A rab ism . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁was ▁first ▁used ▁by ▁Maur it ania ' s ▁first ▁president , ▁M ok ht ar ▁O uld ▁D add ah , ▁as ▁he ▁began ▁claim ing ▁the ▁territory ▁then ▁known ▁as ▁Spanish ▁Sah ara ▁even ▁before ▁Maur itan ian ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁O uld ▁D add ah ▁stated ▁ ▁" I ▁therefore ▁call ▁on ▁our ▁brothers ▁in ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Sah ara ▁to ▁dream ▁of ▁this ▁economic ▁and ▁spiritual ▁Gre ater ▁Maur it ania ▁of ▁which ▁we ▁cannot ▁speak ▁at ▁present . ▁I ▁address ▁to ▁them ▁and ▁I ▁ask ▁you ▁to ▁repeat ▁to ▁them ▁a ▁message ▁of ▁friendship , ▁a ▁call ▁for ▁conc ord ▁between ▁all ▁the ▁Mo ors ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic , ▁in ▁A za wad ▁and ▁from ▁the ▁Dra a ▁to ▁the ▁borders ▁of ▁Sen eg al ." ▁ ▁The ▁basis ▁for ▁his ▁claim ▁was ▁the ▁close ▁eth nic ▁and ▁cultural ▁t ies ▁between ▁the ▁Maur itan ian ▁Mo ors ▁and ▁the ▁Sah raw is ▁of ▁Spanish ▁Sah ara , ▁in ▁effect ▁forming ▁two ▁subsets ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁trib al ▁Arab - Ber ber ▁population . ▁ ▁The ▁Gre ater ▁Maur it ania ▁region ▁is ▁largely ▁cot erm in ous ▁with ▁the ▁Hass ani ya ▁Arab ic ▁language ▁area , ▁and ▁had ▁histor ically ▁been ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁pre - mod ern ▁Bil ad ▁Ch ingu etti ▁( ), ▁the ▁Land ▁of ▁Ch ingu etti , ▁a ▁religious ▁center ▁in