Postcolonial Moroccan National Identity Essay

The formation of the postcolonial Moroccan national identity with the components of Islam, Moroccanity , Maghrebity, Africanity, Arabity, Berberity and Europeanity goes back to the conquest of the city of Ceuta in the 16th century by the Portuguese. The aim of using Morocco’s sources for the economic interests of the Portuguese Kingdom, when it started to transform into missionary activities, triggered the Islamic feelings of the local Berbers and Arabs who became Muslim with the Arab conquest in the 8th century. Locals who regarded Islam as a cultural identity between 8th and 16th centuries turned it into a national identity when they felt the intensification of these Christian activities on their land (Rosen 1984, Chamberlain 2010). United
Five events clearly show this superiorization. First of all, Morocco’s Maghrebi neighbor Algeria became independent in 1962 and suddenly claimed right for the city of Tindouf and Bechar in the east after the abolition of the Protectorates in Morocco. Upon Morocco’s refusal to grant Tindouf and Bechar because it was thought they were Moroccan cities, two states fought in the Sand War in 1963 that firstly showed the superiorizaiton of Moroccanity in the Moroccan postcolonial identity, against its Maghrebity that was composed in the Protectorate years. Second was in 1979, when Morocco conquered the northern parts of Mauritania upon Mauritania’s cancellation of the Madrid Treaty with the impact of POLISARIO, signed between Morocco, Mauritania and Spain that shared the lands of Western Sahara in 1975. With this conquest, Morocco superiorized its Moroccanity this time against its Africanity that was formed in 1962 Casablanca Conference, by entering into the boundaries of an African state for the sake of the Western Sahara lands it had been possessing. Third one was in 1984, when Morocco suspended its membership at the African Union when the General Council decided to accept Sahraoui Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in Western Sahara as a full member. This suspension made Morocco superiorize its Moroccanity to its Africanity one more time, even though negotiations are going on to vitalize this suspended membership. Fourth was in 2014, when Morocco declared that it would not host the African Cup of Nations because of the risk of Ebola that could kill many if transmitted. Despite the warnings of the African Football Confederation that would disqualify Morocco for the future tournament, Morocco did not review its decision and finally did not host the cup. The intention to keep its population away from Ebola led Morocco to superiozie its