unity

Building a Bridge between Faiths in Highly Muslim Nation

By George Thomas
CBN News Sr. Reporter

CBN.com – MARRAKECH, Morocco - A groundbreaking event took place this past weekend in the Moroccan city of Marrakech. Morocco, which is 99 percent Muslim, has done what no other Arab nation has ever done before: invite foreign Evangelical Christians to share their faith, and to do so in public.

For three days, some of the world's best-known contemporary Christian groups shared the stage with top Muslim Moroccan artists in a celebration of music, culture and religion.

The goal was to help build bridges between evangelicals and Muslims.

Harry Thomas, a Christian from America, is the festival's director. He said, “I believe music is a way to translate the truths of the Scripture, the truth of the Gospel. It is a way to translate it to the next generation. Morocco is a hotbed for music, and so music translates something that sometimes preaching doesn't.”

Dubbed "Friendship Fest," the musical event featured Christian artists Jeremy Camp, Delirious, Newsboys, Joy Williams, Phil Keaggy, Rock N ' Roll Worship Circus and Out of Eden singing to packed crowds of mostly Muslims.

Danielle Kimmey, from Out of Eden, remarked, “Never in my life would I have thought that I would be here, not just to visit, but to sing, and to be able to share the music that God gave us, here in a Muslim country. I think it’s amazing!”

Keaggy commented, “It is a historic event. Being here has opened my eyes and my heart to many things. When I was first invited to come, I had my reservations because it is such a different world. But I find that the love of God is universal, and I think music, and I believe music, is universal as a language that communicates joy and celebration.”

Camp said, “I've already met some amazing Moroccan people that have been so hospitable and so helpful. I've already built some friendships.”

These are friendships that the Moroccan and American artists hope will help break the religious and cultural stereotypes on both sides.

Moroccan Artist Edil Hanine said, “Most of the people in America think that we here in Morocco are still living with camels and living in the desert. We know a lot about America. So these musicians (Americans) will, when they go back to America. They can talk and tell their friends and family all about what it is like in Morocco and that it is not like in the movie "Casablanca"!”

Moroccan spectator Hagar Hade stated, “The fact that we are here today singing and playing together for a common goal is a big step in breaking down those barriers.”

But getting to this point of holding the "Friendship Fest" was not without controversy. In fact, weeks leading up to this event, Moroccan newspapers wrote several articles accusing the American organizers of trying to use this event to proselytize.

It is a charge that Thomas has repeatedly denied.

“We told the artists to do what they always do,” said Thomas. “And whatever they sing, to sing. But this is not a time to proselytize; this is a time to build bridges, a time to build friendships. This is not a preaching event, this is not an evangelistic event. This is an event where we begin to learn and understand from each other.”

And that was music to the ears of Abdelali Doumou. Doumou was one of several top Moroccan government officials responsible for inviting the American Christians to Marrakech. He said, “Our hope is to know more about the United States, about the society and the people of America.”

Morocco has always prided itself on being the liberal face of Islam. And their young king, Mohammed VI, is doing all he can to keep it that way. In recent years, he has encouraged more democracy and openness.

Thomas said, “Down deep in the heart of Morocco, and perhaps in the heart of the leadership, there is a desire to lift up Morocco as a shining example of how things can be done democratically, and how things can be done in peace and harmony and respect for human rights, and religious rights.”

But Morocco still has a ways to go. Beneath the surface, the menace of radical Islam flourishes. And there is a growing feeling here that Islam is under attack by the Christian West. Islam is the state religion. And while the constitution guarantees freedom of religion, Muslims don't have the freedom to leave Islam. Proselytizing is forbidden.

Moroccan sources tell CBN News that there are about 1,000 Christians secretly practicing their faith in this North African country. That is 1,000 out of a population of 32 million people!

In the meantime, Thomas and Doumou hope that by holding this cross-cultural event, it would help bring, according to Thomas, “...a greater understanding of Christians from the Muslim side; a greater understanding of the Muslim world from the Christian side; and perhaps, it can build some very important bridges for the future.”

Translate Page