The Times of India
Rudroneel Ghosh in Talking Turkey | World | TOI
In the aftermath of the Barcelona terror attack last month, it was shocking to read some western media reports cast aspersions on the North African nation of Morocco. It’s true that the terrorist cell responsible for the attack had members of Moroccan origin.
But to extrapolate from this and insinuate that Morocco itself is a hotbed of terrorism is plain rubbish. For, not only has Morocco been extremely successful in preventing terror attacks on its soil – there has been no terror strike in Morocco since the 2011 bombing in Marrakech – the kingdom has also aided other nations in carrying out counter-terror operations.
Morocco’s praiseworthy record in dismantling terror cells and fighting Islamist radicalisation is a direct result of its three-pronged security strategy. First, there is intense monitoring of potential terror threats with the emphasis on neutralising terror suspects before they are actually able to strike. This proactive approach is bolstered further by intelligence sharing with other countries and championing coordinated counter-terror efforts at international forums.
Second, Morocco is a pioneer in promoting the moderate tenets of genuine Islam to counter the influence of radical religious thought. The emphasis here is on training of imams so that they can dispel distortions in Islamic teachings and guide devotees on to the path of peace, tolerance and harmony.
Third, Morocco believes that radicalisation leading to terrorism is sustained by poverty. And unless and until poverty is eradicated, religiously oriented terror groups will continue to find easy recruits. Hence, Morocco has been championing South-South cooperation for economic development. This is in clear recognition of the fact that today economic development is also a security imperative. And only when countries develop together can poverty that sustains terrorism be comprehensively defeated.
In light of the above, it’s clear that the Moroccan government is at the forefront of fighting terrorism in North Africa and has been doing this successfully. Attacks in Europe by Moroccan-origin people represent a failing of these European states. So to allege that Morocco is producing terrorists is utter nonsense. In fact, if anything, Moroccan society and the Islam practised in Morocco are significant deterrents against extremism and terrorism. A visit to Morocco is enough for anyone to realise how liberal a Muslim nation Morocco is. Morocco is a country where Jews enjoy equal status as their Muslim brethren and where 167 Jewish cemeteries have been carefully restored under the direction of King Mohammed VI. Morocco is a country where within the same family the mother can wear a hijab but her daughter can sport western-style shorts.
Morocco is a country where men and women can freely mingle without religious restrictions. Morocco is a country with the world’s oldest running university that was started by a woman. Morocco is a country where if you visit a rural hamlet people will invite you to their homes without asking any questions. And Morocco is a country where if you break bread with the locals, their religion and spirituality enjoins them to protect you. Of course, there are conservative, obscurantist pockets in every country. But to imply that Morocco is fertile grounds for Islamist extremism is absolutely wrong.
DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author’s own.
Rudroneel Ghosh
I am a Delhi-based journalist working for the Edit Page of The Times of India.
