Algerian government curbs extreme religious practices
2006-12-22
Algeria is going through a "severe cultural and religious crisis", says the minister for religious affairs. Forged Qur'ans redacted by extremists were found on the market, and mosques are being used for questionable practices.
By Nazim Fethi for Magharebia in Algiers -- 22/12/06
 [Getty Images] FIS Muslim fundamentalists pray at the mosque of Bab El Oued in Algiers. |
Algeria has been trying to curb certain religious practices deemed subversive or out of line with mainstream Islam and the state's law. Qur'an forgeries, unlawful marriages and the spread of exorcism have the religious affairs ministry trying to consolidate its control over mosques and train new Imams.
On December 16th, the ministry said it was setting up committees across the country to ensure that Qur'an copies in circulation are authentic. This decision was taken due to the appearance on the Algerian market of copies of the Qur'an with "serious and malicious alterations to its verses", according to the ministry's information officer, Abdelmajid Tamine.
The ministry blames members of the fundamentalist Salafi movement for the alterations. The changes reportedly included additions and deletions in a subtle manner that no ordinary reader would be able to notice.
The movement, which originated in Saudi Arabia, was brought to Algeria during the 1980s by young Algerians who studied in Saudi Arabia. Their spiritual leader, Abdelmalek Ramdani, created the "La Colonne Cell", named after a district of Hydra on the hills of Algiers. He is now an imam in a mosque in Saudi Arabia after receiving death threats in Algeria because of his views.
The Salafi movement has three strands. One is scientific Salafism, supported by Ramdani, which forbids all political activity as heresy and teaches that people should obey those with religious insight. Another is active Salafism, championed by founders of the former Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) including Ali Benhadj, Abdelkader Moghni (the imam of Bab El Oued in Algiers) and also Kamal Guemmazi, one of the most active members of the former FIS. The third is "Jihadi" (combat) Salafism, which advocates taking power by means of armed force and is supported by the Salafi Combat Group (GSPC).
Algerian religious authorities have been increasingly facing a challenge from the Salafi movement, prompting Algerian Minister for Religious Affairs Bouabdallah Ghlamallah to declare that the country is going through a "severe cultural and religious crisis".
Ghlamallah vowed that any work "of a subversive nature, putting forward ideas which are incompatible with our principles and values", imported from abroad, will be checked and possibly banned if necessary.
From now on, all Qur'an copies in circulation will have to be stamped by the relevant religious authority after being approved by a local book committee.
Adherents of the Salafist movement constantly try to challenge the way Islam is practised in Algeria through altering activities in mosques.
During the holy month of Ramadan, a controversy erupted regarding mosques which did not adhere to the times for the end of daily fasting set by the ministry of religious affairs. "Some muezzins are signalling the end of the day's fast ten minutes before the time set by law," said Goulamallah, whose ministry runs mosques and is in charge of all their expenditures, including imams' salaries.
Other new trends observed in some mosques include the overuse of loudspeakers at full volume and the reciting of Tarawih prayers during the month of Ramadan, which is mostly a Wahabi practice.
The deployment of Salafi elements in Algerian mosques is worrying the government, which, via the ministry of religious affairs, has given instructions to help mosques guard against the movement's efforts to take them over.
According to the daily newspaper El Khabar, police are conducting a nationwide investigation into the movement's spread and its appearance in mosques. The order from the ministry of religious affairs stipulates that mosques are strictly forbidden to engage in unauthorised teaching.
In addition to curbing extremist Islam, the authorities are trying to put an end to unlawful religious marriages.
The religious affairs ministry has issued an order forbidding imams from conducting "fatiha" ceremonies before a civil marriage contract has been signed. This order is intended to bring an end to the problems caused by wedding ceremonies consisting solely of readings from the fatiha without the signature of a civil contract, which makes them null and void, according to Algerian law.
Solicitor Nadia Ait-Zai, a women's rights activist, welcomed the decision. "We're consolidating civil marriage, which involves the mutual consent of both spouses as stipulated by the family code as amended in 2005. This measure will prevent traditional marriages not registered by the state and which used to leave the mother and her children on their own with no means of legal remedy."
Many women have fallen victim to these marriages, which give them no legal protection.
The minister of religious affairs has also issued a fatwa outlawing the practices of roquia (exorcism) and hijamah (bleeding or branding) in mosques. Over the last few years, Algerians have begun choosing these new improvised "cures", which are seen as a way of dealing with their anxieties, in preference to modern medicine.
Roquia has become so widespread that a large number of families are now using it for one reason or another. A kind of psychotherapy which is carried out by anyone able to recite verses from the Qur'an, it is a form of exorcism which sometimes involves flogging, purportedly to drive out demons and evil spirits.
Hijamah is carried out by people with no medical training, which increases the risk of infection since supposedly, the "patient" must bleed in order to allow bad blood to pass out of the body. The practice, which dates from the Middle Ages and originated in China, is intended to replenish the blood in one's body to ward off illness.
The religious affairs ministry will be organizing training courses for Imams to stop these practices, and limit the spread of extremist Islam. According to the minister, new Imams will be recruited competitively "to select the most able". He vowed that "commissions and specialists [would] supervise this operation in an objective manner".
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cohen Posted 2006-12-23
There’s only one religion: love to others. Altruism prevails, it is the true religion. Love others more than yourself. Go to Palestine, adults there have been raised feeling hatred for Jews, ever since they were 3 or 5 years old. It is horrible to see all these grown-ups who never had a happy childhood, just hatred. Why? Young people should endeavor to allow their parents to forget about hatred, and help them think of others, love them whatever their religion or colour may be. When I hear Muslims claim that Muslim blood is pure and unique, it reminds me of Hitler’s Aryans, this so-called pure race. When King Abdallah from Jordan does not consider the 100.000km that belong to the Palestinians, I think it is unfair that Arab-Muslim countries do not compell the Hachemit Monarch to give these lands back to the Palestinian people, and allow for peace to come back. One has to be reminded that 100.000 square km are enough for 4.5 million Palestinians (even adding some 10 more) from all over the world. Lets remember that England, with an area of approximately 130.000 square km, has a population of 55 million. Then why don’t Arab media talk about this land in Jordan, that belongs to the Palestinians. And what is the Arab league doing? What is it waiting for to allow peace back in this part of the world? Did you ever wonder why King Hussein of Jordan let down the West Bank, why Egypt forgot about Gaza, if not for Palestinians and Israelis to continue their war ? So many victims in vain, when the solution is at hand. Journalists should highlight this problem, so that peace may prevail. They would then be the true mediators, not King Abdallah, who just predicted a catastrophic year in 2007. If the Hachemit King accepts to give those 100.000 square km back to the Palestinians, peace will be back. Amen.
oumar Posted 2006-12-25
Algeria has a cultural tradition that allows it to come to terms with itself, be it on a religious, economic, social or other, point of view. But the Algerian state should give a fresh boost, create more initiatives for its citizens on a regional level, so as to highlight the country’s wealth.
fateh Posted 2007-01-21
The Salafist movement existed long before Abd el Malek, why didn’t you mention the Muslim Scholars Association or the great Salafist chouyoukh such as ibn Badis and el Bachir al Ibrahimi, Tayeb el Oqbi, and others? You actually play on words. There never was any cell, and those djihadi Salafists, as you call them, are no Salafists. But I guess there must be some hidden interest in gathering all these groups under the name of Salafist...
Someone Posted 2007-03-27
It looks like more of a cut and paste article with no basis whatsoever, except to achieve some clear goals of bashing at people without any evidences. At least, do a professional journalistic work; this is the least we can expect A one time reader
tarik Posted 2007-04-22
This minister doesn’t know anything about the religion. With knowing, he cannot criticize "roquia" as it really exists, but only if certain people use and abuse it to personal ends (i.e. material gains.)
tyler durdun Posted 2007-10-04
I think that these temporary measures are a bit hazardous and serve no purpose with regards to eradicating these Salafists. We need to work at the heart of the matter, putting a real solution forward. This is to say, we need to start with our children’s education in schools, sensitizing the citizenry and reinforcing our own cultural values, not imported ones. The cause for this regression of Algeria’s religious practices is the abstention of the state in its role as the mediator and educator of the people’s conscience. It is this which has seen the return of Charlatanism and the ideas of the Middle Ages.
jack Posted 2007-11-20
Confusion of the end of time: If evil doesn’t find a way out, it uses ignorance as a lethal weapon, considering that ignorance is humanity's worst enemy (reason=life). From this stems the theory of "divide and conquer" and that a person is treated the same way he treats others. We notice that those who are unable to think and be creative, evolve will simply become consumers and followers deprived of understanding because they aren’t capable of using their minds. “God endowed us with reason and it is our ultimate basis of judgement. If we know the essence of good, what have we done with it, and if we don’t know it, what have we missed in our search since we possess reason?"
qortobi Posted 2007-12-09
Poor Cohen, I am going to give you a lesson about your Jewish compatriots. They hate everyone. They leave their Khazar and Eastern European countries to come colonise Palestine. They kill, rape and massacre the poor Palestinians in order to chase them off their land. What do you know of love? Is it love of power?... of money?... of murder?... of violence?... of evil?
القابض على الجمر Posted 2008-06-17
Your accusations that our brothers falsify the Qur’an are wrong. If it were falsified, you are accusing the brothers of fundamentalism, Wahabism and other indescribable crimes. Now you want to impose upon us by dictating how to worship God. Curse you! How do you make judgements? I have no other comments except that God will be the judge between you and us and He is the best judge.
Chaoui Posted 2008-12-02
We need to eradicate these Salafist pests. They are a cancer that affects all of Algerian society. They are intolerant and unable to think for themselves. The western Wahabis are first and foremost in their thoughts, the latter wishing to change the Algerian Berber mentality. Our mother, Dihia, is worth a thousand times more than your wild intolerance.
Abdelselem Posted 1 day ago
The people’s ignorance and the Algerian state’s political manipulation have introduced pseudo imams, who were trained carefully by Sufis to lead people to apostasy. And, this works well enough. But, as my brother said so well, Allah will judge between them and us. Learn your religion. Do not remain ignorant asses! -A converted Frenchman
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