Beyond the army, there are other clear signs of the rapid Islamisation of Moroccan society. Nowhere is this more apparent than in women’s dress. In just a few years, Moroccan women have gone from the miniskirt to the hijab. Interviewed in the French daily Le Monde a few months ago, a Moroccan high school teacher named Soukaina (she said she was afraid to use her last name) said that twenty years ago her high school had only one veiled teacher but today everyone is veiled, teachers and students alike.
The leading Islamist party – the PJD (Justice and Development party) has been gaining grounds. A leaked poll conducted by the US’s independent International Republican Institute earlier this year showed that up to 47 per cent of the electorate were leaning towards the party. A second just-concluded IRI poll is believed to confirm this.