Church & State

I’ve had some very interesting conversations about Islam while here. Morocco is, of course a Muslim country, and there is no such thing as ‘separation of church and state’. So even if you don’t go to mosque every Friday or pray five times a day, facing Mecca when the muezzin calls, you are expected to live by the rules of the Quran. For example, a Moroccan can get in a lot of trouble if he/she is seen eating during Ramadan. I’ve been told that the population, including young people, is becoming more conservative, not less, and that there is a lot of pressure on Moroccan women from society and peers to wear ‘the veil’. Moroccans may not be served alcohol on holy days, even if they are not ‘practicing’ Muslims or are with westerners who are served. I also had an interesting interaction with a shopkeeper today who, in trying to sell me something, said that as a ‘practicing Muslim’, it is against Quranic law to lie, and that he therefore had to be telling me the truth about the price and the value of his goods!