Alfonso Casani, Contemporary Islamist Opposition in Morocco: Resisting Inclusion and Moderation. Edinburgh University Press, 2025. 240 pp.

Mohamed Chtatou
Université Internationale de Rabat

Alfonso Casani’s Contemporary Islamist Opposition in Morocco: Resisting Inclusion and Moderation offers a theoretically sophisticated and empirically grounded examination of one of Morocco’s most significant yet understudied political actors: al-ʿAdl wa-l-Iḥsān (Justice and Spirituality, hereafter AWI). At its core, the book is a critical intervention in the long-standing debate over the inclusion–moderation hypothesis in the study of political Islam. Through a detailed case study of AWI, Casani demonstrates that politicization does not inevitably produce institutional moderation. Instead, he shows that Islamist movements may deliberately resist incorporation into formal political structures while maintaining non-violent and socially embedded opposition.

By examining the Moroccan case, often considered exemplary of controlled pluralism and gradual Islamist accommodation, Casani complicates prevailing assumptions about the trajectories of Islamist movements. His analysis moves beyond simplistic binaries of moderation versus radicalization, proposing instead a framework attentive to ideological coherence, organizational learning, and strategic autonomy.

The book’s most important theoretical contribution is its reassessment of the inclusion–moderation thesis. For decades, scholars have argued that when Islamist actors are incorporated into institutional politics they tend to moderate their ideological positions, accept procedural democratic norms, and adapt to pragmatic governance constraints. Casani challenges the generalizability of this narrative by showing AWI to deviate from this paradigm as a highly politicized Islamist movement that has consistently refused electoral participation and formal recognition. Its significant social base and mobilizational capacity notwithstanding, AWI has chosen to remain outside the institutional arena. This refusal is neither accidental nor purely reactive; it is rooted in the movement’s ideological assessment of the Moroccan political system as structurally illegitimate.

By destabilizing the deterministic logic underlying inclusion–moderation theory, Casani demonstrates via AWI that political engagement does not automatically translate into ideological dilution. Instead, movements interpret institutional openings through normative frameworks shaped by doctrine, leadership, and collective identity. In this regard, the book enriches debates on Islamist politics by foregrounding agency and ideological intentionality into analyses often dominated by structural incentives. Casani proposes a more nuanced approach in which moderation is contingent. Movements may calculate that institutional participation would compromise their moral authority or dilute their reformist ambitions. Thus, non-participation can be a strategic and ideological choice rather than a sign of extremism.

A central analytical axis of the book concerns the architecture of Moroccan political legitimacy. The Moroccan monarchy’s dual status as political sovereign and religious authority—embodied in the title Amīr al-Muʾminīn (Commander of the Faithful)—provides a distinctive institutional configuration. Religious legitimacy is not external to the state but embedded within it. This fusion enables the regime to regulate religious discourse and manage Islamist actors through a combination of co-optation, containment, and selective repression. Casani situates AWI within this landscape. Unlike Islamist parties that have accepted the monarchy’s religious supremacy, AWI challenges the monopolization of Islamic authority by the state. While it does not advocate violent confrontation, it articulates a counter-vision of Islamic legitimacy grounded in spiritual renewal and ethical transformation. This challenge strikes at the heart of Morocco’s political theology.

The book persuasively demonstrates that AWI’s refusal to participate in elections stems from its rejection of a constitutional framework that it considers fundamentally flawed. Participation, in AWI’s view, entails recognition of a political order that concentrates religious and executive authority in the monarchy. Thus, abstention becomes a form of principled dissent rather than political marginality. At the state level, incorporating some Islamist actors while excluding others may be intended to fragment opposition. AWI’s persistence outside institutional politics, however, reveals the limits of co-optation strategies and the enduring contest over religious legitimacy.

The work examines AWI’s organizational structure in detail, drawing on interviews, internal documents, and movement publications. Casani traces a combination of hierarchical leadership with decentralized grassroots networks that allows AWI to maintain ideological coherence while adapting to local conditions. Tarbiya (spiritual education) is central to the movement’s internal culture. Members undergo moral and spiritual formation before engaging in public activism. This prioritization of ethical discipline, Casani shows, fosters strong internal cohesion and long-term commitment. Rather than the instrumental pursuit of power, political activism for AWI is an extension of spiritual development. Moreover, Casani demonstrates that this organizational model underpins the movement’s durability. Unlike electoral parties whose survival depends on periodic mobilization and coalition-building, AWI invests in continuous social engagement. Its networks operate in universities, professional associations, and community spaces, embedding the movement within everyday social life.

The sociological depth of this analysis is particularly valuable. Casani avoids reducing AWI to an ideological abstraction; instead, he demonstrates how organizational routines, recruitment practices, and internal education shape strategic choices. The movement’s refusal of institutional participation emerges not merely as a doctrinal stance but as the outcome of sustained internal socialization.

The book contributes to broader debates on the nature of political rationality in religious movements. It invites scholars to recognize that alternative normative frameworks may shape strategic behavior in ways not captured by conventional cost–benefit models. Casani provides a nuanced exploration of AWI’s ideological framework which conceives of political transformation as inseparable from moral renewal. Its discourse intertwines social justice, spiritual authenticity, and collective salvation. Politics is not conceived primarily as procedural competition but as an ethical endeavor rooted in religious principles. Casani demonstrates how this worldview informs strategic decisions, as electoral participation becomes a tacit endorsement of an unjust order. Consequently, AWI’s abstention reflects a commitment to ideological purity and moral credibility. This analytical contribution challenges secularist assumptions that equate political rationality with institutional pragmatism. Instead, the reader learns how ideological consistency can coexist with strategic calculation. AWI’s leadership is neither naïve nor apolitical; it deliberately prioritizes long-term transformation over short-term gain. The 2011 protest wave constitutes a pivotal moment in the narrative. AWI participated actively in the February 20 Movement, aligning itself with broader demands for constitutional reform and social justice. However, once the monarchy introduced constitutional amendments and elections were scheduled, the movement withdrew from institutional processes.

Casani interprets this behavior as evidence of ideological consistency. While willing to collaborate with diverse actors in street mobilization, AWI remained skeptical of reforms enacted within the existing constitutional framework. The movement’s withdrawal underscores its reluctance to legitimize change it deemed incremental and insufficient. This analysis complicates portrayals of Morocco’s post-2011 trajectory as a smooth process of managed reform. It reveals the persistence of alternative visions of political legitimacy. Indeed, Casani situates AWI within a broader pattern of authoritarian adaptation wherein the state has long relied on strategies of differentiation. The incorporation of moderate actors while isolating more critical ones is supposed to mitigate unified opposition and preserve regime stability. And yet, AWI occupies an ambiguous position within this framework. The regime appears to tolerate its existence so long as it remains non-violent and outside of electoral competition.

The book’s analysis of this dynamic enhances understanding of authoritarian resilience. It shows that opposition movements can retain autonomy without recourse to violence. AWI’s persistence demonstrates the endurance of non-institutional opposition within constrained political environments.

Methodologically, the book stands out for its empirical depth. Casani draws on extensive fieldwork, Arabic-language sources, and interviews with AWI members. Moreover, the work’s interdisciplinarity - combining political science, sociology, and historical analysis - allows for a multidimensional interpretation that balances theory and empirics while avoiding both abstract generalization and descriptive particularism.

Certain limitations merit consideration. First, while Casani critiques inclusion–moderation theory, he remains largely within the conceptual vocabulary of Western political science. Greater engagement with Indigenous intellectual traditions or Moroccan political thought might have enriched the interpretive framework. Second, the book focuses predominantly on AWI’s relationship with the state, leaving limited exploration of its interactions with other societal actors, including Amazigh activists, leftist groups, feminist organizations, and labor movements. A more relational approach would likely illuminate broader networks of dissent. Third, while historical context is provided, a deeper exploration of precolonial and colonial antecedents of religious authority might have strengthened the analysis of contemporary legitimacy claims. These limitations, however, do not detract from the book’s substantial contribution. Rather, they indicate avenues for future research.

Contemporary Islamist Opposition in Morocco is a significant contribution to the study of political Islam and authoritarian governance. By demonstrating that politicization does not necessarily lead to institutional moderation, Casani challenges entrenched assumptions and opens new analytical pathways. His work invites scholars to rethink the relationship between inclusion, moderation, and political transformation. It shows that resistance to incorporation can constitute a coherent and enduring form of political engagement. As such, it is an essential reference for scholars of Moroccan politics, political Islam, and comparative authoritarianism.