As Morocco marks 22 years since the tragic terrorist attacks of May 16, 2003, in Casablanca, the spotlight is once again on how the country has managed to become a global example in fighting extremism.
Experts say Morocco’s strength lies in its long-term, multi-layered strategy that goes far beyond just security crackdowns.
Morocco’s strategy is about education, religion, development, and early prevention. The approach has earned international praise for being proactive, smart, and holistic.
Moroccan researcher Khalid Touzani told Hespress Ar that in the years right after the attacks, Morocco rushed to stop the recruitment of young people into radical groups.
From 2003 to 2006, the focus was on urgent action. But over time, that turned into a deeper and broader plan, one that tackled the roots of extremism from several angles.
The country restructured its religious institutions, trained imams and preachers, and updated school curriculums to promote tolerance and peace.
According to Touzani, this helped Morocco not only prevent attacks but also dry up the sources of extremism.
Idriss El Guenbouri, a political analyst, said Morocco now stands out in the Arab world for how it has dismantled extremist cells without causing major social or security backlash.
“The kingdom didn’t just rely on force, it invested in reforming religious discourse and forming partnerships with African and European countries like Spain and France,” he said.
But both researchers agree that the work isn’t done. While religious extremism has been curbed, they warn of new, non-religious forms of extremism that threaten Morocco’s social fabric.
These ideologies, they say, may hide behind slogans of progress while attacking the country’s core values in a different way.
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