Jamal Al-Nahedhi

Imagine this: an elderly man publicly and peacefully shares his faith in Morocco — a country where freedom of speech should be protected under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations. Yet Fateh Benaiss, a 57-year-old member of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, now lies in a psychiatric hospital, where he is forcibly confined after arrest by police simply for peacefully sharing his beliefs.

Raised in a Shia Muslim background, Mursal embraced in March 2025 the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, a minority religious movement that has drawn followers from various countries. Like many believers who joined this faith, he did not take up arms, organize protests, or incite violence. He simply shared his beliefs peacefully on his personal social media accounts. But what followed was not peaceful dialogue. What followed was punishment.