Whitewashing Islam is not going to solve the Morocco's Jihadist problem.

It was the anniversary of Morocco’s Revolution of the King and the People but not a lot of new ideas were coming out of the king’s mouth.

In a speech supposedly given on August 20, 2016, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI continued to peddle the ‘moderate’ Islam narrative – “Islam is a religion of peace.” Mohammed VI’s speech was aimed toward the Moroccan diaspora. At the beginning of the address – at least the beginning of the transcript provided by The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) – Mohammed VI states:

My dear countrymen, the whole world is talking about the problem of immigration, and about the human tragedies suffered by the immigrants. This situation is exacerbated by the spread of terror and extremism, and the attempts to link it – rightly or not – to the immigrants, especially in Europe. In this context, I call upon the Moroccans living abroad to adhere to the values of their religion and to their age-old customs, in confronting this phenomenon, which is alien to them. I also encourage them to protect the good reputation for which they are known, to persevere in these difficult circumstances, and to unite in their ranks. I call upon them to be always among the first to defend peace, harmony, and coexistence in their countries of residence.”

It’s absurd to suggest that Islamic terrorism is a “phenomenon” that is “alien” to Moroccans. The U.K. based think tank that goes by the name of The International Centre for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence (ICSR) revealed in a 2015 article the estimated number of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq from Morocco was 1,500. Furthermore, in an April 2016 Foreign Policy article titled Morocco’s Outlaw Country Is the Heartland of Global Terrorism, the author shows how the Rif region of Morocco has produced a number of jihadis. One of those infamous Riffians was Najim Laachraoui, an ISIS explosives expert, who was one of the jihadists that participated in the 2016 Brussels airport attack. Foreign Policy states:

Laachraoui was Riffian: a Belgian national predominantly raised in the Schaerbeek neighborhood of Brussels but born in Ajdir, a small Moroccan town with a proud Rif history. Paris attack suspect Salah Abdeslam and his brother Brahim, who was one of the Paris attackers who targeted bars and restaurants in the 10th and 11th arrondissements before blowing himself up at a popular Paris eatery on Nov. 13, 2015, were also both Riffian by parentage. (Ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud was not of Riffian origin, for what it’s worth — his family came from southern Morocco.)

In addition, Moroccans make up a large portion of Muslims from the notorious Brussels district of Molenbeek. Mohammed VI needs to be honest about the Moroccan jihadism problem. In his speech Mohammed VI also says:

…Islam has instructed us to be good to the People of the Book. Allah said: ‘We make no distinction between any of His messengers.’ Allah said: ‘…one who believes in Allah, Judgement Day, the angels, the Quran, and the prophets.’

As Jews and Christians are not going to believe in “the Quran” and at least one of Islam’s prophets unless they convert to Islam, King Mohammed VI is either misguided in his interpretation or is deliberately trying to deceive people. Also, what about passages like Quran 9:29-30 from Islam’s sacred scripture that do not have very kind things to say about the “People of the Book”? Furthermore, if the Moroccan version of Islam is so “good” to non-Muslims then why are there still punishments for apostasy and blasphemy? The Morocco 2015 International Religious Freedom Report gives a picture of this Sharia climate:

The criminal code prohibits attempts by non-Muslims to “shake the faith” of citizens from the Maliki-Ashari school of Islam, and punishes anyone who “employs enticements” to undermine the faith of a Muslim or to convert a Muslim to another religion with six months to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of 200 to 500 dirhams ($20 to $50). It also provides the right to a court trial for anyone accused of such an offense. Voluntary conversion is not a crime under the criminal or civil codes. The constitution and the law governing the media sector prohibit any citizen, including members of parliament normally immune from arrest, from criticizing Islam. Such expressions are punishable by imprisonment for three to five years and a fine of 10,000 to 100,000 dirhams ($1,000 to $10,000).

Mohammed VI goes on to separate terrorism from Islam stating, “The terrorists who operate in the name of Islam are not Muslims. They have nothing to do with Islam, and jump on the bandwagon in order to justify their crimes and stupid acts…” While that may draw praise from Western multiculturalists, it is completely false. For example, even though ‘moderate’ Muslims may disagree with ISIS’s interpretation of Islam this doesn’t negate ISIS’s Islamic identity: ISIS’s members adhere to Sunni Islam, follow a strict version of Sharia, believe in the caliphate, have a large following of Muslims throughout the world, etc. We cannot defeat ISIS if we deny ISIS’s identity, and the motivating force behind their ideology – which is Sharia.

Mohammed VI also brings up a rhetorical question essentially making all jihadists out to be unintelligent, mentally unstable people asking, “Can anyone of sound mind believe that the reward for Jihad could be some virgins in Paradise?” This kind of assessment flies in the face of the fact that many ISIS jihadists have college degrees – whether B.A.s, M.A.s or PhDs. ISIS members may be vicious but one cannot dismiss them as being insane. King Mohammed VI can whitewash Islam all he wants in order to receive admiration from Western elites and the media; however, this won’t conceal or stop Moroccan jihadism.