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Arab Spring Is Now Targeting Algeria

Algeria’s Islamists, in the political wilderness since their last attempt to win power dissolved into civil war, are now trying again, galvanized by the success of their brethren elsewhere in north Africa in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Published

14 years ago

December 8, 2011

Geoffrey Grider

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(Reuters) – Algeria’s Islamists, in the political wilderness since their last attempt to win power dissolved into civil war, are now trying again, galvanized by the success of their brethren elsewhere in north Africa in the wake of the “Arab Spring”.

Riot policemen clash with university students from marching during a demonstration in which they demand political change in Algiers May 2, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Zohra Bensemra

Most Islamists in Algeria have been excluded from political life since the conflict, but in the past few months they have shown renewed signs of activity, much of it conducted from exile to dodge the attentions of the Algerian state.

They have set up a satellite television station based in Europe, sent delegations to Arab countries that saw revolutions this year, and made tentative forays into anti-government protests.

Their chances of success are slim: they are divided into rival ideological camps, hemmed in by the powerful Algerian security apparatus, and, most importantly, discredited in the eyes of many people by a conflict in which they took part and which killed an estimated 200,000 people.

But they see an opportunity in the upheavals of the “Arab Spring,” which have this year unseated entrenched secularist leaders. In neighboring Tunisia, a previously outlawed Islamist movement has come to power, while in Egypt Islamists have taken a strong early lead in multi-stage parliamentary elections.

“Tunisia was an example and launcher of this (Arab Spring) revolution,” said Abdullah Anas, a London-based member of the leadership council of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), which is banned in Algeria.

“It could be a very good example for Algeria.”

LEGACY OF VIOLENCE

Any Islamist revival in Algeria, an OPEC member and supplier of about a fifth of Europe’s imported gas, would have first to shed the burden of the country’s bloody history.

Twenty years ago, FIS was poised to win a legislative election, called after street protests forced the authorities to loosen their grip on power. FIS said it would impose an Islamic state.

The military-backed government stepped in to annul the election. The Islamists took up arms and Algeria slipped into a conflict of horrific violence. Civilians had their throats slit in the street; in the mornings, people woke up to find their towns littered with bodies.

A rump of Islamists, now operating under the banner of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, is still fighting. They periodically ambush security forces in the countryside, kidnap Westerners and stage suicide bombings.

But the violence has subsided considerably. A huge security crackdown has rounded up thousands of insurgents. Others have laid down their arms and been granted an amnesty, in exchange for an undertaking to stay out of politics.

This legacy is the biggest obstacle to any comeback by Algeria’s Islamists.

“Since then (the conflict), the Islamist was no longer seen as a hero who stands up against tyranny,” said Soheib Bencheikh, a theologian who used to be the chief cleric at the mosque in Marseilles, France, where there is a large Algerian community.

“On the contrary, he became, in the eyes of public opinion, accountable for the pain and suffering of the people,” Bencheikh told Reuters.

A fear of a return to violence helps explain why Algeria has this year remained relatively calm while neighboring countries have been convulsed by unrest.

TV STATION

But the Islamists still believe that Algeria is ripe for change, and are beginning to take practical steps.

Starting in November, a group of exiled Islamists with links to FIS set up a Europe-based television station, called Rachad TV. Carried by the Atlantic Bird 7 and Nilesat satellites , the station can be picked up in Algeria, where most homes have a dish.

It broadcasts political and social programs where opposition leaders and activists — most of them harshly critical of the government — are invited to comment on Algeria.

At the top of the station’s homepage on the Internet, there is a link to show viewers “how to free your country”, and a second link to help them “organize and participate in unrest.”

The exiles say they are also building contacts with other countries where “Arab Spring” revolts have propelled Islamists into a position of power.

Rachad says on its website that it sent a delegation to Libya in late September to meet officials in the new government, in which Islamists have a prominent role.

Abdullah Anas, the exiled Islamist in London, said there had also been contacts with Rachid Ghannouchi, the head of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party. Since an election in October his party leads Tunisia’s coalition government.

Tunisia’s experience had proved that it is possible to open up the political space in north Africa, said Anas.

“Everyone in Algeria must understand that Algeria has room for all … no matter what opinions you have,” he said, calling for a lifting of political curbs and the possibility of power-sharing between previously antagonistic groups.

SALAFISTS STIRRING

Inside Algeria, the most influential Islamist force are the Salafists, followers of an ultra-purist interpretation of Islam. Unlike the FIS, they are tolerated by the Algerian state because their creed forbids participation in politics.

When Algeria was shaken at the beginning of this year by protests sparked by a spike in food prices, the spiritual leader of the Algerian Salafists, Abdelmalek Ramdani, who lives in Saudi Arabia, issued a religious decree.

It said: “As long as the commander of the nation is a Muslim, you must obey and listen to him. Those who are against him are just seeking to replace him, and this is not licit.”

Nevertheless, there are stirrings of political activity by some Salafist preachers.

Sheikh Abdelfateh Zeraoui, a former FIS member and now a well-known Salafist preacher in the Algerian capital, issued a declaration in October saying the government had to enact urgent reforms.

“Political reforms allowing us to have free political activity are key to the stability of the country. Without reforms the country may explode,” the declaration stated.

The preacher has also tried to organize protest marches in the capital, but these have been blocked by the security forces. “We have been barred from politics,” he told Reuters.

The fact that Algerian Islamists are divided dilutes their ability to stage a comeback, said Mohamed Mouloudi, an editor and specialist on Islam.

“They are no longer speaking with one voice,” Mouloudi told Reuters.

“You have the Salafists, the Muslim brotherhood, and the Djaz’airists,(who give priority to Algerian religious traditions) among others,” he said. “You have those who are for a political action, and those who consider political action as illicit.”

SUCCESSION DEBATE

Even so, a debate is now under way in earnest within the Algerian ruling elite, for the first time since the conflict began 20 years ago, about giving Islamists a role in politics.

The focus for that debate — which, like much of Algerian politics, is conducted behind closed doors — is the question of who will succeed President Abdelaziz Bouteflika when his final term ends in 2014.

One camp within the elite is backing Abdelaziz Belkhadem, a former prime minister and secretary general of the ruling FLN party. He is a secularist but is trusted by the Islamists. Opposing him is a camp of hardline secularists who have backing from the powerful security forces.

Friction spilled out into the open when a group of Belkhadem opponents inside the FLN launched a campaign to have him removed from the party leadership.

“It will be wise to promote a man like Abdelaziz Belkhadem who has good ties with Islamists as well as with decision makers inside the regime,” said Mohamed Lagab, a secularist academic at Algiers university.

“Decision makers should take into account that North Africa will be ruled by Islamists ,” said Lagab. source – Reuters

Related Topics:Algeria arab Islamists spring

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Headline News

NTEB SUNDAY SERVICE: From Poetry To Prophecy, The Doctrinal Dynamite Hidden Inside the Book Of Psalms

Published

6 hours ago

July 6, 2025

Geoffrey Grider

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From poetry to prophecy, the book of Psalms packs a truckload of doctrinal dynamite about the First Advent, Second Advent and the Millennial reign of King Jesus

On this Sunday Service, there is a whole lot more contained in the book of Psalms than just ‘majestic language’ and ‘beautiful poetic meaning’ The Psalms, over half written by King David, are jam-packed with Bible doctrine and prophecy of soon-coming end times events. Preached live this morning at the Bible Believers Church inside the NTEB Bookstore. Services every Sunday morning starting at 11:00 AM in Palatka, Florida.

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” Psalm 22:1 (KJB)

ALL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF THE WORD OF GOD NEED THIS BOOK, CLICK TO ORDER!!

From Poetry To Prophecy

The Doctrinal Dynamite Hidden In The Book Of Psalms!

Psalm 22:

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” Psalm 22:1 (KJB)

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 (KJB)

Psalm 79:

“O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.” Psalms 79:1 (KJB)

“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” Luke 21:20 (KJB)

Psalm 69:

“Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.” Psalm 69:1 (KJB)

“Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.” Jeremiah 47:2 (KJB)

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When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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NTEB PROPHECY NEWS PODCAST: The FEMA Camps Have Finally Arrived And With Them Comes The Palantir Software To Facilitate The Next Lockdown

Published

2 days ago

July 4, 2025

Geoffrey Grider

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The America that Obama threatened us with is the America that Trump is now building, can anything stop what’s coming next?

The Republican National Convention began on a high note last year, with Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement beginning to sense that victory, once seemingly impossible, was now almost a certainty. The political landslide that happened in November bears witness to that. Indeed, election fever ran so high that many failed to notice the curious graphics chosen by the GOP to kickoff their convention. An Egyptian pyramid, the all-seeing Eye of Horus, and the Latin inscription ‘Novus Ordo Seclorum’, or New World Order. That’s what you voted for, and that’s what you have right now whether you believe it or not, whether you can see it or not. It’s here, and that’s the memo.

“Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.” Habakkuk 1:5 (KJB)

On this episode of the Prophecy News Podcast, the Republicans are riding high today as we celebrate our 4th of July, recognizing the 249th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. President Trump has chosen this day to sign the passage of his One Big Beautiful Bill, taking a well-earned victory lap. But I am here to remind you that today is also Day 1,936 of 15 Days To Flatten The Curve, and not only have end times events not stopped, not slowed down, they are rapidly accelerating. As you read this, at least a dozen other states now have plans to open up their own ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ to detain immigrants and illegals. These camps will be funded by our friends at FEMA. In addition to that, Donald Trump has tasked Peter Thiel over at Palantir with building a database to go with the FEMA Camps, and to build a database that’ll include every single America citizen as well. The America that Obama threatened us with is the America that Trump is now building, can anything stop what’s coming next? Today we show you from the Bible what’s actually happening in the world around us.

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I just want to thank you for the teachings you give every Sunday night on radio. You are such a blessing to me. I absolutely love your way of teaching the scriptures. I don’t have a church where I can have fellowship and teaching, so you have been my teacher for many months now. Thanks God you are there for all of us who have no church to go to. I pray that the Lord will bless you abundantly in your ministry, and your loved ones too. You are such a blessing to me, and many others, in these last days before the rapture. Thank you so much Geoffrey, from the bottom of my heart. May the Lord keep you, until He comes back for us. You are in my prayers.” Donald Godin
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Free Bible Program

An Urgent Request For Bibles From Our Missionary In Ukraine And 3 New Jails Join The Bibles Behind Bars Family To Jumpstart This 4th Of July Weekend

Published

3 days ago

July 3, 2025

Geoffrey Grider

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Maybe you’re celebrating the 4th of July with fireworks, but at Bibles Behind Bars we are rejoicing for this massive open door of Bible outreach the Lord has given us

When it rains, it pours, and requests for Bibles in English, Spanish and Ukrainian are pouring in this week. I just got this email from Bro. Jean and he writes “I am right now in Odessa, Ukraine handing out and placing Chick tracts in the Russian and the Ukrainian language. We sure could use some more Ukranian Bibles, thank you in advance!” Talk about a ‘letter from the front’, that’s about as real deal as it gets. We are boxing up his request right now, and looking at 3 new jails who just joined the ‘Triple B’ family.

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 (KJB)

The Hardin County Detention Center in Elizabethtown, Kentucky needs King James Bibles. Chaplain Joshua Shaffer wrote and told us “At this facility there are 648 beds but there more inmates than that due to them having to sleep in canoes so it would be close to around 700 inmates. We would take whatever amount of Bibles the Lord would provide for us. Thank you!” Inmates sleeping in canoes? Just imagine how precious a Bible would be to an inmate sleeping in a canoe, more precious than fine gold.

The Joe Corley Processing Center in Conroe, Texas needs Spanish Bibles. Chaplain Daigle writes saying “At our Facility, we have a large Spanish population, and we are in need of Spanish Bibles, Thank you.”

Leake County Correctional in Carthage, Mississippi needs King James Bible as well as devotional reading material. Chaplain Vasquez writes and says “We are a super regional with 450 county and state inmates both male and female. The inmates are very hungry for The Word and a good Bible to draw closer to God. It is becoming harder to receive donated Bibles as many sources aren’t supplying any until next year. Your support will be very much appreciated by the inmates and staff.” Another one of the dozens of jails who have been abandoned by their previous Bible suppliers who now turn to Bibles Behind Bars in near desperation for supplies. Praise the Lord we can meet the need!!

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If God has prospered you, please take a moment to click on the donate button to help us in this monumental task of providing King James Bibles, New Testaments, scripture portions, gospel tracts as well as Spanish Bibles to inmates in jails and prisons from Florida to Alaska, and every state in between. We need your prayers, we need your generous financial support, and we need you to stand with us in the closing days of the Church Age. Thank you so very much, TO THE FIGHT!!!

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