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Why was Abd el-Krim seen as a hero by many people in the Islamic world?

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Spanish soldiers operate artillery cannons in a desert landscape near Melilla, with smoke billowing as a cannon fires during a 1930s battle. — Rif War Spanish artillery firing outside Melilla during the Rif War.

Abd el-Krim was regarded as a hero throughout the Islamic world primarily because he served as a powerful symbol of resistance against European colonialism in North Africa.1

His status as a heroic figure was cemented by his military success against Spanish forces, most notably his decisive victory at the Battle of Annual in 1921. By routing a significantly larger colonial army and later challenging French interests, he demonstrated that indigenous forces could effectively stand against major imperial powers.1

Beyond his military leadership, Abd el-Krim was recognized for his efforts to organize the Rif into a sovereign state, the Republic of the Rif. He replaced traditional tribal structures with a centralized bureaucracy, implemented a Muslim legal code, and established modern infrastructure. To his followers, he was known as a mujāhid (war leader), embodying the defense of Berber independence and the Islamic faith against foreign encroachment.12