Relations and Political Economy consists of works emanating from the foremost French researchers from Sciences Po, Paris. Sciences Po was founded in 1872 and is today one of the most prestigious universities for teaching and research in social sciences in France, recognized worldwide. This series focuses on the transformations of the international arena, in a world where the state, though its sovereignty is questioned, reinvents itself. The series explores the effects on international relations and the world economy of regionalization, globalization, and transnational flows at large. This evolution in world affairs sustains a variety of networks from the ideological to the criminal or terrorist. Besides the geopolitical transformations of the globalized planet, the new political economy of the world has a decided impact on its destiny as well, and this series hopes to uncover what that is.
In 2004, the King Mohammed VI of Morocco announced the beginning of a series of fundamental reforms of the main state religious institutions of the country. These reforms were designed to include the over 3.8 million Moroccans living in foreign countries based on the claim that they are a part of a shared transnational religious field. This article analyzes the evolution of the main diaspora policy instruments used by Morocco abroad, especially in the case of France, such as sending delegations of religious personnel during Islamic holidays, funding mosques and Islamic associations, and providing training programs for imams from other countries. I argue that these reforms should be understood as a form of diaspora politics that aims to reinforce the Moroccan state's ability to govern the religious affairs of its citizens and their descendants abroad with the ultimate goal or maintaining control over the religious field at home.In the current international system of nation-states, diaspora communities pose a singular challenge. While the formation of such communities raises fundamental questions surrounding nationality, citizenship, and belonging, the policy responses that states give to these questions equally reflect the most pressing political and economic interests of the day. Diaspora communities have the ability to establish transnational links that go beyond state borders and mobilize resources that may not be readily accessible at home. As a result, depending on the views they promote and the degree of autonomy they possess, they can be perceived as a potential asset or a threat by sending and receiving state authorities.
Benjamin Bruce holds a PhD from Sciences Po Paris and is CONACYT Research Fellow
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