By Donny Ndoka –
Omar glanced over his shoulder anxiously. The Moroccan man did not want to get caught watching this video on the internet: “The Koran is NOT the Word of God.”
Daring to find out for himself the truth about his religion, Islam, was treasonous. He could get into all kinds of trouble.
At the same time, he was intrigued. The speaker in the video was Moroccan, just like himself. Omar had never questioned the authenticity of the Koran, but as he listened surreptitiously to the video over and over again, it made sense.
After weeks of research, Omar became convinced that the Bible, not the Koran, was God’s word, according to a report by International Christian Response (ICR).
As he grew in his faith, he shared a video with a coworker, a risky move.
At first, Ali told Omar he was crazy for watching such videos. Eventually he relented and watched out of curiosity. This became a habit: at lunch they would meet in an isolated place and watch videos together.
Together, Ali and Omar came to faith. They received Jesus into their hearts at the same time and were born again.
They reached out to the Christian media outlet and got connected with Christians nearby and a house church they could attend.
Morocco was part of Christendom but fell to the sword of Allah in 681 AD. During the colonial period, Christianity and in-person evangelism surged but all but ceased when in 1956 the Northwest African nation gained its independence and instituted anti-apostasy laws.
Inevitably, Omar’s family noticed the difference in him, and they found it he was a Christian. His radicalized Muslim brother-in-law reacted harshly. He “took back” his sister. Omar was now considered an infidel, bringing shame to the family. Fatima would not be allowed to be married to him.
Omar remained faithful to the Lord. Sharing his sadness with his church, he asked for prayer.
After almost a year of separation, Omar came home one day to his apartment. To his surprise, the lights were on before he entered.
Fatima was inside, cooking his favorite meal. She rushed into his arms, and they cried together for a long time. She had missed her husband so much that she decided to disobey her extremist brother.
Christians have broadcast the gospel in Morocco from even before the advent of the Internet, and thousands have come to faith.
Meanwhile, the nation has relaxed the application of the apostasy laws, especially in big cities where there is a greater openness to the gospel. In the past, the government incarcerated people for leaving Islam. Now, punishment is more likely to come from family members, as was the case with Omar.
“When I converted from Islam to Christianity, my extended family turned their backs on me,” one North African told ICR. “I lost practically all my friends, the neighbors stopped talking to me, and I was insulted on the street. That was incredibly painful.”
Just because Fatima returned to Omar doesn’t mean she immediately accepted Jesus. She loved Omar but remained unconvinced.
Sometime later, she required a surgery and ICR covered the costs. None of her friends visited her during her recovery, but church members did every day. After she saw the love of Christ embodied through his followers, she finally became convinced and received Jesus.
The church in Morocco is growing, not only in size, but also in maturity. Capable leaders are being raised up, some of whom have been Christians for decades. There are even second-generation Christians in many families, with children who have grown up attending church.
Disillusionment with Islam sometimes comes from dysfunction and hypocrisy in the family. Others turn to Christianity after observing the corruption, abuse, and inconsistencies within Islamic institutions. The majority of Moroccans cling to Islam as their cultural identity.
“But the dam has significant cracks,” says ICR Director Joe (whose last name is not included because he goes in and out of countries closed to the gospel). “With increasing freedom being provided by the government, one cannot help but wonder how long until the dam breaks, and a flood of Moroccans stream into the church.”
To learn more about a personal relationship with Jesus, click here.
About this writer: Donny Ndoka studies at the Lighthouse Christian Academy near Playa Vista of Los Angeles.
