Contemporary Islamist Opposition in Morocco: Resisting Inclusion and Moderation

This seminar was delivered at the Middle East Centre on Tuesday 3 March 2026 by Dr Alfonso Casani (Complutense University of Madrid) and was chaired by Professor Michael Willis (St Antony’s College). Alfonso Casani is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain). He is Research associate of the Group of Studies on the Arab and Muslim Societies (GRESAM) at the University of Castilla-la Mancha and the Complutense Research Group on the Maghreb and Middle East (GICMOM) at the Complutense University of Madrid. His research interests focus on the study of political Islam, opposition dynamics and social movements in North Africa. He is co-editor of El impacto de la Guerra de Ucrania en el norte de África y Oriente Medio (Dyckinson). His articles have recently been published in journals such as Democratization, Contemporary Politics and the Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding.   Contemporary Islamist Opposition in Morocco: Resisting Inclusion and Moderation (2025) Edinburgh University Press https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-contemporary-islamist-opposition-in- morocco.html   Contemporary Islamist Opposition in Morocco: Resisting Inclusion and Moderation offers an in-depth and yet- unexplored analysis of the evolution and actions of Moroccan Islamist association Justice and Spirituality (al-Adl wa-l-Ihsane). By examining its mobilisation structure, the book enhances the understanding of Islamism as an oppositional force in non-democratic regimes, with a particular focus on Morocco. Contrary to the common premises of inclusion–moderation theory, al-Adl wa-l-Ihsane has undergone a politicisation process but rejects political inclusion; it promotes street mobilisation but refuses to resort to violence. Despite its illegal status and disregard for the regime’s red lines, al-Adl wa-l-Ihsane remains highly relevant as an anti-establishment actor.   Addressing these apparent contradictions broadens our understanding of inclusion–moderation approaches by introducing novel explanatory factors into the relationship between authoritarian regimes and Islamist opposition actors, including responses to shifts in opportunity structures and the effects of internal dynamics and learning mechanisms. It also deepens our knowledge of al-Adl wa-l-Ihsane, Morocco’s largest opposition actor, which nevertheless remains largely understudied.