Agencies
Secretary General of the Moroccan Justice and Development Party, Abdelilah Benkirane
The Secretary-General of the Moroccan Justice and Development Party, Abdelilah Benkirane, found himself forced to apologize to the Algerian people after the wave of anger that swept social media platforms following his insulting statements about Algerian mothers.
The incident goes back to last Monday, during the weekly meeting of the parliamentary team of the Moroccan Justice and Development Party, when the name of Representative Mustafa Al-Ibrahimi was brought up to read the Holy Qur’an at the opening of the meeting, and Ibn Kiran responded, mocking the Algerian origins of the representative’s mother, by saying: “How can my brother’s mother be Algerian, how can he read the Qur’an?”
He followed his statement with a laugh, adding, in an attempt to remedy the situation, that he did not see any problem with a person being Algerian, and in fact, he was proud of that, before directing his speech to Ibrahimi by saying: “But they are hard-headed at your situation,” which sparked the anger of Moroccans and Algerians alike.
Activists directed sharp criticism at Ibn Kiran, stressing that the dignity of Algerian women is a red line that cannot be violated or ridiculed, and pointing out that linking the origins of the MP’s mother to his ability to read the Qur’an entails an offense that cannot be ignored.
Some defended Algerian women fiercely, recalling their sacrifices during the liberation revolution and their role in defending land and honor in the face of French colonialism.
This is the Algerian woman, oh #Ben_Kiran When the men were gone, she was the man
Her body was smeared with dung to protect her honor from the desecration of the coloniser, and she carried weapons in defense of the land
The Algerian woman wrote history with honor and became an icon of chastity and courage
It is too pure to be desecrated by those who have no honor and seek to compensate for its deficiency by mutilating their masters..🇩🇿❤️
. pic.twitter.com/G8p7pcxQSD– Reine De Sabaa (@ReineDeSabaa8) October 28, 2026
Following the widespread controversy sparked by his statements on social media, and the demands of many for him to apologize, Ibn Kiran came out with a clarification in which he denied his intention to offend the Algerians, and expressed his pride in the Algerian people.
And in A statement to the “Arabi 21” website, Ibn Kiran stressed that he did not intend in any way to insult the Algerians’ Islam or question their religiosity, explaining that his words during his party’s parliamentary team meeting came in the context of joking and joking, and he did not target the Algerian people or disparage their religious and militant history.
He explained that he took the initiative to clarify his purpose immediately after Representative Mustafa Brahimi finished reading, stressing that Algeria is rich in memorizing the Book of God, and that its people have a long history of jihad and resistance.
