Morocco and the Royal Declaration: Regulating National Debate Amid Significant Issues

The statement did not merely express gratitude and praise for the success of the organization, but placed the issues in their political and national context, emphasizing national unity, Morocco's deep African identity, and the importance of calmly addressing the tensions that arose during the tournament.

In this context, the statement appeared to be a clear call to avoid getting carried away by the waves of provocation that emerged on some digital platforms, whether in relation to the results of the matches or attempts to involve Morocco in tense interpretations of its relations with its neighbors and its broader African context. These interpretations have been taken out of context and, for some, have become tools to create confusion and incite tension, both nationally and internationally.

Among these attempts is the revival of an old phrase by Moroccan thinker Abdallah Laroui, taken out of context and interpreted in a way that favors the rhetoric of discord rather than serious intellectual debate, at a time when such confusion is unacceptable and the priorities of the current phase are not being addressed.

Amid this debate, the phrase “Morocco is an island,” previously used by the thinker Abdallah Laroui, circulated in a way that completely detached it from its original context. Some interpret it as a call for isolation or distancing from Arab and African depth, when in fact it does not say that at all, and is not at all consistent with Laroui's thinking or with the reality of Morocco today.

This phrase dates back to a television interview at the beginning of the millennium, a period in which Morocco was going through a complex regional situation: closure of land borders, tension with some neighboring countries, a break with the Maghreb, and heated debates with Spain on issues such as Ceuta, Melilla, and maritime sovereignty, in addition to its concern over the issue of Western Sahara. It was precisely in this context that Laroui used the phrase “Morocco is an island” to describe an imposed geographical and political situation, not to promote the idea of isolation or rupture.

His intention was therefore to describe a long historical trajectory that gave Morocco its uniqueness, from the Saadian era, through its political decisions, to its distancing from Ottoman rule. This distance, at certain times, made it seem almost separate from its immediate Arab environment. However, this “separation” was not an ideological choice, but the result of history, geography, and politics.

For Laroui, politics and culture cannot be understood outside their historical context. The term “island” is not a slogan or a stance, but rather the description of a long accumulation that contributed to the construction of a state that learned to operate according to the logic of the state, not that of tribalism.

This explains Morocco's ability to resist and adapt to its environment, rather than isolate itself from it. 

Therefore, misinterpreting this phrase ignores all this context and overlooks the sensitivity of the current political moment in Morocco. 

Until the royal statement was issued a few days ago, without entering into debate or responding to specific interpretations, including that of Al-Aroui, it simply strongly reaffirmed its presence in public discourse, not only within Morocco, but also in the Arab and African world.

The statement was calm and clear: no escalation or provocation, but rather a message of reassurance at a delicate moment. It presented Morocco as an open African nation, confident in its path, convinced that its success is intertwined with the success of the entire continent and that occasional disagreements should not lead to a rift between peoples. Emotions may come and go, but the bonds of African brotherhood endure.

Politically, the message was astute. Morocco, while strengthening its presence in Africa, seeks to present itself as a calm and balanced partner, not as a tense or isolated party. In doing so, it anticipated any attempt to portray it as a closed country or one disconnected from its African roots.

It is therefore difficult to understand this statement outside the context of Morocco's current domestic political situation, especially given the centrality of the Western Sahara issue. This stage requires a high degree of internal cohesion, as the debate surrounding the implementation of the autonomy initiative requires calm and harmony, not disputes that can be exploited from outside, especially given the attempts by some parties to the conflict to create peripheral tensions or disrupt the political process.

The actual speech, as usual, was calm but decisive, emphasizing the awareness of Moroccans as the first line of defense against attempts at division. This cohesion is not limited to the Sahara issue; it is also linked to a major global event: the hosting of the 2030 World Cup. Preparing for this event is not limited to stadiums and infrastructure; it requires balanced political discourse, well-thought-out regional relations, and responsible internal dialogue, so that Morocco can project itself as a stable, open, and capable nation, able to manage its affairs with serenity.

In this sense, the royal statement reflects the idea of a “Morocco on the rise,” which the King had previously referred to in a speech, controlling the public debate, focusing on the main issues, and emphasizing that openness to Africa, internal stability, and rational management of disputes constitute the basis for strengthening Morocco's position regionally and internationally, without noise or emotion.