The month of April witnessed a surge in bombings in the Maghreb region of Africa with attacks simultaneously being carried out in both Algeria and Morocco.  Algeria in particular has seen a spate of attacks since October 2006 with an upsurge in violence between the Algerian regime and some of its opponents.

Whilst the authenticity of reports claiming to be from the culprits of the 13th April attacks remain in doubt, it is clear that the threat of ‘terrorism’ real or imagined is being used by the governments of the region to cement their grip on power and clamp down on all forms of political dissent and opposition. Last month, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt introduced a range of constitutional amendments which aimed to stifle opposition and suppress Islamic movements who call for Islam. Under the guise of political reform, the new powers will allow Mubarak and his cronies to imprison anyone he deems a ‘terrorist’, permit the ban of any political parties based on religion, grant power to the President to unilaterally dissolve parliament and limit the role of judges in monitoring elections, which are often mired in accusations of fraud.

The Algerian regime led by President Bouteflika and Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem have been quick to denounce the perpetrators of these attacks and reassure the Algerian people that they are committed to maintaining law and order. They have insisted that the Parliamentary elections scheduled for May 17th will continue. However, their own role, that of the ruling party-the national liberation front (FLN) and that of previous leaders of Algeria in killing and torturing Muslim civilians has been well documented

Throughout the 1990’s the Algerian regime used the army and foreign mercenaries to conduct horrific massacres of men, women and children and then blame it upon Islamic groups with a view to discrediting them and Islam amongst the wider population. These acts of slaughter, often over a period of hours, occurred close by to army barracks and residences and it is inconceivable that they would or could take place without the army’s prior consent. Western governments, such as the French, were also implicated in these atrocities through the covert military assistance they gave in helicopters, night goggle vision, aerial surveillance and the sale of military equipment through private security companies.

Habib Souaidia, a former Algerian army officer confirmed the role of the Algerian government in the mass killings of its own civilians in his book ‘The Dirty War.’ He gave documented evidence and graphic details of killings by government forces, he wrote, "I saw colleagues burn alive a 15-year old child. I saw soldiers disguising themselves as terrorists and massacre civilians… I have seen Colonels murder suspects in cold blood. I have seen officers torture Islamists to death. I have seen too many things. I can no longer keep silent… Everybody thinks it is the terrorists who do the killing, but the reality is different …the generals have done the same thing."

The former Algerian Prime Minister Dr. Abdel Hameed Al Ibrahimi conceded in 1997 to the Palestine Times that “The crisis in Algeria which was created by the military coup in January 1992 still exists and is becoming worse and more complicated… because the present regime is still insisting on using force and suppression to remain in power and to preserve the illegal benefits it gained at the expense of the general interests of the Algerian people. The regime does not want a true political solution. Instead, it insists on a military solution despite the deterioration of security and economic and social conditions in the country… As for the Islamic armed groups, they are penetrated by the military intelligence service. It is known that most of the mass killings and bombings are made by the government itself whether through Special Forces or through the local militias (about 200,000 armed men), but the government accuses the Islamists of the violence. All know that the victims of the mass killings are Islamists or ordinary citizens well known for their support of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS). Bombings always occur in quarters known to be affiliated with the FIS.”

However, it must be noted that during Algeria’s recent turbulent history that some from amongst the Islamic groups have been involved in using violence as a means to achieve their aims. Such movements must realize that killing government officials and civilians, simply because they are associated to the regime, is a strategy that only aids those who prevent the return of Islam. Ultimately, it was the Algerian government that benefited from the fighting between Islamic elements and the army, which led to the killings of 200,000 people in the 1990’s. The use of violence to change the situation has actually led to the loss of credibility in the eyes of the people in Algeria and what is required is political work to uproot the non-Islamic system and reestablish the Khilafah. Lessons must be learnt from the struggle of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who never sanctioned the use of force even under the severest provocation from the Mushrikeen in Mecca.

This is because the Prophetic method for changing society involved first changing the hearts and minds of people. Hence Muhammad (SAW) invited those around him to Islam explaining how Islam would solve their problems and was the system mandated by Allah (swt). This message was taken to the various sections of society such as the rulers, the poor, the intellectuals and the businessmen. Muhammad (SAW) created a schism in society as his ideas directly conflicted with the predominant idol worshipping that occurred. Despite the slander, boycott and torture of the Sahabah (ra), Muhammad (SAW) and his group continued the intellectual and political struggle eventually gaining the support of the influential tribes and by Allah’s will established the first Dowla Islamiyyah in Medina Al Munawarrah.

Adherence to the seerah of Muhammad (SAW) will always gain the support of the Ummah and the groups in Algeria should bear this in mind. The disbelieving West, like the Quray’sh before them, will use all sorts of propaganda and tactics to delay the inevitable return of the Khilafah. However, this should be a source of motivation because it indicates the return of Islam is on the horizon. 

It is expected that in the coming months greater attention will focus on Algeria and the ruling party that rules with an iron fist under the charade of democracy. Since the West backed the Algerian army coup of 1992, it has turned a blind eye to the torture and abuses of the regime; the corruption and fraud seen in previous elections as well as the thousands of Muslims who simply ‘dissappeared’ at the hands of the security services.The Algerian economy has also seen exploitation on the pretext of ‘trade liberalisation’ and ‘privatisation’ which has seen foreign multinationals from countries such as the USA, France, Spain, Italy and Belgium benefit from Algeria’s 130 trillion gas reserves and 9.2bn barrels of oil reserves. The Bouteflika regime continues to be a vital part of America’s war on terror (WoT) as the US seeks to cement its presence in the strategic and resource rich North Afican region.