Radio Qur'an aids in Algeria's fight against terrorism

2008-01-28

As one of a series of measures targeting the spread of terrorism in the country, the Algerian government has begun using Radio Qur'an to broadcast Islam-based arguments against violence and extremism.

By Said Jameh for Magharebia in Algiers – 28/01/08

[Getty Images] Algerian authorities have turned to Radio Qur'an to present religious evidence against the beliefs and fatwas issued by terror groups such as al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Magreb.

Eager to combat the forces of extremism and terrorism in their country, Algerian authorities have enlisted the aid of a radio station to broadcast religious messages condemning the violent practices. Islamic scholars from Algeria and Gulf countries have appeared on Radio Qur'an to undermine the doctrinal bases used by al-Qaeda to justify its suicide operations in North Africa.

The government has used Radio Qur'an as a platform for scholars to present religious evidence against the beliefs and fatwas issued by local al-Qaeda emir Abdelmalek Droukdel. The terrorist leader is responsible for the escalation of violence among anti-government groups – including suicide operations and the targeting of civilians – since the April 11th, 2007 bombings in Algiers.

On January 22nd the station aired a seminar entitled: "Warning against the two discords of takfir and bombings". The programme featured participation by Saudi scholar Ibrahim Ben Amer Rahili, Algeria's Nabil Mustapha Osmani, Abdelghani Aouissat and Saudi-Algerian Abdelmalek Ramdani.

In their comments, the scholars explained that the practice of takfir – declaring people to be non-believers – against the government and people of Algeria is not based on firm verses in the Qur'an and the prophet's sunna. They addressed al-Qaeda in Algeria, stressing that shedding the blood of foreigners and justifying their killing as "renegades" and "crusaders" is prohibited, since they came to the land of Muslims peacefully, expecting safety.

Abdelghani Aouissat said, "The bombings and terrorist operations in Algeria are not jihad, but discord." He called on the al-Qaeda groups to put an end to the violence, saying their actions are an "exaggeration of religion" and "disobedience towards the rulers".

In the same vein, Ibrahim Ben Amer Rahili, a professor at the Islamic University in Medina, said the people resorting to bombing and assassination are guilty of sin and responsible for sowing the seeds of discord. If they truly seek reform, he said, they should do it peacefully.

Preacher Amer Rahili asked Algerians to co-operate with the authorities in combating terrorists, whom he described as "people thrilled by the killing of Muslims".

He condemned all suicide operations, saying perpetrators are committing one of Islam's gravest sins, which is the killing of a soul.

Though the FM station is only on the air from 5:00 AM to 11:00 AM, it has already had some impact on the anti-terrorist effort. Citing local and French security findings, Algerian newspapers reported recently that Radio Qur'an has played a pivotal role in recent months in convincing scores of armed men to lay down their arms and benefit from pardons under the laws of national reconciliation, adopted in 2005.

The Algerian government began the radio effort in an attempt to undermine the effect of al-Qaeda's online dissemination of audio and video propaganda and training information. The terrorist group has also begun videotaping all its suicide operations and attacks in Algeria, making the footage freely available to citizens browsing Islamist websites. Some sites even provide videos formatted for viewing and transmission on mobile phones.