I keep seeing Morocco linked with witchcraft and the word “zouris.” Is there evidence it is more common there than in other Muslim-majority countries, or could this be about local terms and visibility?
Is witchcraft really more common in Morocco, or just talked about differently?
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The comparison is hard to make from the question alone. Beliefs and practices described as witchcraft exist in many places, but people use different labels for them, and what gets discussed or documented can vary a lot. More visible stories do not necessarily mean a practice is more widespread.
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“Zouris” may be a local spelling or pronunciation of a term also rendered as “zuhri” or “zohri.” In Moroccan folklore, it is associated in some accounts with people thought to have unusual signs or special qualities. That tells you more about a particular strand of local belief than about witchcraft across the country.
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I would be cautious about treating “witchcraft” as one single thing. A conversation might be mixing folk healing, protective practices, accusations of harmful magic, and stories about spirits. Those categories can overlap, but they are not interchangeable, and the same label may not mean the same thing from one region to another.
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QuietKite:
So the spelling and meaning may shift depending on who is using the term?