Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ALGIERS929
2007-07-02 06:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Algiers
Cable title:  

MINISTRY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS COUNTERS EXTREMISM

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PTER KISL SCUL SOCI AG 
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DE RUEHAS #0929 1830651
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 020651Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY ALGIERS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3945
INFO RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO 0183
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1664
RUEHNM/AMEMBASSY NIAMEY 1231
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 5972
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2241
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 1826
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 6667
C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 000929 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PTER KISL SCUL SOCI AG
SUBJECT: MINISTRY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS COUNTERS EXTREMISM


Classified By: DCM Thomas F. Daughton; reasons 1.4 (b, d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 000929

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PTER KISL SCUL SOCI AG
SUBJECT: MINISTRY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS COUNTERS EXTREMISM


Classified By: DCM Thomas F. Daughton; reasons 1.4 (b, d)


1. (C) Algeria's Religious Affairs ministry has mounted a
campaign to reign in extremist imams. The campaign promotes
a unified, anti-violence version of Islam and will result in
important staffing changes in schools and mosques. On June
23, Minister of Religious Affairs M. Boualem Ghoulamallah
made clear to Le Quotidien d'Oran journalist Tahar Mansour
that the Algerian government is very concerned about mosques,
especially those that advocate violence. This comes on the
heels of a widely-reported move by the Ministry of Religious
Affairs (MoRA) to counter Islamic extremism, which includes a
mosque inspection tour by Ghoulamallah. According to the June
17 edition of the French-language daily El Moujahid,
Ghoulamallah is insisting that mosques recover their social
role and "bar the path of deviants who threaten society by
preying on Algeria's youth."


2. (U) On June 23, the Arabic-language daily El-Khabar
reported that the MoRA will create a position of Grand Mufti
for Algeria, who will be responsible for screening all
fatwas. To counter extremist fatwas issued by Egypt's Al
Azahar mosque, the ministry is also creating new positions
for imams and murshidas (female preachers) who will
specialize in writing fatwas.


3. (C) MoRA Communications Director Abdullah Tamime has
confirmed press reports of the ministry's plans to counter
extremism. On June 25, Tamime told us that MoRA was closing
Qur'anic schools that preached jihad, as well as those that
could not provide adequate records concerning their own
funding. He added that the ministry was organizing a
national, unified Islamic jurisprudence reference based on
the Malikite rite, which should result in the delivery of
official and consistent Islamic messages that focus on
brotherhood, peace and helping others. By ministerial
decree, MoRA plans to designate a focal mosque in each wilaya
(province) that will deliver officially prepared sermons.


4. (C) COMMENT: MoRA's plans to provide Algeria with
official, consistent, kinder and gentler Muslim messages is
an important step in countering Islamic extremism. The lack
of a recognized senior Islamic jurisprudence scholar in
Algeria has allowed -- if not encouraged -- individual imams
to provide individualized interpretations of the Qur'an.
Consequently, several imams have reinterpreted centuries-old
fatwas to suit their current goals, which include justifying
killing civilians. With consistent attention, the new
measures can make it more difficult for terrorist
organizations, including AQIM, to rely on imams and mosques
to recruit new members.
FORD

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