Survey finds young and old Moroccans differ on religion

14/12/2007

A new survey of Moroccan society offers the first scientific look at religious values and practices in the country. While young Moroccans are less religious than their elders, they are also more inclined to embrace radicalism.

By Imrane Binoual for Magharebia in Casablanca – 14/12/07

[Imrane Binoual] "Prologue" magazine's Mohamed Sghir Janjar (left) sits with Hajo Lanz of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation at the survey's presentation. "We would like similar surveys to be conducted in other Arab countries," said Janjar.

Detailed results of a survey conducted last year by Prologue magazine and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, made public on December 7th, provide an unprecedented look inside Moroccans' attitudes towards religious values and practises.

Sociologists found, based on interviews with more than 1,000 Moroccans, that religion's role in social activities has diminished. The lone notable exception is the month of Ramadan, when life revolves around religious tradition.

"The results we obtained confirm, to our astonishment, what has been seen elsewhere: that young people are less active in religion than older people," said sociologist Mohamed El Ayadi, who authored the study alongside political scientist Mohamed Tozy and sociologist Hassan Rachik.

In the survey, 28.9% of respondents said religion should guide personal life, while 44.8% remain undecided. On the relationship between religion and politics, the results are broadly similar: 24.9% considered that religion becomes dangerous when mixed with politics and 26.1% felt the opposite.

Despite an overall decline in the role of religion in daily life, there is a significant proportion of Moroccans who support political Islam and Jihadist movements. In fact, the survey shows that 17.6% of the population answered "yes" when asked: "Are you in agreement with Jihadist movements?"

The survey found that the younger the respondents, the more they say they agree with Jihadist movements. "The survey shows that 21.8% of people aged 18 to 24 agree with Jihadist movements, compared with 9.7% among the 60-plus age group," said Mohamed Sghir Janjar, director of Prologue magazine.

According to Janjar, the idea to conduct the survey came after the terrorist attacks in Casablanca on May 16th, 2003. "When these events occurred, we were shaken by what had happened in our country," he said.

"There were two ways of dealing with the issue. Either react immediately and have a discussion about religion or choose, as has been done in other countries, to take time for research, consideration and fact-finding."

Janjar continued, "Without empirical knowledge of Moroccan society, we were being ruled by impressions, opinions, and polemics." Until this study, he said, "no one had any concrete scientific truth based on what is actually happening in our society."

He said he would like similar surveys to be conducted in other Arab countries; if a similar survey were conducted in Algeria, for example, it might reveal new reasons for the terrorist acts taking place there.

Overall, he said, the survey reveals "a kind of secularisation" or "redeployment of religion, which is lived out in a different way to suit the modern world."

"Until now there have been more questions than answers, more hypotheses than real facts," said Hajo Lanz of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

"Now, thanks to this first survey, we have a better chance of understanding and following up on other surveys and analyses, to gain a deeper insight into the various aspects of the findings of this survey into religious practices."