Bikini-clad beaches, high end resorts, and Islam in Morocco
Morocco which lately has been garnishing much publicity from its tourists attractions and beaches, surprisingly enough is overwhelmingly Islamic. The first thoughts that come to most people’s minds when they hear Islam unfortunately is terrorism, and although Morocco has had some terrorist attacks, with almost every country in the world dealing with the threat of terrorism, it should not be considered a high risk vacation anymore than going to NYC in America would be for the frequent traveler.
Islam, especially the variety practiced in most of Morocco known as the native Sunni variant, is a peaceful religion that is mostly composed of pieces of modern day Muslim practice with old African rituals and routines backing up the moral teachings of Islam. Although there are a few small pieces of other organized religions, their numbers are so small it is unlikely you will notice their occupation of Morocco. Very small sectors of Moroccan society are Christians, Jews, and Hindus, but each group makes up less than one percent of the population. Despite the way the world paints Muslims however, for living in a bikini clad tourist land, many of the natives are very friendly to the business and luxury visitors who flock to Morocco each year for their meetings and vacations (and sometimes both!) respectfully.
In fact, the Moroccan people are some of the friendliest people you will meet at any tourist locations as Europeans and Americans tend to be very cold and bitter towards tourists. Not here, as if you are not careful the locals will talk your ears off informing you of the best places to stay and everything you need to be sure to see while you are in Morocco. For a country that faces so much inner turmoil, they embrace foreigners and their current situations with contentment almost, choosing to make the best out of their lives in Morocco which has a lot to do with the real teachings of Islam. (And possibly the shiny warm climate)
Despite this, religion has caused some problems for the Moroccan society and can cause a threat to vacationers as Islamic terrorists are becoming more and more a threat in Morocco as they are across the world. Casablanca, known to many thanks to Humphrey Bogard and Ingrid Bergman, is the most famous tourist attraction, and unfortunately also where most of the suicide bombings have occurred lately first in 2003 and onward to today. Although the injuries are slight since the government has upped security in the city, there is still a risk of Islamic extremists that reverberates throughout the city. However, a vacationer should not be overly concerned, just cautious, as the whole world is suffering from random terrorist’s attacks, and the fact that the majority of Morocco is Muslim should not deter their plans. The religious people, while being fundamentalist, are not dangerous and are happy to share their beautiful culture and land with travelers. In fact, some of the most striking cultural Moroccan structures are the Muslim Mosques.