You’re absolutely right in blaming the killers, but why would anyone in their right mind go hiking in the Atlas Mountains? This area has long been known as unsafe although in the past it was primarily criminal activity. Want to hike in the mountains? Come to the USA and go to Rocky Mountain park or Yellowstone. Safe and scenic and they like tourists rather than want to murder them. MIGHT get eaten by a bear in Yellowstone, but it wouldn’t be for religious reasons.
When I was very young my dad was stationed overseas in Morocco for a few years. Of course we (the entire family) lived there as well.
One of the things I recall was taking a lunch, on Easter, to the Atlas Mountains for a picnic.
We still have some 35mm slides of the day.
Times were a bit different in the mid to late 50s. . .
By the way - Morocco has a 2700km wall to aeparate it from an eastern atea that is inhabited Polisaios.
The bulk of the wall is a 10ft high berm, but it is riddled throughout with land mines.
In fact, it is the world’s longest continuous string of land mines.
For the most part, it works.
Yep they shouldn’t have gone to Atlas Mountains. It’s almost like me going to Sinai Peninsula in Egypt where there is considerable ISIS activity when I should stay in Cairo and Alexandria and stick to where the Pyramids are located. Sadly, common sense isn’t always common.
Those mountains can be seen from the coast of Spain.