Women in Morocco Re-conceptualizing Religious Activism

Abstract

The recent political upheavals in the Arab world were marked by

women’s significant presence in struggling for democracy alongside

men. Muslim women activists in Morocco have particularly gained

legitimacy in the context of the Arab Spring, which has brought the

Justice and Development conservative political party to power. This

has contributed to a shift from the elite liberal state feminism to a

more legitimate religious activism. This introduces new spaces for

contention, taking into consideration that following the 2003

Casablanca bombings, Morocco has taken a series of measures to

absorb the growing momentum of political Islam. One such measure

has been to restructure the religious field by means of reforming

and controlling the dynamics of religion in Morocco; this was primarily

marked by the significant entry and deployment of women

in the religious field as religious leaders and scholars. These statetrained

female religious authorities offer spiritual counseling and

religious instruction to different social segments. Therefore, they

redefine parameters of religious authority and define a new model

of activism that seeks to cultivate collective pious conduct within

society and thus contribute to a comprehensive social reform.

Therefore, this article explores the dynamics of female religious

authority in Morocco in light of the current social and political

changes. I examine how these women construct authority as religious

leaders and how they endorse the state’s authority to control

the dynamics of religion in Morocco and curb the voices of individuals

or groups that operate outside of official Islam. I argue

that despite the fact that these female religious authorities are

viewed as instruments of state propaganda, they are gaining wider

legitimacy and contributing greatly to the social welfare of their

communities, which makes their “official” entry into the religious

domain a serious step toward democracy and positive change.