Tayeb Bentizi

Tayeb Bentizi, also known as Haj Youssef or Abou Khalid, was born in Agadir, Morocco, in 1954. He emerged as a prominent figure in the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (Jama’a Islamia Moukatila Maghrebia or MICG), a Sunni Islamist militant organization dedicated to jihad in Morocco and the establishment of an Islamic regime.
In 1979, Bentizi relocated to France, where he worked as an Arabic teacher and taught Islamic studies at the Montes-la-Jolie mosque. He also led taekwondo training within the Val Vilori sports association affiliated with the mosque. To disseminate his beliefs, he founded an Islamic school within the mosque, which served as a platform for his ideological outreach.
His strict and radical approach to Islam gained him the trust of many young Moroccan immigrants, especially those drawn to a more militant interpretation of the faith. By 1990, Bentizi had become the leader of the mosque, and in 1993, he established a Quranic school. Bentizi was revealed as a central figure in the radicalization and recruitment of many young Moroccans from Mantes-la-Jolie, steering them toward jihad and military training in Afghanistan. His activities, however, drew the attention of the authorities, and after a violent incident, he was forced to leave the mosque.
In 1995, Bentizi was expelled from France for undermining public order, largely due to his sermons, participation in international Islamic conferences, and involvement in protests advocating for the hijab. After his expulsion, he travelled to Syria and Saudi Arabia before returning to Morocco.
In 1999, Bentizi went to Afghanistan to join the mujaheddin, where he contributed to establishing a hospitality house for militants. After returning to Morocco, he later moved to Turkey, where he played a key role in founding the MICG alongside prominent figures such as Nafia Noureddine (alias Abou Mouad), Youness Chaquri (alias Mouhib Allah), and Karim Outah (alias Salim).
Upon returning to Morocco in the early 2000s, Bentizi actively proselytized and recruited young Moroccans for the MICG, encouraging them to travel to Afghanistan to engage in jihad. He provided logistical support by supplying false passports to aspiring militants and maintained communication with Nafia Noureddine, who was in Afghanistan, facilitating the arrival of new members and sending financial support to the Group.
After the September 11 attacks, Bentizi travelled to Syria at Nafia’s request, and together they moved to Turkey and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, he was appointed as the emir of the MICG and played a significant role in the Group’s organizational structure.
While in hiding in Morocco after returning from Afghanistan, Bentizi received financial support from Nafia Noureddine in 2002, channelled through Raouiane Mohamed, who brought funds from Italy. He distributed this money among MICG members and provided Raouiane with photographs to help him secure a false passport for an escape. Bentizi also organized meetings to strategize the recruitment of new MICG members, creating a private website to promote its principles and distributing religious literature.
His involvement culminated in his arrest and conviction in 2003, when he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the Casablanca bombings.