Faithfully Commanded: An Analysis of the PJD's post-Islamist Character and Operation Within Morocco's Hybrid Regime Open Access

Abstract

The events transpiring in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the last decade or so, beginning with the Arab Spring in 2011, have created a strong case analysis for the rise and fall of political Islam, which flourished in nations like Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt after the protests. As Islamist parties came into and out of power in the 10 years following, a narrative took shape which viewed the changes within these parties as resulting from the moderating factors of taking up the torch of governance; some scholars, to describe this shift, posited that MENA had reached a post-Islamist phase. In the case of Morocco, where the Justice and Development Party (PJD), officially referred to as a “conservative political party with an Islamic reference point” governed from 2011-2021 under the ultimate supervision of the monarchy within the nation’s hybrid regime, this paper argues the uniqueness of the PJD’s case and for the separation of Morocco from this general narrative. The PJD’s devastating loss at the polls in 2021 following 10 years of governance and preceded by more than a decade of support building (1997-2011), rather than coinciding with the typical evaluation of Islamist inclusion-moderation framework, reveals much more about the balance of political participation in Morocco and how Islamism functions in this unique context. This paper will explore the PJD’s identity as a more accurately defined post-Islamist party and why that definition is important in understanding its formation, growth, and policy-making, all while facing the dismantling processes of Morocco’s monarchy and political system. The paper will also include a discussion of the Justice and Spirituality Group (JSG), a non-participatory Islamist entity, to contrast the PJD’s identity and efficacy. Incorporating a series of interviews with politicians, scholars, and election officials in Morocco, this paper will also provide an in-country perspective on the relationship between the party and the palace in order to better explore how the post-Islamist PJD’s identity and adaptability has allowed it to exist and exercise influence within its nation’s hybrid political scene.

Table of Contents

 Table of Contents

Introduction......................................................................................................................................1

Literature Review.................................................................................................................7 Methodology......................................................................................................................15 

Chapter 1 - Post-Islamism: Why is the PJD Unique and Why Does it Matter?............................20

Chapter 2 - Growth and Limitations Throughout the 2000s……………………………………..31 

Chapter 3 - Palatial Conflict..........................................................................................................41

Soft Strategies of Dissolution............................................................................................41 Direct Palace Intervention................................................................................................. 47

Chapter 4 - Policy Pedigree...........................................................................................................52 

Chapter 5 - The Other Islamists: Jamāʿa al-ʿAdl wa al-Iḥsān.......................................................57 

Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................66 

Limitations and Further Research......................................................................................69 

References......................................................................................................................................73

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	African Studies Political Science, General Middle Eastern Studies
Keyword	Hybridity PJD Authoritarianism Hybrid regime Islamism Morocco post-Islamism
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Dr. Sam Cherribi, Emory University
Committee Members	Dr. Anouar El Younssi, Emory University Dr. Hubert Tworzecki , Emory University

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