Moroccan Islamists Debate the Causes of Violent Extremism (original) (raw)

Official Islam's Involvement in Preventing Violent Extremism: Critical Insights from Morocco

The German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), 2019

The Moroccan experience presents a typical case of how religion is intensively incorporated as a crucial component of a multi-pronged strategy to combat violent extremism. Morocco’s religion-based Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) strategy lies in its reliance on a well-structured religious bureaucracy that functions in line with a politically-oriented, inclusive vision using persuasive, sophisticated tools, and which supposedly operates in tandem the other socio-economic and security aspects that comprise the total national PVE strategy. Nevertheless, this religion-based strategy suffers from several challenges and deficiencies, including the ideological vision framing it, its instrumentalization to serve certain political interests, and the uncertain efficacy and effectiveness of its modes of functioning, outreach, and scope of action. In order to improve coordination between the different institutions involved in Morocco’s PVE strategy, an intergovernmental body should be created that can synergize their fragmented activities. In addition, state-run religious institutions should develop indicators to assess the impact of their activities. Finally, religious associations and scholars should be involved and provided with appropriate training to effectively contribute to Morocco’s PVE efforts.

Morocco: Country Report on National Approaches to Extremism

radicalisme , 2021

The report sets out valuable data, figures and information regarding violent extremism in their specific contexts, and provide a brief overview of the main policies, strategies and initiatives regarding Prevention/Countering Violent Extremism in the country. Moreover, it also identifies the most relevant stakeholders in the field, both as source and target of such past and current visions and actions.

Moroccan Islamism. Between local participation and international Islamist networks of influence

Morocco has been directly confronted with the violence of radical Islamist groups since the Casablanca attacks of 16 May 2003 and the Madrid bombings of 11 March 2004. As these attacks were carried out by Moroccan citizens, the idea of a 'Moroccan exception' -that is, a politically moderate Arab country with 'controlled Islamists' and the absence of political violence -was shattered to pieces. Since then Morocco has implemented diff erent policies trying to counter radicalisation and prevent violent terrorist attacks, while simultaneously trying to secure the pace of political reforms.

Morocco – Macro-drivers of radicalisation and violent extremism

Connekt H2020, 2022

This publication reflects only the views of the author(s); the European Commission and Research Executive Agency are not responsible for any information it contains. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed).

The Limits of Morocco's Attempt to Comprehensively Counter Violent Extremism

After terrorist attacks in 2003, Morocco launched an ambitious and wide-ranging strategy to counter violent extremism. Intended to both target existing terror groups and address the roots of radicalization, this comprehensive strategy sought to combine security measures with efforts to improve socioeconomic conditions and promote the state’s moderate interpretation of Islam. In this Brief, Mohammed Masbah assesses this strategy and finds that, while it has been largely successful at hindering jihadi groups from operating inside Morocco over the past 15 years, it failed to prevent hundreds of Moroccans from radicalizing and joining groups fighting abroad. Masbah argues that the domination of security agencies in implementing the strategy sidelined its non-security aspects, which also suffered from being too broad, unfocused, and lacking in complementarity. As a result, Morocco seems to have failed to make sufficient progress in achieving its broader objective of fighting poverty and social exclusion. The Brief concludes by discussing the implications of the assessment for the expected return of hundreds of Moroccans who fought in Syria and Iraq with ISIS.

Islamic Activism and Anti-Terrorism Legislation in Morocco

2007

The paper portrays the socio-legal transformation in a rural Moroccan area after the state got involved in the international war on terror following intense exposure to transnational Islamic activism. It describes a locality in south western Morocco before anti-terrorism legislation is put into effect. The paper shows how state implementation of the law is first felt as a threat to civil rights, yet how it is afterwards instrumentalised to serve larger interests. It addresses how this locality manages to restrict external control from both the state and actors linked to transnational Salafi Islam, the anti-terrorism legislation thus being used to reinforce local agency and social coherence through intense intertwining with governmental and global strategies.

salafism in morocco between conformism and radicalism

The increased importance of salafism arises because, above all, it responds to a constant demand within the Moroccan religious milieu to compensate for the weakness in traditional religious institutions and for their inability to define new ds for religious values and symbols which would ensure continued mobilisation and recruitment under their aegis. Salafist actorstandars seek to end societal pluralism in religious expression, by cre- ating unified doctrine within their communities. This mechanism should overcome doctrinal dispute as a means to achieve their own legitimisation. This religious situation, marked by a striking proliferation in such com- munities, has encouraged the ways in which they organise and act, as well as the nature of their discourse and the mechanisms by which they mobilise their supporters.

Drivers of radicalisation and violent extremism-MOROCCO-CONNEKT H2020

2024

This publication reflects only the views of the author(s); the European Commission and Research Executive Agency are not responsible for any information it contains. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed).