Five terrorist attacks in Casablanca on 16 May 2003 alarmed the Moroccan state of the presence of religious extremist ideas in Morocco. As a measure, an anti-terrorism policy was launched to reduce...Show moreFive terrorist attacks in Casablanca on 16 May 2003 alarmed the Moroccan state of the presence of religious extremist ideas in Morocco. As a measure, an anti-terrorism policy was launched to reduce the chances of future attacks. Morocco’s number of attacks is relatively low compared to other North African countries from 2003 onwards. The aim of this thesis is to investigate to what extent Morocco’s anti-terrorism policy explains this low number of attacks. This policy consists of legal, religious, and socio-economic measures. Legislative amendments have strengthened the powers of security services and the police. In addition, the state has provided an alternative to religious extremist ideas by promoting the ‘Moroccan Islam’ in mosques, schools, and media. Furthermore, the state has tried to remove the likelihood of radicalization by reducing poverty and improving housing. As a result of these measures, it is possible that the size and activity of religious extremist groups have been reduced, and less Moroccan citizens are susceptible to religious extremist ideas. Moreover, many extremist cells have been dismantled and arrested since 2003. Although these arrests are criticized from a humanitarian viewpoint, they validate the success of the state in arresting a significant number of possible extremists. Nevertheless, since quantities are problematic indicators to measure effectiveness of anti-terrorism policies, caution should be exercised when attributing Morocco’s number of attacks to its anti-terrorism policy. This thesis is a multidisciplinary historical source research, analyzing a wide range of sources by using the qualitative research method ‘document analysis’.Show less
