Algerians condemn al-Qaeda message justifying December 11th attacks
2008-04-06
Remarks made by al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri in a recent audiotape have elicited fierce reactions from Algerians, who were told the people killed in al-Qaeda's December 11th bombings in Algiers were not innocent victims.
By Said Jameh for Magharebia in Algiers – 06/04/08
 [Said Jameh] Algerians listened with dismay to al-Qaeda deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri's statement calling Algerian victims of the December 11th attack "crusader unbelievers". |
Many Algerians listened to al-Qaeda deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri's recent audiotape with dismay, particularly over the language he used to justify terrorist operations against Algeria and other Muslim nations.
Twin attacks last December 11th against the offices of UNHCR and the Constitutional Court in Algiers left 41 people – mostly Algerians – dead. The al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the attacks.
In his audio taped message, released Wednesday (April 2nd), al-Zawahiri responded to a question allegedly posed by an Algerian medical student about why the UN offices in Algiers had been attacked. "The United Nations is an enemy of Islam," the terrorist leader replied. He went on to say the Algerians killed in the attacks were not innocent victims, instead calling them "crusader unbelievers and the government troops who defend them".
Algerians expressed their dismay over these interpretations. One observer said the terrorist leader used these descriptions of the victims in order to "hide his hand, which has been stained with Algerian blood".
Azzedine Essalami, a young public employee in Algiers, said al-Zawahiri's justifications cannot be accepted by sensible people. He said the attacks are a form of terrorism, whether targeting security elements, civilians, or UN employees.
"As for we Algerians," he continued, "who suffered from the deterioration of the security situation in the 1990s, we can't buy into such 'sayings'. He says that they are not targeting innocent people. So were the people killed in all the recent terrorist operations not innocent? They are trying to justify the unjustifiable."
Thirty-year-old Yacine told Magharebia he simply is not interested in the messages issued by the terrorists, and that he wouldn't hear their statements or read them in newspapers. "I know in advance that whatever he is going to say will not convince me," he said. "This is because of my strong conviction of the barbarianism of their acts."
Nouwara, who narrowly escaped the December 11th bombings, was surprised at what al-Zawahiri said. She invited him to have a look at the list of victims so that he may know their identities. "His ideology is bankrupt. The victims of those bombings are people living in the popular neighbourhood of Belcourt, and the only reason they joined the UN organisation was to work there to support their families," she added.
Journalist Mounir Abi, a writer specialising in the affairs of armed Islamist groups, said that Ayman al-Zawahiri's statement reflects his "takfirist" ideology that is based on erroneous religious doctrine. He added that al-Zawahiri's statement represents a declaration to Algeria that "you're either with us or against us".
Abi challenged the ideological foundations of the attacks, saying they had no religious, doctrinal or legal justifications. "UN employees, whether in Algeria or in any other place around the world, are innocent people... just doing purely humanitarian missions."
Reacting to al-Zawahiri's statements, the Arab League condemned the content of the message, deeming his accusations against the UN "irresponsible" and "an offence" against Arab countries.
A spokesman for the Arab League said Friday that "Arab countries, which are calling on the UN to enhance its role and to bear its responsibility towards the Palestinian issue, cannot accept that such irresponsible charges be made against it."
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hoggar Posted 2008-04-06
It is fortunate that we condemned this dirty Zawahiri’s message. I hope that he ends up like his terrorist scum in Hell! But, let us not forget that it is also thanks to the American morons who armed, financed and trained bin Laden that terrorism exists today. So, bravo, Americans! You will always be the biggest idiots on the planet. If you keep on down this road, there will unfortunately be other Zawahiris and bin Ladens.
abou Mansour Posted 2008-04-07
You should publish these messages if you are real Muslims. No censorship.
gol Posted 2008-04-08
Mr. Hoggar; If you think that the Americans are stupid morons while having the most developed country in the world, then what word should we use to describe the Algerians who live in the darkest of miseries, terrorism, under the yoke of communism and so on?
stuart Posted 2008-04-08
American foreign policy is indeed idiotic and has no regard for the likely long-term consequences it might have. There were no terrorists in Iraq before the invasion for example whereas now the country is full of them. In the 1980s it may have been politically convenient to aid Bin Laden and his cronies in Afghanistan. But what happened once the Soviets left? They tore the country apart and unleashed a campaign of terror across the entire Muslim world before finally launching a spectacular attack on their former allies in 2001. The USA may well be developed. But for who? For a few rich people who steal all the wealth and leave ordinary men and women with nothing. If they wanted the US government could wipe out poverty both in their own country and across the entire world as well. But instead they want to start wars and kill millions of innocent people in the hope that they can crush all opposition to their imperialistic agenda.
Anonymous Posted 2008-04-12
Long live Algeria! Algeria will never die! Long live our president, Bouteflika! We are head towards success with no going back!
Anonymous Posted 2008-04-12
I am Algerian, Amazigh, Maghrebi, and Muslim. The real Islam of faith is found in the Maghreb, or, more especially, Algeria. We have no lesson to learn from Islam because we were, are and always will be a school of liberty and fraternity. Long live Algeria, forever!
hoggar Posted 2008-04-12
To Gol: Obviously, dear sir, you need to update your information: Algeria is no longer under communism and it has been that way for ages. For at least if it was, there would never have been multi-party politics in Algeria, there would never have been the FIS, the GIA, or terrorism. As for the Americans that have so impressed you, I consider Algerians to be a sort of indirect victim of the Americans. It was not the Algerians who went and supported the Afghans against Russia, and it was not the Algerians who financed Bin Laden, who then became the biggest enemy of the US. Indeed, America [expletive] things up in the world and is indirectly responsible for terrorism. I remind you that Algerian people is Muslim. So, I fail to see how these terrorists will enlighten us. Algeria does not live in terrorism, as the various terrorist acts are principally confined to the mountainous region of Kabylie. So, Mr. Gol, gargle your spirit before saying any old thing. Finally, I will leave you to think about if the terrorism Algeria has suffered were ever known elsewhere, you would see that Algeria has gotten out of it fine. The Algerians are determined to put an end to all the filth who dishonour Islam and the moderate Muslims as a whole. The Algerian people have never been extremist, in comparison to those who have only the dictates of their leaders as their alternatives.
MrRobot Posted 2008-05-12
Hope one day people will learn to live together, and all terror groups like Al-Qaeda, who try to stop modern cultures grow, or PKK, Kurdish child killers, who try to divide, take over countries and name it Kurdistan will be history. Killing innocent civilians is a crime against humanity. We will never allow them succeed. God bless all those innocents murdered in terror attacks.
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