My friend Michael Avramovich, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Northern Illinois Chapter of the Christian Legal Society, wrote the Ambassador of Morocco about recent expulsions of Christians from Morocco. What follows are three letters from Avramovich and two replies from the ambassador.
July 7, 2010
BY TELECOPY (1.202.265.0161)
The Honorable Aziz Makouar
Ambassador, Embassy of Morocco
1601 21st Street NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20009
Re: Expulsion of Christians from Morocco
Dear Ambassador Mekouar:
On behalf of the Northern Illinois Chapter of the Christian Legal Society, I wish to express our deepest concern regarding the recent series of deportations of Christian believers from Morocco. While Americans of all nationalities recognize the long history and friendship between the Kingdom and our nation, your Embassy’s website explicitly pronounces to its United States audience “significant progress in educating its society about human rights”; however, the expulsions contradict this contention. I would urge you to remind your government that the Kingdom of Morocco has been a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights since May 3, 1979, and the expulsions are in express violation of Articles 13, paragraph 1, as well as Article 9, paragraphs 1 and 4, Article 10, paragraph 1, and Article 12, paragraph 1 of that Covenant.
Until the policy of expulsion of Christians by the Kingdom of Morocco is reversed and appropriate remedies are made to those who have been expelled, I would urge that the United States suspend its five-year Millennium Challenge contract with the Kingdom. As the Wall Street Journal noted on Tuesday, July 6, 2010, in its opinion page: “U.S. taxpayers won’t tolerate financing governments that mistreat Americans solely because of their religion.”
July 7, 2010
BY TELECOPY (1.202.265.0161)
The Honorable Aziz Makouar
Ambassador, Embassy of Morocco
1601 21st Street NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20009
Re: Expulsion of Christians from Morocco
Dear Ambassador Mekouar:
On behalf of the Northern Illinois Chapter of the Christian Legal Society, I wish to express our deepest concern regarding the recent series of deportations of Christian believers from Morocco. While Americans of all nationalities recognize the long history and friendship between the Kingdom and our nation, your Embassy’s website explicitly pronounces to its United States audience “significant progress in educating its society about human rights”; however, the expulsions contradict this contention. I would urge you to remind your government that the Kingdom of Morocco has been a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights since May 3, 1979, and the expulsions are in express violation of Articles 13, paragraph 1, as well as Article 9, paragraphs 1 and 4, Article 10, paragraph 1, and Article 12, paragraph 1 of that Covenant.
Until the policy of expulsion of Christians by the Kingdom of Morocco is reversed and appropriate remedies are made to those who have been expelled, I would urge that the United States suspend its five-year Millennium Challenge contract with the Kingdom. As the Wall Street Journal noted on Tuesday, July 6, 2010, in its opinion page: “U.S. taxpayers won’t tolerate financing governments that mistreat Americans solely because of their religion.”
Most respectfully yours,
[signature]
Michael Paul Avramovich
Chairman, Human Rights Committee
Northern Illinois Chapter, Christian Legal Society
Cc: The Honorable Frank R. Wolf, United States House of Representatives (via facsimile)
July 8, 2010
Mr. Michael Paul Avramovich
Chairman, Human Rights Committee
Northern Illinois Chapter, Christian Legal Society
Avramovich & Associates, P.C.
70 West Madison Street
Suite 1400
Chicago, IL 60602
Dear Mr. Avramovich:
I am sure that, as an attorney, you recognize the absolute necessity of respect for and adherence to the law for the maintenance of any just and civil society. I regret that you, like the Wall Street Journal, have accepted the misinformation and misstatement of fact that have been circulated regarding Morocco’s recent actions to enforce its law against proselytism.
I want to make it clear that the repatriation measures affecting several Americans (5 were deported and 25 are not allowed to re-enter the Moroccan territory) were taken not because they were Christians, but because Moroccan authorities determined after a thorough investigation that these visitors to our country had violated Moroccan law by engaging in proselytism. Similar actions have been enforced recently against Muslims involved in acts of proselytism.
Freedom of worship is guaranteed in Morocco’s Constitution, and that freedom is extended equally to Muslims, Jews, and Christians, people of faith who have lived and worked together in Morocco for hundreds of years. Moroccan law also prohibits proselytizing to maintain the balance in its society and protect the public order. Attempts to persuade others to abandon their own faith for another opens dangerous road [sic] to religious competition and conflict. It is crucial to understand what is at stake here. We are dealing with the fundamental aspects of a person’s identity and the cohesiveness of a stable society.
These anti-proselytism regulations put particular emphasis on protecting young children in schools and orphanages, whose circumstances make them more vulnerable. This is, as I am sure you know, entirely in keeping with proscriptions against the proselytizing of children enshrined in the International Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Not only did the “Village of Hope” violate the anti-proselytism law, but they also broke the law regarding guardianship of children by falsifying documents and not alerting authorities regarding the status of the children, among other offenses. When Moroccan authorities found that these various regulations regarding proselytism and guardianship had been violated, they were obligated to enforce the law. I have no doubt that you, as a lawyer, and the United States more generally, cannot support this kind of behavior.
Those who want to challenge their repatriations have been notified of and are free to use their right to appeal the decision, which is also provided for by the law.
At the briefing last month in Congress, Morocco was not given the opportunity to clarify these misunderstandings and misinformation. A particularly appalling moment in that briefing was one member’s comparison of Morocco’s actions with “tactics used by the Nazis,” when in fact Morocco’s stalwart defense of the Jewish community during the horrific Nazi years is widely recognized. Prominent US Jewish community leaders have condemned these remarks and joined US Christian leaders in expressing praise for Morocco’s record of religious tolerance and continuing efforts to guarantee religion [sic] freedom for Christians and Jews.
Morocco remains committed to freedom of worship and expression, tolerance, and openness. We have a long, close friendship with America dating back more than 200 years, when Morocco was the first country to recognize the newly independent United States. We continue to welcome all visitors who respect our laws and values. Please feel free to contact me for any additional information.
Sincerely,
[signature]
Aziz Mekouar
Ambassador of
The Kingdom of Morocco
To the United States of America
Washington, DC
July 12, 2010
Dear Ambassador Mekouar:
Thank you so much for your prompt and thoughtful response. First, I was well aware of, and have deep respect for, the long friendship between our two nations. The recent series of expulsions of Christians from Morocco is particularly painful for many Americans, and not only Christian believers, but also men and women from other faiths, because such conduct seems a betrayal of such a long and close friendship between two great people.
In your letter, you said that only five Americans were deported, but as you know, the total number of American Christians expelled from Morocco is 58 over the past several months. The concern, however, of our Christian Legal Society chapter is also for all those have been expelled without due process of law, and the total number of Christians of all nationalities expelled from March through July 1, 2010, was 128. Among these, two foreign women, married to Moroccan nationals, were also deported. One of the women, recently diagnosed with cancer, is the mother of a six-year old girl, whom she was forced to leave behind. As a signatory to the United Nations Convention of Rights of the Child, your government is aware that this is a violation of both Article 7, paragraph 1, and Article 9, paragraph 1 of that Convention. Moreover, the same Convention, under Article 14, paragraphs 1 and 2, gives those same children the freedom of thought, conscience and religion. As a person who became a Christ-follower at the age of 14, I have personal experience that children under the age of majority are fully capable of making those religious decisions for themselves.
In your letter, you stated that foreign Christians had violated Moroccan law by “engaging in proselytism.” While the Moroccan Penal Code imposes fines and prison sentences for engaging in proselytism, Moroccan authorities have failed to provide foreign Christians with documented proof or even any official charges of their alleged proselytism activities prior to deportation. Moreover, justification offered for these expulsions was that the foreign Christians purportedly posed a threat to the state. As you know, many of the foreign Christians were given 48 hours to leave Morocco on grounds of “threatening public order.” Many of those deported or denied reentry were businessmen, educators, and humanitarian and social workers, who resided in Morocco for long periods of time, some of them for decades. The fact that they chose to live and work in Morocco, far from their families and loved ones, shows how much foreign Christian believers loved the people of their adopted country. It is a travesty of justice that many of those deported were forced to leave Morocco within two hours of being questioned by authorities, leaving all of their personal effects behind. These were men and women who had contributed to the growth of Morocco, trained Moroccans, educated Moroccan children, cared for orphans and widows, and increased trade for Morocco.
As to the expulsion of those foreign Christian aid workers who cared for the 33 Moroccan orphans, I remind you that Moroccan police came to the Village of Hope orphanage on Saturday afternoon, March 6, 2010, and by late Sunday night informed all foster parents and staff that they had to leave on Monday. The foster parents and staff signed and adhered to a non-proselytizing policy, but Moroccan police provided no evidence of proselytism or any explanation of who, when, where or how such proselytism occurred. Moreover, rather than living in dormitory-style accommodation, the children lived with foster parents, so the separation of foster parents and children under their care had to have been traumatic and psychologically damaging to the children.
Although there are fewer than 1,000 Moroccan Christian converts in your entire country, the Organization of the Islamic Conference has been seeking to press Islamic nations to remove their Christian elements. Further, the appointments last January of the Honorable Mohammed Naciri as Minister of Justice and the Honorable Taieb Cherkaoui as Minister of the Interior show that Morocco’s traditional tolerance towards religious minorities has vanished. You will also recall that following the commencement of deportations in March 2010, in April nearly 7,000 Islamic religious leaders backed the deportations by signing a document describing the work of Christians within Morocco as “moral rape” and “religious terrorism.” Muslim extremists in Morocco are aiding and encouraging the government to pursue Christians by vilifying them, even on social networking sites. I only need to cite the example of Facebook user Gardes Maroc Maroc as evidence of Christian vilification.
I conclude with two final points: First, as a learned man, you know that throughout the history of the Christian Church, those persecuted for their faith have sown the seeds for its future growth. Moroccan friends and neighbors of deported Christians will undoubtedly ask why Christians are being deported for their faith. Many more Moroccans will be impacted by the reality of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord through the deportations and other persecution, and that will have more of an effect than years of quietly demonstrating the love and teachings of Jesus Christ peacefully and lawfully. The Moroccan government, by breaking its own long-held laws and traditions, has now removed the restraints on the reality of Jesus Christ in your country. Second, until there is a major reversal of government policy in Morocco, our members will urge the Congress of the United States to suspend the five-year Millennium Challenge contract between the United States and Morocco of almost $700 million dollars. After all, if Morocco no longer needs Christian businessmen, educators and aid workers, it can rely upon the zakaat and not on the taxpayer funds of hard-working Americans who are appalled by the policies of your government. However, it is sad for so many of us in the United States to see the evaporation of liberty in a historically modern Muslim country, know for its progressive policy.
Most respectfully yours,
[signed}
Michael Paul Avramovich
Chairman, Human Rights Committee
Northern Illinois Chapter, Christian Legal Society
Cc: The Honorable Frank R. Wolf, United States House of Representatives (via facsimile)
July 12, 2010
Dear Mr. Avramovich:
I appreciate your very strong feelings concerning the repatriation of Christian missionaries from Morocco on the charge of proselytizing. And I hope that you recognize that we Moroccans are feeling equally dedicated to preserving interfaith traditions that have served us for decades and guarantee the very religious liberties that are of concern to you.
Your commitment to the message of Christian peace is strongly echoed in our Quran which speaks directly to the responsibility we share for promoting justice and community harmony.
Hopefully, those foreigners who wish to contribute their skills and dedication to serving the needy in Morocco will continue to respect the laws that have protected the more than 60,000 Christians who are a vibrant part of Moroccan society.
Best regards,
[signed]
Aziz Mekouar
Ambassador of
The Kingdom of Morocco
To the United States of America
Washington, DC
July 16, 2010
Dear Ambassador Mekouar:
Thank you for your letter dated July 12, 2010, in which you stated that Moroccans are dedicated “to preserving interfaith traditions that have served us for decades and guarantee the very religious liberties that are of concern to [me].” Sadly, it is precisely the actions of your government that completely undermine those long and rich interfaith traditions that have been part of the splendid intellectual history of Morocco since the founding of the University of Al-Karaouine.
You state that the Koran speaks of responsibility for “promoting justice and community harmony.” While I certainly hope that your assertions regarding the Koran were followed, I would only wish that you would share this tenet of Islam with the nearly 7,000 Islamic leaders who, in their petition last April supporting the deportations, described the work of Christians within Morocco as “moral rape” and “religious terrorism.” In light of the fact that there are fewer than 1,000 Moroccan Christian converts, whose existence is not even recognized by your government, such vitriolic statements by these religious leaders sadly make utter mockery of your interpretation of the Koran.
The waves of deportations are now being followed by attacks on the small, but growing Moroccan church, as your government’s wave of intolerance spreads to indigenous Christian believers. Notwithstanding that Morocco’s constitution provides freedom to practice one’s religion and is consistent with its international treaty of obligations, it is contradicted by Article 220 of the Moroccan Penal Code, which criminalizes any attempt to induce a Muslim to convert to another religion. What does your government fear about this small number of Christian believers? Is Islam with its long history unable to defend itself against intellectual debate and dialogue? Is your government so fearful of Christian believers because the Islamic faith is so easily shaken? And was it really necessary for a large military-led team of authorities to raid a Bible study in a small city southeast of Marakech, in which eighteen Moroccans were arrested and one American was deported? We know that dozens of Moroccan Christians have been called to police stations for interrogation, many of whom have been threatened and verbally abused. Such activities will only serve to drive the Moroccan church even deeper underground, even as Christian believers in Morocco will continue to love and serve their country. Christian believers are commanded in the Holy Bible:
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, “It is mine to avenge. I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink…Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12: 17-21.
Excellency, please remember that God is not mocked. Speaking of “promoting justice and community harmony,” as you wrote is far less important than doing those actions that in fact show what Morocco once was. Morocco cannot truly be a free country without Christians because the existence of Christians in Morocco is the proof of its liberty.
Most respectfully yours,
[signed]
Michael Paul Avramovich
Chairman, Human Rights Committee
Northern Illinois Chapter, Christian Legal Society
Cc: The Honorable Frank R. Wolf, United States House of Representatives (via facsimile)
[signature]
Michael Paul Avramovich
Chairman, Human Rights Committee
Northern Illinois Chapter, Christian Legal Society
Cc: The Honorable Frank R. Wolf, United States House of Representatives (via facsimile)
July 8, 2010
Mr. Michael Paul Avramovich
Chairman, Human Rights Committee
Northern Illinois Chapter, Christian Legal Society
Avramovich & Associates, P.C.
70 West Madison Street
Suite 1400
Chicago, IL 60602
Dear Mr. Avramovich:
I am sure that, as an attorney, you recognize the absolute necessity of respect for and adherence to the law for the maintenance of any just and civil society. I regret that you, like the Wall Street Journal, have accepted the misinformation and misstatement of fact that have been circulated regarding Morocco’s recent actions to enforce its law against proselytism.
I want to make it clear that the repatriation measures affecting several Americans (5 were deported and 25 are not allowed to re-enter the Moroccan territory) were taken not because they were Christians, but because Moroccan authorities determined after a thorough investigation that these visitors to our country had violated Moroccan law by engaging in proselytism. Similar actions have been enforced recently against Muslims involved in acts of proselytism.
Freedom of worship is guaranteed in Morocco’s Constitution, and that freedom is extended equally to Muslims, Jews, and Christians, people of faith who have lived and worked together in Morocco for hundreds of years. Moroccan law also prohibits proselytizing to maintain the balance in its society and protect the public order. Attempts to persuade others to abandon their own faith for another opens dangerous road [sic] to religious competition and conflict. It is crucial to understand what is at stake here. We are dealing with the fundamental aspects of a person’s identity and the cohesiveness of a stable society.
These anti-proselytism regulations put particular emphasis on protecting young children in schools and orphanages, whose circumstances make them more vulnerable. This is, as I am sure you know, entirely in keeping with proscriptions against the proselytizing of children enshrined in the International Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Not only did the “Village of Hope” violate the anti-proselytism law, but they also broke the law regarding guardianship of children by falsifying documents and not alerting authorities regarding the status of the children, among other offenses. When Moroccan authorities found that these various regulations regarding proselytism and guardianship had been violated, they were obligated to enforce the law. I have no doubt that you, as a lawyer, and the United States more generally, cannot support this kind of behavior.
Those who want to challenge their repatriations have been notified of and are free to use their right to appeal the decision, which is also provided for by the law.
At the briefing last month in Congress, Morocco was not given the opportunity to clarify these misunderstandings and misinformation. A particularly appalling moment in that briefing was one member’s comparison of Morocco’s actions with “tactics used by the Nazis,” when in fact Morocco’s stalwart defense of the Jewish community during the horrific Nazi years is widely recognized. Prominent US Jewish community leaders have condemned these remarks and joined US Christian leaders in expressing praise for Morocco’s record of religious tolerance and continuing efforts to guarantee religion [sic] freedom for Christians and Jews.
Morocco remains committed to freedom of worship and expression, tolerance, and openness. We have a long, close friendship with America dating back more than 200 years, when Morocco was the first country to recognize the newly independent United States. We continue to welcome all visitors who respect our laws and values. Please feel free to contact me for any additional information.
Sincerely,
[signature]
Aziz Mekouar
Ambassador of
The Kingdom of Morocco
To the United States of America
Washington, DC
July 12, 2010
Dear Ambassador Mekouar:
Thank you so much for your prompt and thoughtful response. First, I was well aware of, and have deep respect for, the long friendship between our two nations. The recent series of expulsions of Christians from Morocco is particularly painful for many Americans, and not only Christian believers, but also men and women from other faiths, because such conduct seems a betrayal of such a long and close friendship between two great people.
In your letter, you said that only five Americans were deported, but as you know, the total number of American Christians expelled from Morocco is 58 over the past several months. The concern, however, of our Christian Legal Society chapter is also for all those have been expelled without due process of law, and the total number of Christians of all nationalities expelled from March through July 1, 2010, was 128. Among these, two foreign women, married to Moroccan nationals, were also deported. One of the women, recently diagnosed with cancer, is the mother of a six-year old girl, whom she was forced to leave behind. As a signatory to the United Nations Convention of Rights of the Child, your government is aware that this is a violation of both Article 7, paragraph 1, and Article 9, paragraph 1 of that Convention. Moreover, the same Convention, under Article 14, paragraphs 1 and 2, gives those same children the freedom of thought, conscience and religion. As a person who became a Christ-follower at the age of 14, I have personal experience that children under the age of majority are fully capable of making those religious decisions for themselves.
In your letter, you stated that foreign Christians had violated Moroccan law by “engaging in proselytism.” While the Moroccan Penal Code imposes fines and prison sentences for engaging in proselytism, Moroccan authorities have failed to provide foreign Christians with documented proof or even any official charges of their alleged proselytism activities prior to deportation. Moreover, justification offered for these expulsions was that the foreign Christians purportedly posed a threat to the state. As you know, many of the foreign Christians were given 48 hours to leave Morocco on grounds of “threatening public order.” Many of those deported or denied reentry were businessmen, educators, and humanitarian and social workers, who resided in Morocco for long periods of time, some of them for decades. The fact that they chose to live and work in Morocco, far from their families and loved ones, shows how much foreign Christian believers loved the people of their adopted country. It is a travesty of justice that many of those deported were forced to leave Morocco within two hours of being questioned by authorities, leaving all of their personal effects behind. These were men and women who had contributed to the growth of Morocco, trained Moroccans, educated Moroccan children, cared for orphans and widows, and increased trade for Morocco.
As to the expulsion of those foreign Christian aid workers who cared for the 33 Moroccan orphans, I remind you that Moroccan police came to the Village of Hope orphanage on Saturday afternoon, March 6, 2010, and by late Sunday night informed all foster parents and staff that they had to leave on Monday. The foster parents and staff signed and adhered to a non-proselytizing policy, but Moroccan police provided no evidence of proselytism or any explanation of who, when, where or how such proselytism occurred. Moreover, rather than living in dormitory-style accommodation, the children lived with foster parents, so the separation of foster parents and children under their care had to have been traumatic and psychologically damaging to the children.
Although there are fewer than 1,000 Moroccan Christian converts in your entire country, the Organization of the Islamic Conference has been seeking to press Islamic nations to remove their Christian elements. Further, the appointments last January of the Honorable Mohammed Naciri as Minister of Justice and the Honorable Taieb Cherkaoui as Minister of the Interior show that Morocco’s traditional tolerance towards religious minorities has vanished. You will also recall that following the commencement of deportations in March 2010, in April nearly 7,000 Islamic religious leaders backed the deportations by signing a document describing the work of Christians within Morocco as “moral rape” and “religious terrorism.” Muslim extremists in Morocco are aiding and encouraging the government to pursue Christians by vilifying them, even on social networking sites. I only need to cite the example of Facebook user Gardes Maroc Maroc as evidence of Christian vilification.
I conclude with two final points: First, as a learned man, you know that throughout the history of the Christian Church, those persecuted for their faith have sown the seeds for its future growth. Moroccan friends and neighbors of deported Christians will undoubtedly ask why Christians are being deported for their faith. Many more Moroccans will be impacted by the reality of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord through the deportations and other persecution, and that will have more of an effect than years of quietly demonstrating the love and teachings of Jesus Christ peacefully and lawfully. The Moroccan government, by breaking its own long-held laws and traditions, has now removed the restraints on the reality of Jesus Christ in your country. Second, until there is a major reversal of government policy in Morocco, our members will urge the Congress of the United States to suspend the five-year Millennium Challenge contract between the United States and Morocco of almost $700 million dollars. After all, if Morocco no longer needs Christian businessmen, educators and aid workers, it can rely upon the zakaat and not on the taxpayer funds of hard-working Americans who are appalled by the policies of your government. However, it is sad for so many of us in the United States to see the evaporation of liberty in a historically modern Muslim country, know for its progressive policy.
Most respectfully yours,
[signed}
Michael Paul Avramovich
Chairman, Human Rights Committee
Northern Illinois Chapter, Christian Legal Society
Cc: The Honorable Frank R. Wolf, United States House of Representatives (via facsimile)
July 12, 2010
Dear Mr. Avramovich:
I appreciate your very strong feelings concerning the repatriation of Christian missionaries from Morocco on the charge of proselytizing. And I hope that you recognize that we Moroccans are feeling equally dedicated to preserving interfaith traditions that have served us for decades and guarantee the very religious liberties that are of concern to you.
Your commitment to the message of Christian peace is strongly echoed in our Quran which speaks directly to the responsibility we share for promoting justice and community harmony.
Hopefully, those foreigners who wish to contribute their skills and dedication to serving the needy in Morocco will continue to respect the laws that have protected the more than 60,000 Christians who are a vibrant part of Moroccan society.
Best regards,
[signed]
Aziz Mekouar
Ambassador of
The Kingdom of Morocco
To the United States of America
Washington, DC
July 16, 2010
Dear Ambassador Mekouar:
Thank you for your letter dated July 12, 2010, in which you stated that Moroccans are dedicated “to preserving interfaith traditions that have served us for decades and guarantee the very religious liberties that are of concern to [me].” Sadly, it is precisely the actions of your government that completely undermine those long and rich interfaith traditions that have been part of the splendid intellectual history of Morocco since the founding of the University of Al-Karaouine.
You state that the Koran speaks of responsibility for “promoting justice and community harmony.” While I certainly hope that your assertions regarding the Koran were followed, I would only wish that you would share this tenet of Islam with the nearly 7,000 Islamic leaders who, in their petition last April supporting the deportations, described the work of Christians within Morocco as “moral rape” and “religious terrorism.” In light of the fact that there are fewer than 1,000 Moroccan Christian converts, whose existence is not even recognized by your government, such vitriolic statements by these religious leaders sadly make utter mockery of your interpretation of the Koran.
The waves of deportations are now being followed by attacks on the small, but growing Moroccan church, as your government’s wave of intolerance spreads to indigenous Christian believers. Notwithstanding that Morocco’s constitution provides freedom to practice one’s religion and is consistent with its international treaty of obligations, it is contradicted by Article 220 of the Moroccan Penal Code, which criminalizes any attempt to induce a Muslim to convert to another religion. What does your government fear about this small number of Christian believers? Is Islam with its long history unable to defend itself against intellectual debate and dialogue? Is your government so fearful of Christian believers because the Islamic faith is so easily shaken? And was it really necessary for a large military-led team of authorities to raid a Bible study in a small city southeast of Marakech, in which eighteen Moroccans were arrested and one American was deported? We know that dozens of Moroccan Christians have been called to police stations for interrogation, many of whom have been threatened and verbally abused. Such activities will only serve to drive the Moroccan church even deeper underground, even as Christian believers in Morocco will continue to love and serve their country. Christian believers are commanded in the Holy Bible:
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, “It is mine to avenge. I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink…Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12: 17-21.
Excellency, please remember that God is not mocked. Speaking of “promoting justice and community harmony,” as you wrote is far less important than doing those actions that in fact show what Morocco once was. Morocco cannot truly be a free country without Christians because the existence of Christians in Morocco is the proof of its liberty.
Most respectfully yours,
[signed]
Michael Paul Avramovich
Chairman, Human Rights Committee
Northern Illinois Chapter, Christian Legal Society
Cc: The Honorable Frank R. Wolf, United States House of Representatives (via facsimile)
Michael Paul is briliiantly well spoken. Truth and justice WILL prevail. Christians can pray for truth to prevail with the leadership in Morocco. Truth may appear to be defeated for a time. But this type of dialogue is beautiful and hopefully will be effective - those who have ears to hear . . . MK
Posted by: Maralyn | August 20, 2010 at 04:36 PM
Well, the real christian values of Michael Paul and the christian organisation of whom he writes on behalf of really do shine through in his attempt at correspondance.
In Mr Paul's last correspondance published above, he reminds the recipient of Romans 12: 17-21, which states to not take an eye for an eye. Yet, Mr Paul cannot resist the very eye for an eye tactics that his own qouted words warn about.
This is what concerns me about most of my experiences with christian activists, the hypocrisy, in this instance, of threatening to insist that the United states suspends the five-year Millennium Challenge contract between the United States and Morocco of almost $700 million dollars. Not content with that threat of an eye for an eye, he descends futher into the depths of holy deparavity by wielding the axe further with "if Morocco no longer needs Christian businessmen, educators and aid workers, it can rely upon the zakaat and not on the taxpayer funds of hard-working Americans who are appalled by the policies of your government."
Even further, Mr Paul then turns his attentions to questioning the very stability of Islam.
Writing in direct contradiction to one's own beliefs and furthermore attacking the very basis of stability of another religion, Mr Paul surely will only bolster the beliefs of the Moroccan authorities that they took the correct action.
“It is mine to avenge. I will repay,” says the Lord.
Apparently, so will Michael Paul.
Posted by: Mr Dean | August 21, 2010 at 09:36 AM
Very impressive, Avramovich is both passionate and reasoning, and a terrific writer. A good example of a prophetic witness grounded in love.
Posted by: Margaret | August 21, 2010 at 12:22 PM
Unlike Mr. Dean, I believe it is entirely appropriate for Christians to appeal to their own government to follow through on what must surely be its official policy toward govermments that abuse our citizens living in Morocco as well as oppressing its own citizenry. Nor do I think it is "unChristian" for Michael Paul to tweak the ambassador by pointing out the hypocrisy, illegality and insecurity of the Islamists who resemble an elephant frightened by a mouse in their reaction to the tiny Christian presence in their country.
Posted by: Bob Srigley | August 22, 2010 at 12:43 PM
I like how Michael Paul Avramovich is a christianist hiding behind "Chairman, Human Rights Committee". It sounds like he defends human rights for all, but no defending the christian missionaries only. I can only ask Michael for one thing: to show that he meant what he says about people's right to worship. Mr. Michael, do you condemn the actions of christians in the US for inciting hate against Muslims in America, for going against the so called "ground zero" or Park 51 mosque; do you condemn the islamophobia? until then you are just a christianist who wants to convert the whole world, certainly muslims.
People like you are the problem and not religion...
Posted by: Rush Joy | August 27, 2010 at 08:15 PM
It's unfortunate that Islamophobia exists. "Fear of Islam", I understand, is quite prevalent in places like southern Sudan and southern Nigeria where the non-Islamists persist in unreasonable fears that their villages will be burned, their men killed and women raped and mutilated, and their children carried into slavery. But we're told this is not representative of Islam which is a religion of peace. I'm sure that for many this is true but the radical Islamists insist that their version is the true Islam, that it is justified in the Koran, and that Mohammed himself modeled their actions of terror, cruelty and violence, all in submission to Allah. Any Christian who does not desire the conversion of the whole world to Christianity does not share God's love for the world. Judging by their fruit, the Islamist's desire to convert the whole world is not grounded in the love of God.
Posted by: Bob Srigley | August 27, 2010 at 09:32 PM