• DOI:10.1080/13629380701201741
• Corpus ID: 143728476

Secularism in the Moroccan Amazigh Discourse

@article{BenLayashi2007SecularismIT,
  title={Secularism in the Moroccan Amazigh Discourse},
  author={Samir Ben-Layashi},
  journal={The Journal of North African Studies},
  year={2007},
  volume={12},
  pages={153 - 171}
}

• Samir Ben-Layashi
• Published 2 May 2007
• Sociology
• The Journal of North African Studies

This article examines why the Moroccan Berber/Amazigh activists are using secularism as their battle cry, and why they believe that is the right vehicle to bring about modernisation, social justice and democratisation. It analyses the degree to which secularism is an ideology, a philosophy, and a way of life in and of itself for Amazigh activists and, alternatively, the extent to which it has been instrumentalised for political and ideological goals on behalf of Berber identity (Amazighité). Secularism in the Amazigh discourse, and Moroccan intellectual life in general, appears to sway on a pendulum, of sorts, between utopia, wishful thinking, and good intentions, on the one hand, and practical considerations and limitations, on the other.