian workers came from various countries from the West giving these 33 orphans not only medical care (several who were saved had been found near death) but also gave them a home, new clothes, hot meals and, and above all love. In time, they had come to consider them as their own children. The whole town knew and praised the charitable action of the "nsara" (Christians), and their orphanage had become a life center; and a number of citizens in the region also helped out.

A life center which invested millions of dirhams for the good of abandoned children who, without it, would be dead or destined to a life of misery and frustration. To justify their cruelty the authorities claim that "under the cover of charitable action this group devoted itself to activities of Christian proselytism aimed at under-aged children". Nevertheless when “this group” arrived in Aïn Leuh ten years an immediate clarification (in writing) was thought necessary by the authorities: no proselytism, but they were not restricted from practicing their Christian faith, or from talking about it. From the start it was understood and accepted that the children would live in a bi-confessional and bicultural environment and their schooling would be assured by State teachers who would give them, in particular, an Islamic education. And this is what happened. Did their adopted parents also told them stories of the life of Jesus? A beautiful thing! It wasn’t so much that they would make them Christians. And then Jesus - isn’t he a prophet recognized in Islam?

That’s enough! Enough of these insane justifications!! Religion has nothing to do with the trauma of March 8 when these 33 orphans were brutally removed from sincere love and devoted care of which they had been surrounded for 10 years. Nothing in the world justifies that. Has anyone thought about the mental and psychological balance of these small unfortunate ones? Has anyone thought about their future? To their well being? No, all that the State has thought about is their "spiritual security". Enough of this absurd thinking!! Nobody, in respect to the subject of Prosleytised Christians, be it Muslim imams or legislators has the strength to force anyone to adhere to any religion. One can fill the head of children below age with anything (this is also what happens every day in the public school), that will not prevent them, once adults, to choose freely in their heart whether this what they want to believe or not to believe - quit lying in order to accuse them of violating an aberrant law. Claiming to force the people to believe something, under penalty of prison - this is what is seen in the penal Code – it is stupidity without limits. Not forgetting that this is a violation of human rights, that includes freedom of conscience.

As to the way they expelled in such a military fashion it goes against the law leaving them without means of explaining themselves before the courts. This is a new rock added to this mountain of proof. In the face of this even the diplomats who are the "friends of Morocco" (such as the ambassador of the United States) will no longer remain silent: every day, our country moves farther away from being a country that respects rights. Every day it is damaging its own image already largely damaged as being seen as an ‘open and tolerant’ country.
Because of a political and dangerous miscalculation (to oppose the fundamentalists), the Moroccan State is in the process of plunging us into the darkness - while destroying the passage of life to innocent orphans. It is shameful, it is miserable… and it is frightful!

Last minute: Another orphanage of the region of Azrou, also directed by Christian educators, could undergo the same tragedy as the one of Aïn Leuh for the same "reasons". Its directors have been subjected for several days to harassment and questioning by the police - including the children! How far will it go this blindness?

salaam alikum