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Will the radical Islamist party now change its stance so as to become a mainstream force? Abdessalam Yassine , spiritual leader of Morocco's radical Justice and Charity (Al‐Ad wal‐Ihsan) Islamist movement and outspoken opponent of the monarchy, died on December 13th aged 84, the banned but tolerated group's spokesman told AFP . As founder of Morocco's most popular Islamist movement, Sheikh Yassine had running problems with the authorities during the so‐called Years of Lead under the late king Hassan II , when he was imprisoned twice and placed under house arrest. The movement he created in 1973, which advocated establishment of an Islamist state but rejected violence to achieve it, actively participated in Arab Spring protests that erupted in Morocco in February 2011. But it distanced itself from the February 20th protest movement in December 2011, considering its demands too limited. Originally from the south, Sheikh Yassine viewed the nature of the monarchy under Hassan II unacceptable from an Islamic perspective, and sent an open letter to the king in 1974 urging him to choose between “Islam or the deluge.” He was imprisoned shortly afterwards for three and a half years without charge, before being confined to a mental hospital. He was jailed again in 1983 for two years, and finally placed under house arrest until the accession to the throne in 2000 of King Mohammed VI . His movement refuses to recognise the king's official title, commander of the faithful, a key difference with the moderate Islamist Party of Justice and Development, which won the 2011 elections and heads the ruling coalition. Tens of thousands of devotees gathered in Rabat for the funeral of Abdessalam Yassine, which took place at the 18th‐century Sunna mosque next to the royal palace. A large security detachment was deployed in the area. The future of Morocco's largest Islamist group is uncertain after the death of its charismatic leader, but analysts say it could still play a more important political role in the kingdom. The large number of people who attended Yassine's funeral were proof of the devotion he inspired. Although banned, Al‐Ad wal‐Ihsan is active in many poor neighbourhoods and it is considered the most popular opposition movement. (© AFP 13‐21/12 2012)
Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series – Wiley
Published: Jan 1, 2013
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