HORSES OF GOD/ LES CHEVAUX DE DIEU

Morocco, 2013, 115 minutes, Colour.
Abdelhakim Rachi, Abdelilah Rachid.
Directed by Nabil Ayouch.

Horses of God is a film well worth seeing for those interested in Islamic fundamentalism, the recruitment of warriors and suicide bombers, the situations, motivations, the teaching, the indoctrination, the consequences and missions.

The film was Morocco’s official nomination for Oscar consideration for 2013.

The film is a fictionalised version of the facts of 2003 and bombings in the city of Casablanca, targeting Jewish people and Western tourists in the city and in the nightclubs.

The film gives quite a background to the young men in Casablanca, the poverty of their lives, home life, attempts to make some money with stalls in markets, yet the drink, the drugs, the fights and crime, harassment by the police and some of them finishing in prison.

The film focuses on Hamid, one of these young men, who undergoes a conversion experience, is welcomed by some of the authorities in the mosques providing a safe community, care, prayer, and reform, so that the young men are susceptible to the training, to the idea of Jihad, honour against the persecutions around the world, ready to go, as they do, to be suicide bombers in the city.

The film is a sobering one, considering terrorism at the time but, at the time of the film’s release, the increasing presence of Islamic State and attempted worldwide recruitment, and success.

1. A fictional account of factual material? Casablanca, 2003, active terrorism, in the city, targeting Jewish people, Western tourists, nightclubs, 45 killed? The Oscar nominee from Morocco?

2. Re-creation of the period, 2003, the city locations, the slums, the streets, markets, homes, prisons, mosques and religious centres? The musical score?

3. Post 9/11, the influence of Al Qaeda, Jihad and videotapes? Terrorism in Africa?

4. The presentation of indoctrination, motivations – not simple black and white?

5. The young men, their lives, poor, slums, the community exploiting them, lack of interest from government, drinking, drugs, the sexual attractions, crime, fights, unemployment? The role of the police, harassment, prison? Susceptibility to indoctrination?

6. The stories of the young men, Hamid, his family, selling oranges, some money for the family, thugs upsetting his store? Throwing stones at the police? Preventing a boss from rape? Prison?

7. The authorities, the introduction, the influence, teaching, indoctrination, yet providing community, care, urging the young men to pray, to reform their lives, and to become model citizens?

8. The motivations from Islam and Islamic teaching, the persecutions around the world? Training in combat? The ideal of martyrdom – and the image of paradise and the virgins…? Sense of honour?

9. The exploitation of the young men, the cause, the commitment? Watching the videos? Asked to be suicide bombers? The ready acceptance? Why such ready commitment?

10. The victims, from the West, not influencing life in Morocco, young men not considering the victims?

11. The impact of the final image, the boys playing football, thoughts about their future, the panning shot, the city, the image of the explosion? Their future? Their ball going into darkness?