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Digital Militias and Farm Dwarfs Target the Moroccan Institutions
I have repeatedly warned on numerous occasions about the rising danger posed by “digital militias” to the stability of the Moroccan media landscape. These groups, which hide behind false slogans like “defending rights” and “fighting corruption,” are nothing more than systematic tools aimed at dismantling trust in state institutions and destabilizing the country. By promoting falsehoods and simultaneous slanders, these digital militias target national figures and institutions in an attempt to create chaos and manipulate public opinion.
Initially, these militias did not hesitate to target the judiciary, intentionally selecting popular court cases to present to the public, distorting them in an effort to undermine the credibility of Moroccan justice. The goal was clear: demonizing the judicial system and eroding trust in its integrity. These militias were the first to systematically attack the judiciary, employing dubious media tactics. The campaigns then shifted to target security institutions, reflecting an ongoing effort to undermine trust in both security and judicial entities.
Later on, these militias sought to deepen their attacks to include social issues, such as the resettlement of victims of the Al Haouz earthquake, where they propagated false accusations against the government and particularly the Interior Ministry in an attempt to tarnish their image. This systematic assault did not stop at national institutions; it extended to journalists and media outlets committed to objectivity and professionalism, even targeting the highest symbols of the kingdom.
Among the notable names that contributed to this campaign is Hamid El Mahdaoui, who has transformed into a digital content creator relying on sensationalism and deception in his relentless attacks against state institutions. El Mahdaoui adopted a clear eradication style, aiming to weaken the system’s credibility through the continuous distortion of national institutions and using every description possible to belittle Morocco’s accomplishments and label them as weak. As for journalist Soulaiman Raissouni, he played a significant role in these attacks, following his involvement in a case of sexual assault against a Moroccan youth, which cannot be justified in any way. In a desperate attempt to patch up his moral scandal, Raissouni politicized the case to confuse the issues, trying to transform it into a political matter in a bid to tarnish the image of the judiciary and media, completely disregarding the humanitarian and ethical aspects of the case.
Hicham Girandou is another pivotal element in this incitement circle, where he openly called for civil disobedience and the destruction of social peace after a long series of attacks on Moroccans, officials, journalists, lawyers, and judges, before being surrounded by Moroccan and Canadian justice and most of his accomplices being caught in extortion and electronic defamation operations, fleeing to an unknown destination up to now. The digital militias led by these individuals resort to distortion and extortion as a method to achieve their goals, unfettered by any legal or ethical restrictions.
One of the most dangerous recent incidents was the assault on a local authority figure by a woman and some of her family members, showcasing the increasing turmoil propagated by these militias and reflecting the extent of society’s exposure to this ongoing incitement. This incident represents a severe transgression of societal red lines and illustrates how these militias have impacted social security.
These digital militias operate through a network of digital accounts and YouTube platforms that disseminate lies and fabrications simultaneously, using the same linguistic elements to direct toxic messages and confuse public opinion. They exploit the lack of oversight on the digital space, allowing them to spread rumors widely, especially on social media platforms known for their rapid dissemination. They utilize numerous profiles and accounts akin to farm dwarfs to echo their rhetoric in twisted ways to pressure public figures and society, directing accusations without any conclusive evidence.
The role of the “farm dwarfs” in this process lies in disseminating those lies and deceptions within various segments of society, thus creating a rift between popular sentiments and national institutions. These individuals often belong to unlicensed professional networks or illegal associations, relying on primitive techniques to fabricate events and news, exploiting the fact that a section of society overly trusts the digital space and social media.
In response to this dangerous situation, the “House of Wisdom” association called for urgent and decisive action to confront these digital militias. In a statement, the association emphasized the necessity of intervention by the public prosecutor’s office and judicial authorities to shut down platforms that broadcast this kind of poison, which poses a national security threat no less serious than that of previously closed misleading media channels. The association also called for the use of modern techniques to monitor suspicious activities behind these campaigns and uncover the parties that manage and support them, whether internal or external.
Morocco has chosen the path of stability, reform, and development, refusing to allow these digital militias to drain this path of its content. Confronting these phenomena has become an urgent necessity to protect state institutions and ensure national stability, as continuing to defend the values of justice and media credibility requires rejecting the methods of extortion and defamation that aim to divide and confuse society.
