ABSTRACT
Chapter 6 begins with an account of the struggle for independence from French and Spanish rule in Morocco and the formation of the Kingdom of Morocco under the Alaouite monarch, Hassan II, including the turbulent “years of lead.” The chapter explores the Alaouite monarchy’s approach to Islam in Morocco and the formation of an Islamist opposition to the dynasty, focusing on ‘Abdessalam Yassine’s Jama‘at al-Adl wa al-Ihsan and ‘Abdelilah Benkirane’s Justice and Development Party. Attention is also given to the activities of Islamist activist Nadia Yassine. Political reforms, the events of the Arab Spring in Morocco during the reign of King Mohammad VI and the status of Islam in the subsequent government conclude the chapter.
