The US ambassador to Morocco voiced disappointment on Friday at the recent expulsions of foreign nationals accused of proselytism, including some legal American residents.
"We are discouraged and saddened to learn of the Moroccan government's recent expulsion of a certain number of foreigners, including a number of Americans legally residing in Morocco," Ambassador Samuel Kaplan said in a statement.
"Although we expect all American citizens to respect Moroccan law, we hope to see significant improvements in the application of due process in this sort of case," he added.
On March 8, Moroccan authorities said they were expelling "numerous foreign missionaries" accused of trying to convert locals to Christianity without revealing how many. Proselytism is illegal in the North African majority Sunni-Muslim country.
Communications Minister Khalid Naciri said on Tuesday that the government would be "severe with all those who play with religious values".
The warning also referred to Muslims of the radical Salafia Jihadia movement and certain Shiite Muslim teachers, the minister said.
The expelled missionaries included couples from Britain and The Netherlands who had adopted Moroccan children, the Open Doors international Protestant evangelical organisation said.
Copyright 2010 AFP American Edition
Comments