Religion and Power in Morocco Book Review – Kayla Smith

Henry Munson, Jr. discusses the role the monarchy, sharifa, and shaykhs played in the shaping of the political and religious history in Morocco, with a particular focus on 20^thcentury fundamentalism in his book Religion and Power and Morocco.  Munson works as a professor of anthropology at the University of Maine where he primarily researches late twentieth-century revivalist movements in Morocco.  Morocco’s religious history plays a large part in shaping its 20^thcentury political environment, especially because of Morocco’s long-intertwined past with Islam. Religion and Power in Morocco aims to analyze the significance of the relationship between religion and power in Morocco, giving proper attention to both the historical and symbolic context from which this association emerges.  Munson’s book provides a detailed criticism of other anthropologists’ ethnographic writings concerning Islam in Morocco, an in-depth history of Islam and prominent Muslim figures in relation to the monarchy, events leading up to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, and an examination of 20^thcentury fundamentalism, allowing the reader to gain a more holistic understanding of Islamic history in Morocco and the Arab World.

The first chapter of Religion and Power in Morocco mainly addresses points made in Clifford Geertz’s Islam Observed.  Munson claims that Geertz uses folktales to illustrate his points without properly examining the folktales in relation to the historical and symbolic background.  He also describes different types of religious figures and where they derive their power: the shurafa (lit. honored ones), shaykh, and murabit (saint) all possess baraka (blessing) from miraculous or genealogical origins (9-18).  Munson goes on to discuss the role of the sultan (ruler), khalif (deputy), and ulama (religious scholars) in regard to the throne.  In chapter two, he introduces the recurring theme of the righteous holy man – often a Sufi shaykh – who dares to speak out against the sultan and advocates for a return to orthodox Islam.  Due to growing concerns about European subjugation in the early 1900’s, al-Kattaniand few other ulama were vocal about their opposition to the sultan’s actions.  After the reigning sultan (at the time) allows Morocco to fall into the hands of the French, he is overthrown by the ulama.  Chapter four discusses a number of revolutionary figures/movements as well as the origins of the “revival of religion” leading to the ‘revival of “the nation”’ (113).  After defending his position that the monarchy is not central to Islam’s existence as a religion, Munson discusses the challenges Hassan-II faced during his reign.   Munson concludes with a review of three different fundamentalist movements of the late 20^thcentury.

Munson’s extensive criticisms of Geertz’s and other anthropologists’ work is an important part of his book because it allows the reader to draw from past readings and gain a deeper understanding of the new material. Seeing the imprecise and unfounded writings of Geertz, Combs-Schilling, and others juxtaposed with Munson’s corrections based in thorough research gives the reader a springboard from basic assumptions to extensive awareness.  Munson writes, “Geertz’s interpretation of these stories illustrates a recurrent problem in his writings: his failure to situate his stories in the context of the structures that give them meaning” (33).  He then explains how he dissected those same stories and derived a different meaning when viewed in the proper historical context.

Religious figures depicted in both old folktales and more modern stories serve a purpose.  Several prophet-like men in Morocco’s history served to oppose the wrongdoings of the government – a crucial concept to grasp when attempting to understanding how Morocco became the constitutional monarchy it is today. According to Munson, “…[T]he righteous men of God who have been able to mobilize great numbers of people in Moroccan history have typically been regarded as sacred as well as righteous, saints as well as scholars.  They have invariably been said to possess great baraka and have usually claimed to be descendants of the Prophet” (49).  Religion and Power in Morocco provides an excellent foundation of knowledge concerning the evolution of these righteous men and how they led to the presence of revolutionaries who, eventually, forced Morocco’s sultan to sign a bay’a, including checks and balances to the sultan’s power.  Munson’s book clearly illustrates how restraints on the power of the monarch developed into Morocco’s constitutional monarchy.

The national identity of Morocco is made intelligible by Munson’s detailed history of Moroccan fundamentalists’ views and how they influenced Morocco’s political spheres. Three different fundamentalist groups are detailed in chapter six of Religion and Power in Morocco, supplying the reader with a panorama of religious-political movements. Additionally, Munson explains that “Twentieth-century fundamentalists, whatever their religion, typically argue that the ills of the present are due to the deviation from the righteous path of virtuous ancestors” (150).  This explanation helps lead the reader to the conclusion that religion played a large role in political reform in the late 20^thcentury. Although Munson spends a great deal of time covering the fundamentalist groups, it was not to excess.  The culmination of these movements helped cultivate Morocco’s national identity today – one with a close association to Islam and its values.

Religion and Power in Morocco is a strong analysis of the origins of Morocco’s political and religious climate today.  Munson effectively details the history of religious and political figures in Morocco, the events leading up to the elimination of the (non-constitutional) monarchy, and the precursory movements which matured into ideals shaping Moroccan nationalism.  I would recommend this book to those looking for a deeper, more holistic understanding of Morocco’s ties between religion and politics. However, I would not advise those who wish to read Religion and Power in Morocco do so without reading other, earlier works from writers such as Geertz simply because of the knowledge gap that may result from lack of having read the works Munson frequently references.  I would like to read what Munson thinks about the political status of Morocco during more recent years, especially given the mounting tensions between the United States/Europe and other Arab countries.