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Moroccan Islamic Scholar Ahmad Al-Raysouni, the president of the Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), said in a July 29, 2022 interview on Blanca TV (Morocco/Online) that Mauritania and the Western Sahara region should be a part of Morocco, that their separation from Morocco is a "colonialist fabrication", and that a Jihad march should be organized into Western Sahara and the Algerian city of Tindouf, where there are large populations of West Saharan refugees. Al-Raysouni also criticized the King of Morocco and the Moroccan government for normalizing relations with Israel, saying that this is a "mark of shame." He elaborated that all the benefits of normalizing relations with Israel, which would include economic benefits and international recognition of Moroccan sovereignty in Western Sahara, would only be temporary because Israel will cease to exist. In addition, Al-Raysouni said that due to the normalization with Israel, Jews who had left Morocco will demand reparations even though they had "smuggled money" out of Morocco and left the country as "traitors". Al-Raysouni received much criticism in the Arab world following this interview, particularly due to his calls for the Jihad march on Western Sahara and Tindouf, Algeria. On August 28, 2022, Al-Raysouni resigned from his position in the IUMS.
Ahmad Al-Raysouni: "This so-called normalization [with Israel] is, undoubtedly, a mark of shame in the history of Morocco.
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"Obviously, this normalization will not last. It may last for a few years or decades, but as the Moroccans say, you cannot force love with a sword. Some Moroccans are now forced to demonstrate their love to Israel and to welcome their Jewish 'brothers,' who left and are now returning [as tourists]. Or maybe it is their children and grandchildren that are coming now. [They say] that Morocco will benefit from this and will become internationally stronger. The Moroccans are expected to say all this, and the universities, actors, and businessmen are forced to welcome [the Israeli tourists]. But all of this is like forcing love with a sword. You cannot force love with a sword. Therefore, this artificial love will come to an end. It will run its course. Israel itself will come to an end and leave us hanging. This is really a mark of shame. Morocco does not need this.
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"Morocco is strong and does not need Israel. It does not need to wash its hands of the Palestinian cause in this manner and to turn against the Palestinian cause in this way. As everybody knows, Morocco sent its army [to fight Israel] in the 1973 war. It participated in the fighting against Israel. Israel might demand that Morocco apologize now.
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"If Morocco was an aggressor when it sent its army, they will demand an apology after a while, and then reparations. They will also demand reparations for the Jews who emigrated from Morocco. They will claim that those Jews left homes and shops behind, whereas the truth is that they smuggled money [out of the country]. They left as traitors and now they are coming back. This is a big problem. A big problem.
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"I categorically do not believe in the Western Sahara cause. Personally, I follow the ideology of [late Moroccan politician] Allal Al-Fassi. I said before that the existence of Mauritania is a mistake – not to mention Western Sahara. Morocco should return to what it was before the European invasion. Mauritania used to be part of... Our proof for Western Sahara being part of Morocco is its people's pledge of allegiance to the Moroccan throne, but the dignitaries and Islamic scholars of what is called 'Mauritania' – the land of Chinguetti is what it really is... Their pledge of allegiance is also in effect. So the Western Sahara cause is a colonialist fabrication, and so is Mauritania. In any case, Morocco recognized Mauritania, or it was left for the future to have its say. However, since Morocco stuck by its Sahara, at least, we can say that the Western Sahara problem is a colonialist fabrication.
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"Unfortunately, the treatment of the Western Sahara problem is done without the involvement of the Moroccan people. This has led some officials to delude themselves that Israel would help us. They said that they should bring Israel in. But had they relied on the Moroccan people, which number 53 million, who are ready to wage Jihad with their money and their souls, and to mobilize like they did in the [1975] Green March, and to shatter the hopes of people who seek the secession of Western Sahara, and to cause problems for Morocco... If the king called for a march, millions of Moroccans will come. Millions. If the king called for any form of Jihad, if he called for a Jihad with money – we are ready. The Moroccan Islamic scholars and preachers are ready to spend weeks and months in Western Sahara, and in [the Algerian city] Tindouf... We will not settle for a march to Laâyoune. There will also be a march to Tindouf. Unfortunately, instead of relying on the people, the state decided to rely on Israel. I wish the state realizes that this is a mere illusion and rely on the people again."
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