algerian crises

ALGERIAN CRISIS


One of the most horrible massacres, in six years of violence in Algeria, took place on the night between the 28th and 29th of August 1997. Over 300 people were murdered, all of them residents of Sidi Rais near Sidi Moussa on the outskirts of the capital. Most of the victims were, pregnant women, babies, and the elderly. They were slaughtered, disemboweled, and burned. In addition, more than 40 girls and women were kidnapped and later raped, then murdered.

Preceding this massacre and following it, other massacres were committed in areas around the capital; in the town of Beni Ali, in Upper Blida, and in the town of Ma’alba near Ain Defla. Over 100 people were killed in these massacres and over 50 women were kidnapped, and later raped then murdered. All of the victims were slaughtered with swords, knives and cleavers. Pregnant women had their wombs ripped open and their insides pulled out. Anyone trying to escape was shot. Houses and corpses were burned.

The number of those killed, since the 15th of July, 1997, has exceeded 1000 according to figures published in the press. As in the most recent massacre, most of the victims were women, children and the elderly.

The Algerian government and its supporters attribute these massacres to ‘terrorists’, the term they use for activists of Islamic movements. The Islamic movements, of which the FIS is most prominent, along with leaders of several opposition parties, accuse the Algerian government’s security services of masterminding these massacres.

Abbassi Madani condemned these massacres and disavowed them. He deemed it impossible to accuse Islam of such atrocities. Anwar Haddam held the government responsible for these massacres because of its refusal to establish an independent investigation committee on acts of violence, which the FIS has been demanding.

Ben Bella openly told Al-Manar TV, during his visit to Beirut towards the end of July 1997, that it is the state machinery in Algeria which perpetrates these massacres and attempts to frame the Islamic movements in them. Likewise, Hussein Ait Ahmed accused the government of committing these massacres.

Before formulating an opinion on these atrocities, the following observations should be taken into consideration:

i.These massacres take place in areas known for their support of "Islamists"; in the suburbs of the capital and south of it. These areas provided massive support for the FIS and gave it an overwhelming majority of votes in the elections of 1991. ( The majority of Algerians want an Islamic government .) ii.The areas where many of the massacres occurred are also a major base of the Algerian army and security forces. These areas are the provinces surrounding the capital, such as Blida, Ain Defla, and Medea. The army uses this region, especially Blida, as the capital’s first line of defense. More than 60,000 army and security personnel are stationed there. This would make it very difficult for large anti-government groups to move through these areas and commit massacres that last for several hours. iii.The terrorist groups carry out their multi-hour massacres with ease and flee before the security forces reach them, although they are in areas teeming with army and security personnel. The massacre of Sidi Rais lasted about four hours. Army and security forces were stationed at a distance of no more than one kilometer from the site of the massacre, yet these forces arrived only after the massacre was over and the criminals had fled. This could only happen if the criminal terrorist groups were acting in concert with the security forces. iv.The Algerian government failed to reveal the truth about these atrocities. It failed to conduct any serious investigations to find the perpetrators. They left the matter deliberately wrapped in a shroud of mystery. v. It is also worth noting that no massacre or terrorist operation has occurred in the area of Club Des Pines, turned recently into a high class city on the outskirts of the capital. It is there that government officials, army chiefs and pro-government party leaders reside. vi.Some strange accounts were reported on the authority of physicians working in hospitals where the dead and wounded are received. These reports state that: "Some of the dead from those who commit these horrible massacres were not circumcised". Yet, circumcision is standard for all males in Algeria, who are Muslims!




These observations rule out the possibility that Islamic groups are perpetrating these horrible massacres. Instead, these observations point fingers of accusations at factions linked to the security services in Algeria.

It is inconceivable that the Islamic groups would kill the inhabitants of the areas that support them, have supported them during elections, and from which come most of the recruits for these Islamic groups.

Also, it is highly unlikely that the army and the security forces, who have such a dense presence in these areas, would allow the Islamic groups such a wide latitude of movement. It is inconceivable that the army and security forces would allow these massacres to be perpetrated for several hours and not move in to catch the criminals in their act. Had the Islamic groups had this freedom of movement within the dense presence of the army and the security forces, they would have attacked the Club Des Pines area where their real enemies reside; Government officials, army and security chiefs, and leaders of political parties associated with the government.

Furthermore, the presence of uncircumcised individuals among those perpetrating these massacres shows that those who commit the massacres are not the members of Islamic groups. The members of the Islamic groups are Muslims and thus circumcised. These uncircumcised individuals could only be Kafir mercenaries, recruited by the Algerian Intelligence and Western governments to perpetrate such massacres, which are then attributed to Islamic groups.

Besides, anyone who has in his heart an iota of Iman, morals, or humanity, would not commit such horrible massacres. He would not have gone on a killing spree slaughtering, burning and disemboweling women, pregnant women, children and the elderly. Even less is the likelihood that those who carry slogans of Islam and work to restore the rule by that which Allah has revealed would commit these massacres. These are people who know that Islam conclusively forbids such criminal acts under all circumstances. These are people who know that he who kills a soul unjustly is as if he has killed all humankind. These are people who know that the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to forbid the warriors from killing women, children and the elderly who are incapable of fighting. He (saw) also prohibited the mutilation of the dead.

We and all Muslims declare to Allah our disavowal of these criminal and savage massacres and those who perpetrate them, whoever they might be. We declare that those who commit such acts have nothing to do with Islam or Muslims.

Furthermore, this is not the route to establish Khilafah and restore the rule by that which Allah has revealed. The route to that is the route laid down and followed by the Messenger of Allah (saw) in his campaign to establish the Islamic State. It is political activism, which starts by winning over individuals and acculturating them into the Islamic culture. It then proceeds to address the masses to generate in them a public opinion and a public awareness about and for the idea of Islam. This is achieved via intellectual struggle with the prevalent thought in society, and via political struggle with the ruling faction. In this stage, support is sought from those who are capable of providing it in order to deliver the idea to its goal.

This is the method to follow to establish Khilafah and restore the rule by that which Allah has revealed. It is not by physical action or the use of material force. Even those who hold that physical action is permissible advocate using it against the ruling faction and its protectors, not against the general public, or against women, pregnant women, children and the elderly, or against those who have nothing to do with the state and do not take part in protecting it.

In addition, the so-called democratic approach and ballot boxes are not the route to the establishment of Khilafah and the restoration of the rule by that which Allah has revealed. First, because it contradicts the method followed by the Messenger (saw) in his campaign to establish the Islamic State. Second, because the Kufr states and their agents who rule the Muslim lands will never allow Muslims to take the reins of power, establish Khilafah, and restore the rule by that which Allah has revealed via this approach. The events in Algeria and Turkey stand as a vivid proof to that.

Since the security services in Algeria appear to be the mastermind behind the massacres, the question then arises of what it is that the Algerian government hopes to achieve by committing these massacres and then attributing them to the Islamic movements?

The government in Algeria is secular; it adopts the ideas of the Kafir Western culture and pays its allegiance to the Western Kufr states. These Western states regard Islam, as an ideology and a system of life, state, and society, as their arch-enemy, especially now that it has become the demand of Muslims and the focus of their aspirations for liberation and emancipation from Western culture and the hegemony of Western states. This is more the case now that Islam’s return as the sovereign power in life, state and society has become quite imminent.

Thus, the main objective of the Algerian government, backed by the Western states, out of perpetrating these massacres and attempting to attribute them to the Islamic groups, is to slaughter Islam and to undermine the idea of Khilafah and rule by that which Allah has revealed. The idea is to distort the image of Islam via these horrible and savage acts; to distort the image of the work for the restoration of the rule by Islam, and to distort the image of everyone who works to restore Islam to life, state, and society. The goal is to alienate Muslims from Islam, from carrying it, and from those who carry it. Also, it is aimed at making the people despise Islam, despise carrying it, and despise those who carry it, and to getting the people to disperse away from those who work to restore it, so it can never rise again.

This is the main and most conspicuous goal of the Algerian government’s perpetration of these horrible massacres and its attributing them to the Islamic groups. There are other less important goals, the most conspicuous of which is taking revenge on the people of those areas which support the opposition and the Islamic groups; the areas which voted for them in the 1991 elections and from which come most members of these groups. It is a settlement of scores with these areas. They also want to strike terror into the hearts of the inhabitants of these areas, so that they would forsake the Islamic groups and cease to support them.

The question now is: What will bring Algeria out of this crisis and provide a solution for it?

The appeal of Hussein Ait Ahmed and other leaders of Algerian parties to the United Nations and to Western states, seeking their intervention to put an end to the tragic situation in Algeria, is nothing but political stupidity and suicide. The intervention of the United Nations and Western countries will not solve the problem. Rather, it will further complicate it. Moreover, it will surrender the sovereignty of Algeria and place it under the authority of other states.

The right solution is to put Islam, as an ideology and a system, immediately in force, or at least to prepare Algeria to join the Khilafah State, whose rise is imminent. This is the will of Allah (swt), in confirmation of Allah’s (swt) promise and the glad tidings of the honored Messenger (saw), that Khilafah will be restored along the methodology of Prophethood. Allah has full power and control over His affairs.

"And say: Work, for Allah will observe your work, His Messenger and the believers." Quran [9-105]
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