Al Adl wal Ihsane (Arabic: العدل والإحسان : Justice and kindness or Justice and Spirituality) is a Moroccan Islamist association, founded by Cheikh Abdesslam Yassine (not to be confused with Ahmed Yassin, the former head of Palestinian Hamas).^[1] This association is not legal but is tolerated by the Moroccan authorities.^[1] The current leader is Mohammed Abbadi, who was elected secretary-general of the organization.^[1][2]

Founder

Its founder, Abdessalam Yassine, an old inspector in the moroccan National Education Ministry was initially a member of Zaouia boutchichia, a Sufi brotherhood that he quit after deploring its evolution and because he was not offered the role of the leader of this brotherhood prior to his son. Yassine was also heavily influenced at his beginnings by the thinking of Sayyid Qutb, he considered that the Moroccan society lives in a fitna (division) under the regime of ignorance. He also started advocating for a policy near Iran's after the revolution.

Journey

Abdessalam Yassine was born in 1928. His father, a poor peasant, belonged to the family of "Ait-Bihi", he proclaims himself an Idrissid Berber from the region of "Oullouz" in Souss (southern Morocco). He completed his primary studies in a school founded in Marrakech by ((Mohamed Mokhtar Soussi)). After four years of studies, he graduated from the Ibn Youssef Institute. He finished his studies at the teacher training school in Rabat in 1947, then worked in national education, for twenty years he was brought to represent Morocco in many international educational meetings. In 1968, he was dismissed from his post without any administrative decision, he was retired in 1987.

Policies

Yassine acted as a charismatic leader for the organisation, which attributes him near saintly-status and operates on lines similar to those a Moroccan Sufi brotherhood (Zaouia boutchichia), of which Yassine was a member prior to his politicisation.^[1]

The party advocates the transformation of Morocco into an Islamist republic, ruled by its interpretation of the Shariah. Like the Muslim Brotherhood, it works for the Islamisation of the whole society, through its grassroots social welfare organisations and important presence in universities.^[1]

Contrary to the legalist Justice and Development Party, Al Adl Wa Al Ihssane has not been allowed to transform itself into a political party by the Moroccan government, it has also been argued that it's the party's choice to not do so as it refuses to enter the political game under the current political practices,^[1] which it perceives as illegitimate; the party also opposes the article of the Moroccan constitution which states that the king Mohammed VI is also Amir al-Muminin.

Three No's

The organization's principles were summed up and reaffirmend, during the 24 December 2012 press conference following Mohammed Abbadi election, as "No to violence, no to secrecy, no to foreign intervention."^[1]

Cult of personality around its former leader and interpretation of his dreams

The association is entirely centred on the personality of Abdesslam Yassine, who died 13 December 2012.^[1]

Through the year 2005, the association reportedly developed the idea of a qawma, a revolution, for 2006, after a series of dreams of association members.^[1] Many Adlists think these dreams refer to the immediate abolition of the monarchy in Morocco and the installation of a Caliphate.^[1] In spring 2005, Nadia Yassine, Yassine's daughter,^[1] who heads the feminist branch of the organisation, said in an interview to the Moroccan newspaper Al Ousbouiya Al Jadida that she believed that Monarchy is not appropriate for Morocco. Yassine and two journalists from the newspaper are facing charges for defamation of the monarchy relating to the remarks, although her trial has twice been postponed. Publicly, the group has denied any revolutionary plans, arguing rather that Moroccan stability is at serious risk not from it but due to persistently high levels of unemployment and poverty.