Algeria rejects Vatican’s critics on religious rites decree

Vatican’s representatives and many Western countries called on Algeria to review the decree on the practice of religious rites for non-Muslims.Algeria foreign affairs minister, Mourad Medelsi said the decree aimed at giving a legal frame to religion practices in a country where more than 99 percent of people are Muslims.The decree was issued in 2006 was criticised during discussion on Algeria’s report at the UN Human Rights Council last week.Algeria is invited to dialogue with religious minority, according to Belgium.For his part, the Vatican’s representative wondered how Algeria can fit the contents of its constitution in terms of religion freedom and the decree.Brussel’s representative urged for the cancellation of the decree and said he was sorry for the noticeable deterioration of religion freedom in Algeria.

On the other hand, the Algerian delegation led by Mourad Medelsi rejected those critics. “The decree on the practice of religious practices was issued to ensure the practice of other religions in their correct contexts.”

 Many illegal churches have been closed in Algeria especially in Tizi Ouzou province (100 km east of Algiers).Algeria considers that the decree came in a period of an unprecedented large-scale evangelisation due to a legal vacuum in the Algerian legislation in terms of belief freedom for non-Muslims.