Members of Al Adl Wal Ihsane Visit Benkirane After his Reelection as SG of the PJD

By Loubna Flah
Morocco World News
Casablanca, July 19, 2012

Subsequent to the reelection of Abdelilah Benkirane as the PJD’s Secretary General, a delegation from the controversial Islamic organization Al Adl wal Ihsane paid the head of government a cordial visit last Tuesday.

According to the Moroccan daily Al Massae, Three major leaders in the Islamic Jamaa visited Bekirane’s house in order to congratulate him for his reelection at the head of the ruling party, the PJD.

During this visit, Benkirane reiterated the government’s alacrity to open a dialogue with the Adl wal Ihsane. The” Jamma” has been taking cautious steps towards the normalization of its relations with the PJD since its sweeping victory during the last legislative elections.

Sources close to Al Adl wal Ihsane confirmed that the members of the “Irshad” council, namely Fathallah Arsalane, Abou Bakr Ben Sedik and Mohammed Hamdaoui asserted that the Adl wal Ihsane Leader “Abdessalam Yassine” transmitted his best regards and congratulations to Benkirane for his reeelection as the head of the PJD.

The PJD’s Secretary General and the Adl wal Ihsane leaders did not evoke any sensitive issue during the visit. The discussion was loaded with compliments and cordial expressions. Many PJD members consider the attempt to approach Benkirane as a harbinger of a growing confidence in the PJD’s ability to curb corruption.

Mr. Hassan Bennajeh, the Jamma spokesperson made it clear that its members paid Benkirane this cordial visit in his capacity as the PJD Secretary General and not as the head of the government. He added that the Jamma has always been in sync with the main political events especially those related to political parties regardless of their ideology.

Al Adl wal Ihsane has boycotted the Moroccan political scene for many years on the ground of pervading corruption. The Jamma has been in confrontation with the authorities for the last decade. The latest episode of arm wrestling between AL Adl Wal Ihsane and the government dates back to July 8th where the authorities banned 60 students belonging to the Jamma from setting an Islamic summer camp in Terga beach, 40km from the city of Tetouan in the country’s north.

Al Adl Wal Ihsane has been prevented from establishing camps since 2000. It had attracted more than 40,000 summer visitors in the year before the ban. At that time, Al Adl Wal Ihsane divided Sidi Bou Alnaim Beach into two parts, one for men and another for women, keeping them from seeing each other. Its tight organization overwhelmed authorities, who decided to prevent camps whose visitors increase year after year.