The reform of family law in Morocco. Issues and discourse of the monarchy and currents of political Islam

Abstract

Family law is a strategic arena for legitimizing and staging political power, reflecting the ongoing tensions between reformist tendencies and religious orthodoxy. For the royal institution, and under the guise of establishing its societal project and modernizing the family unit, every proposed transformation of this law is an opportunity to reaffirm its dual religious and political legitimacy in the face of competing demands from political Islam. For currents of political Islam, under the pretext of defending religious principles, the aim is to claim political legitimacy. In all cases, Islamic law, in its last bastion—family law—is instrumentalized. It serves as both an instrument of power and an instrument of counter-power.