After cultural appropriation, is historical appropriation next? Algerian politician and YouTuber Rachid Nekkaz is claiming the Koutoubia Mosque and the Almohad kingdom of Abd al-Mu'min, from Marrakech. It's quite the spectacle on YouTube, supporting his proposal for an Algerian-Moroccan condominium over Western Sahara. Rachid Nekkaz has made a name for himself through dramatic gestures and attention-grabbing provocations. A businessman without a business, a politician without voters, and a prisoner without martyrdom, he has stirred the media in both France and Algeria. His latest stunt? A bid to rewrite history. From Marrakech, he recently offered Algerian nationalists a provocative claim: the Koutoubia Mosque, he argues, was supposedly built by an «Algerian sultan». Nekkaz's argument is based on a simplistic logic: Abdelmoumen, the founder of the Almohad empire and builder of the Koutoubia, was born in Nedroma, a city now part of Algeria. Therefore, according to Nekkaz, the famous mosque in Marrakech is «Algerian». This reasoning ignores the fact that, in the 12th century, neither Algeria nor Morocco existed as nation-states. It also disregards the Almohads' history, a dynasty that, like the Almoravids before them, centered their capitals and power in what is now Morocco. By Nekkaz's logic, Arabs from the Middle East could just as easily lay claim to the Kingdom of Fez, founded by Idris I, an exile from Madinah. History doesn't divide itself by modern borders, but such simplifications appeal to nationalists hungry for pride, and Nekkaz knows exactly how to exploit this. Political Opportunism Full of Contradictions Like a true showman, Nekkaz adapts his rhetoric to suit his current agenda. On one hand, he rejects the colonial borders in advocating for a united Maghreb, free from divisions. On the other, he uses those very borders to symbolically annex parts of Moroccan heritage. Yet, his outrage is strangely absent when it comes to the partition of Morocco by France, which saw the regions of Touat, Tindouf, and Béchar transferred to Algeria. Nekkaz's more nationalist ambitions shine through when he proposes «Algerian-Moroccan co-sovereignty» over Western Sahara—an idea that seemingly came out of nowhere, directly contradicting Algeria's official stance of non-involvement in the dispute. By suggesting that Algeria co-manage a territory it has never governed or even claimed, Nekkaz is doing what he does best: stirring up chaos and watching the fallout. Buzz Over Substance At the heart of Nekkaz's pseudo-historical conference lies no real political debate—just another media stunt, more akin to a YouTuber's viral video than a serious political discussion. His video was widely shared by Algerian nationalist accounts, presented as a «symbolic victory» over Morocco. The formula is familiar: a blend of historical revisionism, exaggerated nationalism, and basic anti-Moroccan sentiment, all presented by a figure who thrives on ambiguity. But the ploy is transparent. Beneath his rhetoric of Maghreb unity and peace, Nekkaz is actively deepening the divide between the two countries. He doesn't build bridges; he digs trenches. He doesn't bring people together; he divides them by serving up a version of history tailored to flatter Algerian pride. Rather than promoting «khawa khawa» (we are brothers), Rachid Nekkaz has become the embodiment of «khwa l khawi» (the empty void).
