What to Make of Morocco’s Most Famous Anti-Colonial Hero?
Key takeaways
- One hundred years ago this week, Muhammad ibn Abd el-Karim el-Khattabi—better known simply as Abd el-Karim—surrendered, ending his five-year rebellion against Spanish and French colonial forces.
- In a few short years, Abd el-Karim destroyed an army from Spain, demoralized another from France, and established a short-lived state called the Republic of the Rif.
- Ultimately, Abd el-Karim, or Moulay Mohand, as he remained known in the Rif, failed to liberate his homeland.
One hundred years ago this week, Muhammad ibn Abd el-Karim el-Khattabi—better known simply as Abd el-Karim—surrendered, ending his five-year rebellion against Spanish and French colonial forces. In 1921, when the war began, Abd el-Karim was just a regional judge in the Rif region of northern Morocco. By 1925, he was on the cover of Time magazine. The accompanying article described him as an “impressive man,” “liberally bewhiskered,” and “master of the terrain.”
In a few short years, Abd el-Karim destroyed an army from Spain, demoralized another from France, and established a short-lived state called the Republic of the Rif. As a result, anti-colonialists and leftists in Europe, the United States, and elsewhere took up Abd el-Karim’s cause.
One hundred years ago this week, Muhammad ibn Abd el-Karim el-Khattabi—better known simply as Abd el-Karim—surrendered, ending his five-year rebellion against Spanish and French colonial forces. In 1921, when the war began, Abd el-Karim was just a regional judge in the Rif region of northern Morocco. By 1925, he was on the cover of Time magazine. The accompanying article described him as an “impressive man,” “liberally bewhiskered,” and “master of the terrain.”