Israel’s relations with the three core Maghreb states--Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia--have been shaped by a combination of factors: the region’s French colonial legacy and distance from the historical cross-currents of Arab nationalism and from the Arab-Israeli conflict, geopolitical exigencies, the state-building enterprises within the three Maghreb entities and the competition between them, and the particular status of their respective Jewish communities. The Madrid-Oslo years were … [Read more...]
Women in Algeria Today and the Debate over Family Law
By March 5, 2009
The legal status as well as the private and public role of women is a central issue in Algeria today. The relationship between men and women is of political, social, and economic importance and a matter of national identity. According to historian Daho Djerbal, “The subaltern status of women can serve as an indicator for all other inequalities.”[#1] Discriminatory laws, social exclusion, and violence against women are enduring themes of public discourse and opinions how to address … [Read more...]
Morocco’s 2007 Elections: A Social Reading
By December 6, 2007
Ă?ÂŻĂ?»Ă?Âż MOROCCO'S 2007 ELECTIONS: A SOCIAL READING Samir Ben-Layashi* This article discusses the social and political context of Morocco's 2007 parliamentary elections, which brought surprising results. It attempts to explain why the moderate Islamic party, the PJD, did not achieve an overwhelming victory as was expected. It also explores why the formerly undefeatable socialist party, the USFP, lost popularity. Finally, it examines the remarkable comeback of the historically … [Read more...]
Moving From Salafi to Rationalist Education
By March 3, 2005
Moving From Salafi to Rationalist Education H1 { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: center } SPAN.MsoEndnoteReference { VERTICAL-ALIGN: super; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman' } SPAN.t13 { } H6 { FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } Published by the GLORIA Center, Interdisciplinary … [Read more...]
A Difficult Inheritance: Moroccan Society Under king Muhammad VI
By September 1, 2003
A Difficult Inheritance Volume 7, No. 3 - September 2003 A Difficult Inheritance: Moroccan Society under King Muhammad VI By Michael M. Laskier This article addresses King Hasan II's legacy and the central problems facing his son and successor, Muhammad VI. These problems include the need for reform in human rights and democracy, the Islamist challenge, the role of women, and the Berber awakening. While Morocco has begun making key reforms over the past decade to … [Read more...]
State and Islamism in the Maghreb
By March 6, 2003
STATE AND ISLAMISM IN THE MAGHREB Volume 7, No. 1 - March 2003 State and Islamism in THE Maghreb By Aziz Enhaili and Oumelkheir Adda Read this article in French Each of the three Maghreb states--Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco--dealt differently with internal Islamist movements. This study explains how these differences are derived from three factors: each stateĂ?ÂŻĂ?ÂżĂ?½s distinctive political framework, historical context of formation, and development level of their own … [Read more...]
Israel and the Maghreb at the Height of the Arab-Israeli Conflict: 1950s-1970s
By June 7, 2000
Israel and the Maghreb states--Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia--have never technically been in a state of war, nor have they ever enjoyed a real peace. For decades, though, secret contacts between Israel and these states have led to greater understanding and limited cooperation against the backdrop of turbulent Arab-Israeli politics. Israeli ties with Tunisian, Algerian, and Moroccan nationalists originated in the 1950s at the initiative of Israeli government officials and diplomats, including … [Read more...]
The Islamic Challenge in North Africa
By July 7, 1997
A proper understanding of the Islamic challenge in Algeria and comparing the Algerian experience to Morocco and Tunisia is urgent. Not only is the Maghrib different than the Mashriq (Arab East), but experience within the Maghrib itself is highly varied. Algeria's sudden, wholesale adoption of a Western-style political liberalization program in 1989-91 was unprecedented in the Arab world. It included the unqualified legalization of explicitly Islamic political parties. No other Arab regime had … [Read more...]
