Aziz Hanawi threatens destruction and calls for confrontation with state institutions
Aziz Hanawi, a prominent figure within Morocco’s Justice and Development Party, stirred controversy with a provocative post on his official Facebook page, containing explicit threats against the Moroccan state. He hinted at an impending confrontation with the public, in a discourse that observers described as a dangerous political incitement and a blatant attempt to sow discord internally.
The post came amid suspicious and concurrent activities carried out by the Justice and Spirituality Movement and advocacy arms associated with the Justice and Development Party, exploiting the Palestinian issue to rally the Moroccan street and organize protests in sensitive areas. This timing is laden with political undertones that go far beyond merely supporting the Palestinian cause, morphing into a platform for attacking the state and undermining its strategic choices.
Hanawi used direct phrases that sounded alarms for confrontation when he said that the Moroccan state “contradicts its people and conscience” and insists on “defying its principles.” He claimed that what he termed as “running towards the Zionists” constitutes betrayal that would lead to a “collision with the people” and “heading towards a heated situation.” He even went so far as to threaten an imminent explosion, in a tone that lacks any sense of political responsibility and reveals escalatory intentions aimed at inciting the street and destabilizing internal security.
This incendiary rhetoric that employs religion and the Palestinian issue is not new to factions within the Islamic movement. However, it emerges today in a sensitive context, as the state strives to maintain diplomatic balance that reflects its national interests amid turbulent regional dynamics.
Hanawi’s speech reflects a deeper crisis within the Justice and Development Party, which has yet to come to terms with its exit from the governmental scene and is reverting to its old tactics of appealing to emotions and mobilizing its base against state institutions, even inciting direct confrontation. This behavior situates them among those seeking to undermine internal stability rather than support it.
Relying on inciting people and intimidating the state with terms like “collision” and “destruction” places the promoters of such messages under legal and moral responsibility. The actions of political leaders, expected to uphold discipline, transform into instruments of discord and sabotage when wisdom and national interest are absent.
Moroccans distinguish between sincere support for Palestine and political exploitation of the blood of innocents. They will not be misled by these maneuvers and will reject any attempt to turn national issues into fuel for igniting internal strife.
