Africa

Algeria’s Ahmadis forced to worship behind closed doors

Algiers – Accused of heresy by Islamist extremists and targeted by the authorities, members of Algeria’s tiny Ahmadi community say they have been forced to go underground to worship. Abderahmane, a 42-year-old trader from Kabylie in northern Algeria, joined the reformist Islamic movement after years as an ultra-conservative Salafist. People he once called friends reported him to the local imam, who publicly denounced him as an unbeliever. The imam went on to urge worshippers not to let their children play …

Algerian activist fined for sharing video ‘insulting’ the President

A court in Algeria has fined a Human Rights Activist and Blogger for sharing a video which ‘insulted’ the country’s President. On June 15th, 2017, the Court in the city of M’sila convicted the Algerian citizen for sharing a video on his blog which allegedly insulted the President of the Republic, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.  The video from 2003 showed the President receiving a hostile reception in the city of Boumerdès following an earthquake, the quake caused the death of more than 2000 …

Algerian Human Rights organization condemns targeting of Ahmadis

The Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LADDH) has condemned the Government’s crackdown on the Ahmadiyya Muslim minority. Referring to the arrests of the Algerian Ahmadis, the LADDH called it an unacceptable infringement of the freedoms of worship, The organization also called for the release of Ahmadi prisoners of conscience. In a statement, the LADDH office in M’sila urged the Algerian Government to respect the international conventions ratified by Algeria, “in particular, those concerning respect for human rights.” LADDH …

U.S. Mission to UN condemns Algeria’s treatment of Ahmadis

At the 27th session of the United Nation’s Universal Periodic Review held in Geneva, Switzerland, the United States mission to Geneva expressed its concerns over the arrest of minority Ahmadiyya Muslims in Algeria. The U.S. representative at the session, Sheila Leonard said: We are concerned by recent arrests of Ahmadi [AH-ma-dee] Muslims, which call into question Algeria’s respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. We recommend that Algeria: 1. Amend the Law on Associations to remove undue restrictions on civil society organizations. 2. …

Algeria goes after the Ahmadiyya, urges Ahmadis to accept “non-Muslim” status

Algeria has warned followers of the Ahmadiyya Islamic sect in the country against “propagating their faith” In recent months Algerian security services have arrested and charged dozens of Ahmadis in a nationwide sweep against the Islamic sect. Speaking about the crack down on Ahmadis, the country’s Minister of Religious, Mohamad Issa said: “The Ahmadis are not Muslims, and their acknowledgment of this could enable them to live in Algeria, according to the country’s laws that govern the non-Muslim way of …

Algeria arrests 12 Ahmadis for “promoting their faith”

Algeria has arrested 12 members of the minority Ahmadiyya community for the offense of “promoting their faith”. On Wednesday the Algerian security forces in the state of Chlef announced the arrest of 12 Ahmadis and charged them for “spreading their faith without a license”. According to a report by the state-owned radio station, the Ahmadis were arrested from the provinces of Chlef, Oum El Bouaghi, Ain Defla and Tlemcen. Those arrested ranged in age from 22 to 68 years old …

Islam, Blasphemy & the Nigerian State

The subject of blasphemy, as it concerns Islamic personages or symbols, has become more visible in recent times especially in countries or regions that pride themselves as adhering to the Islamic faith, no thanks to the attendant jungle justice that have been meted out to alleged ‘blasphemers’. Nigeria has a blotted history of violence arising from allegations of blasphemy. Blasphemy is regarded as the utterance of words or actions considered unworthy or impious in respect of beings or things that …