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| Africa North |
| Suspicious religious currents resurrect the struggles in mosques |
| 2010-12-12 |
| [Ennahar] Last Friday's prayer has turned, in the town of Bordj Emir Khaled, province of Ain Defla, into an open war between groups of the faithful from the same region. The imam of the mosque, who was preparing to perform the "Khotba" (Friday sermon) on the topic of "zakat" (alms), when opponents belonging to the Salafi stream, began to heckle to interrupt him. The situation degenerated into blows and insults between the belligerents inside the mosque itself. The two parties, without any scruple, hurled insults and accused each other in an atmosphere of anger and excitement. Each party wanted to impose its logic on the other and have the monopoly on the mosque, through the management commission of the mosque, granted to the religious association. It took the intervention of some wise to avoid the worst; Fitna, that some wanted to create by encouraging the faithful to disobey the Imam. Outside, coppers stepped in, to prevent the conflict from spreading into the street. The Mujahid Slimane Ghoul, from the region, who was among the worshipers inside the mosque, succeeded in restoring peace among the excited crowd. He has managed to calm down the crowd by calling in a severe tone, for the respect of the imam. Two people were jugged by police and taken to security headquarters of the district for questioning, while officials of the mosque have filed a complaint with the state prosecutor at the court of Khemis Meliana, against the group of Salafis for incitement to violence and disobedience of the faithful. Bordj Emir Khaled Mosque recorded last month, a cold war between Salafist group current and another group. Each group wanted control and management of the mosque. This conflict has resulted in the dismissal of several imams, sometimes for incompetence, sometimes to the refusal of the majority of the faithful. This kind of conflict is not the first in the province of Ain Defla, since several other mosques have experienced political settling of scores between groups trying to impose their logic and their religious ideologies even during election campaigns. |
| Posted by:Fred |