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Worshipers sat quietly, without shoes, on the red-carpeted floor of a mosque in the Moroccan capital, listening to a preacher on a raised platform read a government-written sermon urging parents to involve their children in public affairs.
The sermons in mosques across the kingdom on Friday came as Morocco was rocked in recent weeks by an unprecedented and deadly youth uprising demanding better social and economic conditions. The sermon did not directly address the protests, but some saw it as an attempt by the government to send a message to protesters in the movement known as Gen Z 212.
Preachers traditionally chose for their sermons topics that preceded congregational prayers. But in recent years, governments in countries including Morocco, Egypt and saudi arabia Sermon content has been determined. Authorities say the move is aimed at curbing extremist speech, but critics argue it turns sermons into a tool to promote the state’s viewpoint and support its policies.
In a mosque in the capital of Morocco RabatDressed in a white jellaba robe and speaking into a microphone to hundreds of worshipers of different ages, social and economic backgrounds, the imam urged the faithful to fulfill their duty to the nation by participating in civic life.
,One One of the most important things we should take care of is to raise children to participate in the management of public affairs (…) and participation in serving the nation, loving the motherland and paying attention to its security and stability,” the Imam said.
“A true citizen is one who serves his nation and does it well,” he said quoting the verses QuranHis voice was echoing outside the mosque. Imams in Morocco are government employees, and sermons are standardized. The same sermon heard in Rabat is delivered in the country’s 53,000 mosques and broadcast live on public television.
The protests stemmed from anger over government spending on sports infrastructure for the 2030 World Cup, while public services were perceived to be neglected. These were organized by an anonymous group on social media platforms such as Discord that rejects any affiliation with political parties and calls for the downfall of a government it considers corrupt.
Government officials said they listened to youth activists’ complaints and called on them to engage in dialogue and debate in institutions and the public sector. Several new measures announced at a cabinet meeting chaired by King Mohammed VI last week aim to boost youth political participation and job opportunities.
They include a draft bill that would simplify election candidacy requirements for people under 35 and provide financial assistance covering 75% of their campaign fees. Many observers drew a direct connection between the measure and the content of Friday’s sermon.
The government also said the 2026 budget draft would allocate a record $15 billion (140 billion dirhams) to health and education, billions of dollars more than it spent this year, creating 27,000 jobs in the two sectors, upgrading 90 hospitals and improving the overall quality of education.
In Friday’s sermon, the imam gave the example of how Mohammed’s disciples included their children in councils to discuss public matters.
The imam did not mention the Gen Z protests or the acts of vandalism, deaths and arrests associated with the demonstrations.
The Moroccan Association of Human Rights said Friday that more than 1,500 people were facing prosecution for taking part in the meetings. The appeals court in Agadir, a coastal city 296 miles (477 kilometers) from Rabat, sentenced 33 defendants to a total of 260 years in prison for the brutality, local media reported.
“I sincerely hope that the real intention behind these exhortations is to support young people’s participation in public affairs, not to guide or restrict them,” said Sufyan, an 18-year-old college student at a weekend protest in Casablanca. He spoke on the condition that his last name not be used for fear of retribution.
He said Friday’s sermons should be backed by real and transparent action, but added that they could be a powerful way to positively influence young people to get involved in political life.
Following government promises and Friday sermons, weekend protests attracted fewer participants than expected. Only a dozen people attended Saturday’s Casablanca gathering.
Dr. Driss El Ganboury, a researcher specializing in religious affairs, said, “Friday sermons serve as a tool to conduct politics through mosques, whether defending the state’s position… or addressing other issues.”
“The state adopts a dual discourse towards citizens: one religious, and the other reflected through official decisions,” said El Ganboury, author of “Islamists Between Religion and Power.”
El Ganbouri said many believed the sermons were out of sync with Morocco’s political and social realities, adding that preachers who deviate from official messages could be punished or dismissed.