Presenter: Namratha Somayajula
Faculty Mentor: Shaul Cohen
Presentation Type: Oral
Primary Research Area: Social Science
Major: International Studies
Situated at multiple crossroads, Morocco is unique due to the historical presence of Judaism in a region that, over the years, became a Muslim-majority Islamic kingdom. Muslim and Jewish Moroccans coexisted for centuries, albeit with minor hurdles, as did the Muslims and Jews of Palestine. However, political events around the world in the twentieth century led to the rapid departure of Jews from their Moroccan homeland. Today, with so few remaining in Morocco, “Jew” often becomes synonymous with “Israeli,” and relations between Moroccan Muslims and their Jewish compatriots have become increasingly tense. In spite of this, there are still many people in Morocco who hope for everyday relations between Muslims and Jews there to remain cooperative, unhindered by the political tensions often affiliated with their identities. This study examines current efforts to counter and prevent recent tensions between Muslims and Jews in Morocco. It concludes that in order to encourage cooperation, several current peace-building movements in Morocco seek to raise awareness about Morocco’s cultural plurality, and to bring this awareness from the private to the public sphere. The success of these efforts highlights the fact that present-day Muslim-Jewish relations in Morocco are not solely defined by tension and that the historical cohabitation still exists, though on a smaller scale. I hope that the information gathered through this study, from members of the Moroccan Jewish community and leaders of local interfaith organizations, can help us more broadly re-conceptualize some ways in which local peace-building movements can impact a culturally diverse society such as Morocco.