On 8 September, a massive 6.8 magnitude earthquake rattled parts of Morocco, killing nearly 3000 and affecting roughly 300,000. One Christian family who lives near the epicentre of the quake shared their experience. They were awoken around 11 p.m. and rushed outside as buildings around them shook and collapsed. “It was a dramatic experience,” said the front-line worker. “We were on the street all night long as the village we had lived in for twenty years was destroyed.” The worker reported that 1000 people died in that village alone.
Even through their heartache, Moroccan Christians intend to be a beacon of hope, and they ask the global body of Christ to pray for their witness amid this tragedy. One Moroccan church leader told sources that the Lord put Isaiah 61 on his heart, and he hopes the local church will “comfort those who mourn” and serve as God’s conduits to bestow “oil of joy instead of mourning.”
Morocco is ruled by a monarch who is purportedly a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad and intends to govern the nation with Islamic principles. The North African country has experienced over 1100 years of Islamic oppression since Morocco’s historic people group, the Berbers, were forced into Islam by invading Arabs in the eighth century.
Today, only a fraction of one per cent of the population is Christian. The growth of Christianity has been slow, with a major setback occurring in 2010 when hundreds of missionaries were forced to leave the country. With the rise of digital technology and social media, more Moroccans are coming to faith in Christ.
There are no church buildings in Morocco and bible distribution and missionary activity are not allowed in the country. Christians have difficulty finding fellowship, but networks of underground churches have developed. A number of Christians have been imprisoned on charges of apostasy and proselytising.
Source: The Voice of the Martyrs USA
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