CAES Morocco: Leading Across Differences

Living in America, I am predispositioned to believe that religion is a private matter and that no one, including the government, can force it on you. While the Moroccan government in no way forces religion onto their people, it is still fascinating to see how they don’t really exercise separation of church and state like the American government does. For example, alcohol and public intoxication is banned in most places in Morocco, other than international cities and restaurants licensed to serve alcohol (Society, 2026). This law is largely influenced by Islamic doctrines that prohibits the consumption of alcohol.  The idea that religion is a public affair in Morocco is an important concept that influences their laws and the responsibility of the King and his government. For example, in order to gain political power, many self-proclaimed religious leaders will preach attractive principles based on the tensions of the time, attract followers, and lead their group towards violence and...

     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’...

  The identity I am choosing that is different from my own is that of the Islamic religion. The Islamic religion is the dominant religion of Morocco. It is a monotheistic religion that believes in a god called Allah who is the creator, sustainer, and judge. This religion is a holistic religion that “connects every aspect of life with a divine purpose,” (super Muslim). Some of the major pillars of this religion include faith, prayer, charity, and fasting. Some practices of the Islamic faith include women wearing hijabs, praying 5 times a day, and completing fasting while the sun is up during Ramadan. With these practices and faith can come some issues with society. I think the most potent issue is Islamophobia. Because Muslims are often very open and outwardly express their faith through things like their clothes, eating practices, or daily prayer, it can become easy for them to stick out and seem different when they are in the minority. Because of this people often immediately judg...

  Prior to visiting Morocco, I did not have much experience regarding the Islamic religion or culture. Since growing up a Christian, I have only been heavily exposed to this specific ideology, traditions, and practices. With Morocco being primarily Muslim, we have frequently discussed and experienced the Muslim ideology and practices throughout our tours. While religion has been a large part of my life, it has been interesting to see religion practiced in such unique and vastly different ways. The most outstanding part of this to me has been the role of religion in public spaces and religious expression in general. A clear example of this would be the call to prayer. This exemplifies the strong role that the Islamic religion has within each city that we have visited in Morocco. An important societal issue related to this identity is the idea of maintaining religious practices while also being open and welcoming to residents who are non-Muslim. As Morocco continuously grows through ...

During my time in Morocco, one cultural difference that stood out to me was the presence of portraits of King Mohammed VI in public spaces. I first noticed them in Casablanca, but as we traveled through Rabat and Tangier, I continued seeing the same portrait displayed in hotels, businesses, and restaurants. Coming from the United States, where political leaders are not commonly displayed in everyday spaces, this immediately stood out to me. The identity I focused on for this reflection is Morocco’s collectivist cultural identity, which differs from the more individualistic culture I am used to in the United States. In my previous classes, I have learned how individualistic cultures tend to emphasize the individual or “I,” while collectivist cultures place greater importance on community, social cohesion, and respect for authority. One article I read explained that Moroccan society often values social unity, hierarchy, and loyalty to the broader community (Aruna et al., 2018). Tying thi...

Before traveling to Morocco, I had assumptions about gender roles and the types of careers woman might typically hold. But visiting Morocco challenged those assumptions and changed my perspective.For example when we visited the Blueberry farm I noticed several women actively working in research and scientific positions at the farm. Seeing women involved in agricultural science and laboratory work in Morocco was inspiring because these are often considered male-dominated fields in many parts of the world. One moment that stood out to me was in the dairy farm, seeing a woman working in the laboratory testing milk samples from the cows.Her role seemed highly technical and important to the quality and safety of the dairy production process. It reminded me that women contribute significantly to science, agriculture, and research, even in industries where men are traditionally more visible in Morocco. According to UNESCO, women around the world include Morocco are increasingly participating ...

  During our travels through both Tangier and Chefchaouen, I was curious about Morocco's overall tolerance of different identities. In Tangier, we were informed of Black soldiers conscripted to wage war as a product of slavery conducted by both Portugal and Morocco, while at Chefchaouen, we learned of the incredible religious tolerance practiced by King Mohammed V and the overall citizenry of Morocco. These two facts led me to question the treatment of Black populations within Morocco, as a way to see if this tremendous level of religious tolerance also extended to the category of race.  The Black populations of Morocco consist largely of Black Amazigh natives, descendants of trans-Saharan slave routes, and a developing population of sub-Saharan African migrants. Altogether, these groups make up roughly 10 percent of Morocco’s population, with most residing in the country’s southern regions (Minority Rights Group, 2023). Unfortunately, the Black populations of Morocco are subj...