Blog 1: Race, Ethnicity, Culture or Religion
While the official state religion of Morocco is Islam, the population features a slight variety. Most of the country practices Sunni Islam - nearly 99% of the population, while only one percent practice other religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Shia, and Baha’i. Throughout our tours, we have learned that the Moroccan government does guarantee the freedom of religion and the ability to practice other religions such as Judaism openly and freely. While Jewish history in Morocco has been through many challenges, the religious group still remains, mostly in Casablanca. However, Moroccan Jews may be impacted by their limited population size and aging demographic. The Jewish presence in Morocco dates back thousands of years and has a significant historical presence in many cities. According to World Jewish Congress, “Jewish refugees arrived in [Morocco] after the 1391 Spanish murders…, and beginning in the 15th century, lived in special quarters called ‘Mellah’...