Islamism in Morocco: Appeal, impact and implications (1969--2003)

This study explores the appeal and limitations of Islamic revivalism in Morocco. The research is based on historical documents and qualitative interviews with officials, ordinary Muslims, and Islamists. The study traces the birth of the Islamist movement, its early manifestations, and its struggle to survive. The study focuses on the Islamist movement's confrontation with the state, its adaptive strategies, and its continuing resistance of the status quo. It also explores the tension between the Islamist movement and the monarchy.; The study examines the appeal and limits of Islamism from four angles: ordinary Muslims' perspective on Islamism, the monarchy's role as the central political and religious institution, Islamists' approach in attracting adherents to their cause, and the international relations implications for Islamism in Morocco.; The study finds that the appeal of Islamism in Morocco remains limited in spite of the relative increase in the popularity of its two leading movements. The majority of ordinary Muslims do not approve of the mixing of religion with politics as do the Islamists, nor do they believe in the notion of an Islamist state. Other limiting factors to the appeal of Islamism are the dual role of the king as political and religious leader, Islamists' failure in conveying their message in a more effective way, and the international relations environment which does not seem to lend itself to the emergence of an Islamist state a few miles south of Europe. The study concludes that although Islamism's appeal remains limited in Morocco, the country's economic situation may force many people to become more susceptible to being attracted to the Islamist cause. Thus, unless the state tends to the economic needs of its citizens, it may have to face a more challenging Islamist force in the future.