Ayad: we were accused of helping Zebiri’s group to break out of prison

Boudjemaa Ayad, one of Islamist movement founders in Algeria talked to Echorouk in this part of the interview about Taher Zebiri’s group led by Ali Melah and his second sentence to two years in prison.

Do you remember what happened in prison?

A prisoner who was sentenced to 20 years told me: “if you prove to me that my God exists, I will start praying.” I smiled and I did not tell him anything. A week later, he started praying. Each time he remembered what he had said, he cried because he realized that he was wrong.

Why did you smile and why did he start praying?

I smiled because he said “my God”. I realized that he was Muslim but he was ignorant. He noticed that more and more prisoners started praying together. He started to get closer to me. At the end, he started praying and reading the Quran.

A second story happened. Abdelkader Kalam visited me in prison. He was one of our group founders. It was a cold day. He took off his goat and asked a guard to give it to me. I wore it in the day and used it as a blanket at night.

Which categories were there in the prison?

There were intellectual and illiterate people. We expanded our activities among them and visitors heard about us.

In prison, I read religious books of Sayyid Qutb, his brother, Cheikh Mohamed Ghazali and Cheikh Karadaoui.

It seems that the prison administration ignored you.

In September 1977, the prison administration had opened doors to primary, medium and secondary studies for the first time. I enrolled at the first secondary year. The first class was geography. I read “Algeria’s History” book of Cheikh Abderrahmane Djilali. Unfortunately, I was transferred to Berrouaguia prison. I was sad for not pursuing my studies.

Zebiri’s group was jailed in Berrouaguia prison.

In Berrouaguia prison, I met Nahnah and Bouslimani. I had stayed there for 5 months. Main axes of preaching, political and social action were fixed. We heard that the regime tried to recognize us. Because of that, it gathered us.

Melah’s group broke out of the prison. He was jailed for being involved in a coup led by Taher Zebiri in 1967. They broke out of the prison with the help of a prisoner. The administration tried to hold me and Cheikh Bouslimani responsible for that. We were questioned. Later, Melah was arrested and admitted that another prisoner helped them to break out of the prison and we had nothing to do with that. Few days later, we heard prisoners calling us: “brothers! Congratulations! You will be free! President Boumediene died.” Late President Chadli Bendjedid pardoned Ahmed Benbela, Melah’s group and us.

How did you find the Islamist movement organization after your had been released?

Some Islamist tendencies started to be formed. Bouslimani gave me related books and magazines.

I was released on November 6th, 1979. I went to Atik mosque and I was greeted by people there. Neighbors visited my family and we received congratulations from mosques and schools.

I met Cheikh Bouslimani and we presented a collective action. There were many tendencies in Algeria: Abdellah’s group, Student’s group, Preaching and Tabligh group and Jihadi Movement.

The first meeting was with a group in Algiers. Later, I knew Mustapha Bouali’s group through two or three meetings. We realized that Bouali’s group had a violent tendency. We agreed on remaining brothers and cooperate between each others as much as possible. Later, we had no more than courtesy meetings.

Was Mustapha there?

Yes, he was present in our last meeting. When we realized the differences in our tendencies, we contented ourselves with courtesy meetings. Among active groups, there was the so-called the “impartial group.”

Who was the leader of the impartial group?

Cheikh Larbi Naoui, Abdelhamid Khezar, Mustapha Lounici and other national and Islamist personalities.

It is said you punished people who did not respect your rules.

No, that was not true. Punishment was carried out by a sympathizing group which caused a lot of troubles with people. One night, a neighbor called me and said: “Cheikh Boudjemaa, hurry up, a catastrophe will take place between the police and our fellows.” I went to that place where there was a wedding party. Our group’s members asked to turn off music and residents called the police. When I arrived, I ordered them to withdraw. The police came but the group’s members left the place. Security forces did not like that and accused me and other people of being behind the clashes. I was sentenced to two years in prison. Thanks. God, the Justice Supreme Court banned the sentence. I knew some officers and senior officials who helped me. I was acquitted in 1987.