Cartographic Controversy: Al Jazeera’s Map Sparks Moroccan Outrage

On the sidelines of the Arab-Islamic summit held in Doha last weekend, which was attended by Prince Moulay Rachid as the representative of King Mohammed VI and Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita to discuss the September 9 Israeli attack on Doha, Al Jazeera English published a map of the Arab League that included a map of Morocco missing its Sahara region. This was enough to provoke the anger of many Moroccan internet users. "Al Jazeera English has decided to draw a new map of the world tailored to the illusions of Morocco’s enemies... Suddenly, Morocco is divided! The strangest thing is that even the Organization of Islamic Cooperation - of which Qatar is a member - publishes the complete map of Morocco, while the Qatari channel lives in its own parallel world," fumes editor Nabil Harbaz.

He adds: "In short: a paid media outlet trying to falsify geography, as if the Sahara would simply disappear because a designer in Doha has so decided. The truth is: the Sahara is Moroccan... and for those who haven’t understood yet, the problem is not in the maps, but in the minds." The publication also elicited reactions from other Moroccan accounts. "Al Jazeera Qatar... the media are altering Moroccan sovereignty," denounces another account, adding that the incident was not isolated, but part of a "series of repeated attempts by the media to cast doubt on Morocco’s position on the Sahara issue."

Algerian journalist and political analyst Walid Kebir even questions the editorial line of the channel. "Why doesn’t Al Jazeera English adhere to Qatar’s foreign policy and its clear position in favor of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara? Doesn’t this behavior constitute an attack on Arab-Islamic unity?" he questions. And he lashes out: "Publishing a truncated map of Morocco only executes the designs of the colonial powers mandated in North Africa, and this is unacceptable. Enough hypocrisy!"