How and why to remember the Rif War (1921–2021)

ABSTRACT

The centenary of the Rif War in Morocco (1921–1926) has nearly arrived. This article considers how accounts of the war have been transmitted as acts of memory. It surveys European and American publications on the war from the early military histories through to political accounts explaining the war from imperialist and anti-imperial perspectives. It then examines the first general histories and academic accounts, by anthropologists and linguists, both American and Moroccan. The release of the Spanish Army and French Foreign Ministry archives opened discussion up to historians trained in the western tradition. At the same time the first Arabic-language accounts were published by Moroccan local historians. Finally, it discusses use of the Rif War in modern Moroccan politics, particularly during the truth and reconciliation hearings at the beginning of the 2000s, and later during popular protest movements in the Rif. It concludes with an examination of how Islamists have used the war and compares the Islamist foundation documents of Islamic State with those of the Rifi state. When the centenary of the war comes round in 2021, the commentators and historians and politicians and polemicists will have to integrate all those perceptions.

KEYWORDS:

• Rif War
• historiography
• politics of memory
• ibn ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Khaṭṭābī

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Rif Planète Agence de voyages. http://www.rifplanete.com/?cat=1&lang=en. Visited 22 August 2016.

2 Servicio Histórico Militar, Madrid, Spain. Melilla, Leg, Cartas Arabes, 2 Marnisa y Wargha, ‘from the tribes of Matiwa, Banu Walid, Fannassa, Awlad Bu Salama, Banu Wanjil, and Marnisa to the august nation of Spain and the governors of Melilla and Tetuan’, II Jumada 2 1341 / 29 January 1923.

3 ‘Panorámica de la bahía de Alhucemas y cabila de Beni-Urriaguel, obtenido desde la casa de Abd el Krim, en Axdir por Luis Casado y Escudero durante el tiempo que estuvo prisionero en dicho poblado’ 8 drawings: watercolour and ink on a faintly printed paper; 13×20-24 cm. 1923. University of Melbourne Library.

4 ‘El doble agravio de Franco al teniente Casado,’ by Manuel Altozano, Madrid, El País 3 August 2007. Visited http://elpais.com/diario/2007/08/03/espana/1186092017_850215.html

5 (Sater 2010, 97–109); Najwa Belkziz a Phd student at the University of Melbourne is currently completing a PhD thesis on the IER and its alternative forum.

6 Orden de17 de junio de 1998, de la Consejería de Educación y Ciencia, por la que se reconoce e inscribe en el Registro de Fundaciones Docentes Privadas, la Fundación denominada “Mediterránea Montgomery Hart de Estudios Amazighs y Magrebies” in [Spain] Boletín Oficial de España, 7 July 1998.

7 Hakim Benchemas, Instance Equité et Réconciliation, public hearings, Alhoceima, 2005. I am grateful to Najwa Belkziz for this quotation which will appear in her doctoral thesis that is on the point of completion. The translation is hers.

8 ‘Al Hoceima: Le Musée du Rif’ La Nouvelle Tribune 29 October 2011, http://lnt.ma/al-hoceima-le-musee-du-rif/ .

9 Conseil national des droits de l'Homme: Programme IER 2 ‘Déjeuner débat sous le thème " Musée du Rif: rôle de la société civile ‘Rapport … 16 septembre 2011 à Nador.’ This document was kindly passed to me by Bruce Maddy Weizmann of Tel Aviv University.

10 ‘Noticias del Rif: Nuevas manifestaciones y altercados en las ciudades de Bnibouayach, Imzouren y Alhucemas y donde los rifeños izaron la bandera de la República Rifeña creada por Abdelkrim El Khattabi en el año 1921’ Diario de Alhucemas 11 March 2012 online at http://www.alhucemas.net/index.php/Nuevas-manifestaciones-y-altercados-en-las-ciudades-de-Bnibouayach-Imzouren-y-Alhucemas-y-donde-los-rifenos-izaron-la-bandera-de-la-Republica-Rifena-creada-por-Abdelkrim-El-khattabi-en-el-ano-1921.html. Visited 14 June 2016

11 ‘Protests over grisly death of fish seller remind Moroccans of Arab Spring; Protesters blame police for death of Mouhcine Fikri in a rubbish compactor,’ by Guy Hedgecoe, The Irish Times, 4 November 2016.

12 He died in Cairo on 6 February 1963.

13 ‘Anger brews in Morocco's neglected Rif region.’ By Herve Bar. Agence France Presse. 5 May 2017;‘Thousands rally for release of protest leader Zefzafi.’ 31 May 2017, Al Jazeera English.

14 http://www.ikhwanwiki.com/index.php?titleعبد الكريم الخطابي =.‏ Visited 19 September 2016.

15 http://www.pjd.ma/. Visited 19/09/2016.

16 http://www.yassine.net/ar/2016/02/. Visited 19 Sept 2016.

17 ‘Je déclare que, lorsqu'on me reproche de faire la guerre sainte, on commet une erreur, pour ne pas dire plus. Le temps des guerres saintes est passé; nous ne sommes plus au moyen âge ou au temps des Croisades. Nous voulons simplement être et vivre indépendants et n'être gouvernés que par Dieu’.

18 Quotations from bin ‘Abd al-Karīm’s bay‘a are taken from (Pennell, C. R. 1986, 246–251) and quotations from the 2014 caliphate declaration from (Cook 2015, 224–236).