Aissa: “Wahhabism Is An Imaginary Enemy… Algerians Are Immune From Sectarianism”

The Minister of religious affairs and endowments, Mr. Mohamed Aissa, said that the Wahhabi thought does not pose a danger to our country, because Algerians have been performing Hajj for decades and did not face any problems, stressing that “the bogus that we hear in some circles is an imaginary enemy and is not true” while warning Algerian pilgrims against the nefarious plague of sectarianism.
Mr. Mohamed Aissa revealed that Algeria has taken measures to protect its pilgrims from sectarianism through the establishment of five committees entrusted with to explaining and expounding the proper religious discourse in coordination with the Ministry of Hajj in Saudi Arabia in order to preclude the infiltration of sectarian ideas and deviation among the Algerian Hajjis or pilgrims.
On the sidelines of a press conference held yesterday, the minister tackled the issue of the influence of Wahhabi thought on Algerian pilgrims by saying that the real danger lies in the sectarian charge and the atonement of the other, adding that Algeria has not faced any problem with Wahhabism.
“Algerians have been performing Hajj for many years without any problems for that matter”, he underscored.
The minister used the opportunity of the Hajj Salon to reveal for the first time that the pilgrims of the courtesy “holders of the visa granted to the personalities will receive the same services with the regular pilgrims by the National Bureau of Hajj and the tourist agencies, especially at the level of Mina, and this is to prevent repeating the scenario of the past years.
Concerning the purported hike in the number of the Algerian pilgrims in the next Hajj season, the minister said that this case was brought to the attention of the Saudi authorities, stressing that the procedure depends on the circumstances of the reception of pilgrims at Mina, in light of the jurisprudence to make accommodation easier on the spot.
With regard to the new health-related measures for this Hajj season, the religious affairs Minister pointed to the ongoing coordination with the Ministry of Health so as to strengthen the pilgrimage mission with a host of doctors including epidemiologists, while the number of civil protection workers will reach 200 members.
In a different context, the religious affairs minister was asked by journalists about the message published of late by Salafist Sheikh Farkous on his website, but he refused to comment, saying only: “Sheikh Farkous is not an official figure to respond to” .