The Stakes of Secularising the Political Sphere in Morocco

Dr. Mohamed Tozy May 2026

The Moroccan Constitution that was adopted by referendum in July 2011 reaffirmed the principal religious foundations of the regime, despite demands for a civil state and a parliamentary monarchy during the unprecedented protest movement catalysed by the Arab Spring. Since then, the constitutional monopoly over religious authority has been consolidated. The ambiguous title of ‘Commander of the Faithful’ —introduced during the reign of Hassan II as an expression of an established tradition— has, by virtue of the constitutional text, become the only power exercised by the king independently of the other constitutional institutions (Article 41 of the 2011 Constitution).

These constitutional reforms purported to radically limit the King’s political and legislative powers while strengthening the hierarchy of legal norms by reinforcing the principle of supremacy of the constitution and subjecting royal decrees (dahirs) to judicial review. However, the reforms have in practice, expanded the scope of royal authority —particularly through the institutionalisation of a state Islam administered by a bureaucracy under supervision.