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Denver- Morocco’s counterterrorism operations are lauded by many to be among the most effective in the Arab world at preventing jihadi attacks. However, with the return of many former convicted jihadists into mainstream society, some wonder if Morocco’s reconciliation policy is a possible long term threat to national and international stability.
Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) heads the monumental task of investigating, identifying and preventing radical individuals from carrying out nefarious operations within Morocco. According to data from the organization, the unit has dismantled 210 terror cells, and foiled over 500 planned operations from extremists between 2002 and 2021.
The BCIJ arrested over 1,300 individuals during this time period, likely saving countless innocent lives. But, unlike other countries’ handling of convicted jihadists, Morocco has adopted a much different tactic in their rehabilitation treatment of these radical individuals.
The Moroccan strategy, known as “Mossalaha,” focuses on the eventual reintegration of individuals into mainstream society after the conclusion of their prison sentence.
Many former terrorists have used this program to dispel their old ways and return to a life of normalcy and peace. Some, on the other hand, appear to have taken advantage of the program to continue promoting radical ideology and plotting possible future attacks.
Popular Moroccan investigative show 45 Minutes on the Al Oula television channel took the opportunity to consult with several security experts and former convicted jihadists, to outline what this strategy means for the future of Moroccan internal security.
Terrorism and rehabilitation
Jihadist operations in many countries have receded in recent years, thanks to the efforts of many nations’ security forces in implementing counterterrorist initiatives.
In Morocco, the Mossalaha initiative seeks to de-radicalize extremists through attempts to slowly reintroduce them into mainstream society. Of the 4,304 confirmed jihadi ex-convicts imprisoned in Morocco, 3,423 have been released from prison in Morocco, and reintegrated into society.
BCIJ officer Mohamed Nifaoui reported that the majority of those arrested in the country were apprehended as part of the “pre-emptive security approach” that was adopted by Moroccan officials. Nifaoui reflected that this approach “proved its efficiency against terrorist threats.”
Not all the individuals prosecuted have chosen to return to a peaceful life. BCIJ officer Mohamed Nifaoui reported in an interview with television channel Al Oula’s 45 Minutes that many extremists in Morocco have shifted their tactics to adapt to the increasingly digital society of Morocco. Terrorist expert Ihsane Hafidi commented that the online jihadists preyed on the “susceptibility” of many people online, in order to promote their radical schools of thought.
Because of the threat Nifaoui sees in this online activity, he emphasized the importance of law enforcement prosecuting “incitement efforts” by online jihadists. Hafidi mentioned these were often transnational acts, with extremists living abroad attempting to “target Moroccan people and their institutions, through acts of incitement, defamation, and encouragement of discord.”
Alarmingly, many of these individuals reside in Western societies, where they can operate under the guise of normalcy to continue their online activities, exploiting this opportunity to encourage future violence in Morocco.
Hafidi remarks that extremists have taken advantage of the relaxed policies in places like the UK, and more recently Germany, to facilitate terrorist plans in their country of origin. Hafidi recalled the story of one man convicted in Morocco, who upon his release, travelled to Germany, then to Pakistan via a German passport.
Despite being banned from reentering Germany on his return, the man was eventually reallowed residence in Germany after a number of years. This decision was widely criticized by Western European media, and a reflection of the poor long term planning by German security officials.
Stubborn Germany
The BCIJ operative described how Germany’s tempered attitudes towards these forms of radical speech has many experts describing the country as a “haven” for instigators of terrorist activity. Many of these individuals happen to also be Moroccan ex-convicts, who have chosen to refuse reconciliation in favor of continued radical thought.
A video of one man, known only as Mohammed Hajib, was used by security experts as proof of the dangers of Germany’s policies for the people of Morocco.
In the video, directed specifically towards Morocco, Hajib repeatedly implores viewers to be “real men” and carry out suicide attacks within Morocco, encouraging the viewer to “die as a man.” This form of encouragement is the “true form of terrorism,” according to security experts, as it draws innocent people into a distorted sense of reality and corrupts their thoughts and beliefs.
According to BCIJ officials, the brief video also demonstrates the true threat of modern terrorist recruitment. They described that individuals like Hajib freely post their content living in European countries while ordering attacks in places like Morocco, with little threat of government repercussions. In fact, Hajib was also hosted on Germany’s DW news channel, introducing his message to an even wider audience, according to Abderrahim Ariri, a publication director for Anfaspress.
Experts in Morocco continue to question why Germany would allow Hajib on its state-sponsored media, and whether this was part of a wider effort to “embolize Morocco,” alleges Ariri.
Another individual, Anis al-Amri, was a Tunisian man who entered Germany as a refugee. Once in the country, Amri committed a brutal terrorist attack by ramming a truck into a large group of German citizens, killing twelve people.
Officials state that Morocco reportedly warned German security about the intentions of al-Amri prior to the attack, however German officials appear to have ignored these efforts. Considering the attacks that Germany has suffered, the question for the interviewed experts remains as be why Germany would continue to host these radical individuals within its borders.
Perhaps the most famous incident of the consequences of German security policies was its hosting of the “Hamburg cell” beginning in 1998. The group included the Egyptian Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi from the UAE, Ziad Jarrah of Lebanon and Ramzi bin al-Shibh from Yemen.
All four individuals would eventually become known as the masterminds of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which killed nearly three thousand people across three states in the US. Over the last twenty years, Germany has continued to host individuals with similar forms of radical thinking according to the host of 45 minutes, Yassine Omari. He stated that the situation was made worse by the continual misrepresentation of these dangerous extremists as “militants,” creating a seemingly small, but extremely detrimental inaccurate distinction.
Jihadi or Militant?
According to the analysis of Hafidi, the terms “jihadi” and “militant” have been used interchangeably in discourse about radical individuals, however the misrepresentation of these individuals represents a danger to how governments respond to possible threats.
One former Jihadist that was asked by 45 minutes to distinguish the two terms, labelled the difference being one of ideology. Unlike the militant, the jihadist held on to an intense conviction or religious belief.
In the minds of these jihadists, no action is too severe in the pursuit of their agenda, including sabotage and brutal attacks on civilians. The linguistic downgrade by referring to these individuals as militants, takes away from the severity of the situation, and the deeply ingrained radical beliefs that these individuals possess.
BCIJ officials concluded that among the most dangerous ideologies that radicals maintain is their misrepresentation of the Islamic concept of Taqiyya. This belief is the ability for Muslims to deny or conceal their true religious beliefs in the face of persecution.
However, as typical of many of the beliefs held on to by jihadists, Taqiyya has been misrepresented by jihadists to allow for the continuation of violent acts against others.
Although many Moroccan ex-convicts have successfully reintegrated into Moroccan society with no further issues, there appear to be some that have used Morocco’s reconciliatory attitude to plot further attacks upon their release. These individuals evade detection through subterfuge during their incarceration. They justify these actions by claiming Taqiyya, making the situation substantially harder to solve, BCIJ officials explained.
Potential For Change
Of the over 1300 individuals arrested by Morocco, 54 were reported to have prior convictions for terrorist related activities.
Despite targeting the “intellectual, religious and social factors” that lead individuals to carry out acts of terrorism, there is no sure way for authorities to ensure the propaganda consumed by jihadists has truly been corrected. One former jihadist stated that violent attacks carried out under the guise of Taqiyya “undermine” reconciliation efforts, and according to one reformed woman “whittle away” the efforts of the state.
Despite the attempts by jihadis, for whom rehablition efforts proved ineffective, to subvert Morocco’s efforts to eliminate the jihadist ideology, there still remains some ex-convicted jihadists who have shown efforts to help the government in this ideological struggle.
These former radicals have utilized education in religion, philosophy, and psychology to disseminate a message of peace via talks to imprisoned radicals. In hopes of peace, these terrorists-turned-teachers represent the front line, and possibly the most practical way to truly ensure that radicalized individuals are converted from their violent schools of thought according to Al Oula’s 45 Minutes program.
For who is a better candidate to de-radicalize a jihadist, then someone who once held the same extremist beliefs?
The 45 Minutes program raised important questions on the possible exceptions that evade rehabilitation efforts, yet possibly presents an image that rehabilitation efforts in general are not successful. With no repeat-offenders and a strong domestic security apparatus, Morocco’s approach appears to be working.
