Makhzen’s Unilateral Determination of Religious Events: A Divisive Departure from Muslim Consensus!

BY: Hana Saada

ALGIERS- Every year, the Makhzen system in Morocco seems to disregard the significance of Muslims’ religious occasions by enforcing actions that contradict the timing of essential Islamic obligations. Whether it involves fasting during Ramadan, standing at Arafah, or celebrating Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, the Makhzen’s religious institution often issues perplexing and suspicious fatwas, seemingly disregarding the sentiments of the Islamic nation.

The Makhzen’s apparent disagreement with the majority of Muslims is not limited to political matters. While the regime has gained notoriety for its efforts to normalize relations with the Zionist entity, an adversary of Arab and Islamic nations, it also extends to religious and cultural domains. This stance only reinforces the isolation experienced by the Moroccan people, who already endure geographical barriers preventing them from fully connecting emotionally with their Islamic, Arab, Amazigh, Maghreb, and African roots. The Makhzen regime exacerbates this isolation.

This year, as with previous years, Moroccan pilgrims face a disheartening separation from their families back home. While they join the entire Islamic nation in Mecca for the pilgrimage, including the profound rituals at Arafat, they are unable to share the same experiences during the observance of the auspicious Day of Sacrifice and its accompanying sentiments. These moments of worship and shared rituals hold great significance for the pilgrims, emphasizing their connection to a unified nation with shared customs and beliefs.

Moroccan pilgrims keenly feel this psychological and emotional separation when they communicate with their families. They become acutely aware of the discrepancies in performing religious rituals, realizing that their disagreements are not limited to the broader Muslim community but are enforced by the Makhzen, creating a divide even among Moroccans themselves.

In his farewell sermon, the Messenger of Islam warned Muslims about the plots of Satan, highlighting the danger of obeying anything other than the worship of God. The actions of the Makhzen regime seem to align with this warning, sowing division and discord among Muslims. The Moroccan people must recognize the regime’s divisive tactics and unite to reject them, just as the Prophet’s followers rejected Satan, expelling him from their midst and protecting themselves from his insidious influence.

The persistence of such violations by the Makhzen regime raises concerns among Muslims who seek to uphold the unity and integrity of their religious practices.

Disclaimer: the caricature by artist: Abdellatif Zeraïdi