Exclusive: Islamic scholar Sheikh Abou Bakr Djaber Al Djazairi urges Algerians to support their president Bouteflika

In an exclusive interview with Echorouk, the famous Algerian Islamic scholar Sheikh Abou Bakr Djaber Al Djazairi talked about the situation in Algeria, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the state of the Islamic and Arab nation.

Your Eminence Sheikh Abou Bakr Djaber Al Djazairi, the Islamic nation witnesses a weakness and decline phase. According to you, what is the reason and how can the nation overcome that?

 Actually, the Islamic nation has become weak and its enemies have divided it in vulnerable states by keeping them away from Allah’s religion.  

How do you see the solution? 

The only solution is the respect of Allah’s religion and faith. Our rulers must know this truth so that we will avoid God’s anger.We have to know that if we don’t respect Allah’s religion, we will suffer from more scourges and vulnerability than nowadays.  

Do you think that rulers are mainly responsible for that?  

Rulers, scholars and all peoples need to save themselves from shame and weakness by unifying our states and applying our God’s religion. 

You call for unifying the Islamic nation with a unique ruler. How can this conception be concretised at present? 

It is easier now than ever. We only have to meet in a holly place with all Muslim countries’ rulers and scholars to agree on the respect of Allah’s religion in all places where there are Muslims. An imam would be elected to implement the agreement with no doctrinal or sectarian difference.In this way, we would be one nation with unique imam and army and we would be able to get rid of malicious Jews. 

Speaking about Jews, the situation now in Palestine and Iraq is worse. What is your comment on that? 

The maliciousness of Jews was clear through their desire to switch off Islam’s light in every place. They tortured our Palestinian brothers and decided to occupy holly Jerusalem to be their city in the world. Jews managed to make America’s Christians obeying them and they will ask for occupying the whole Middle East soon. America is now occupying Iraq; which shows the Jews’ intention to occupy Arab’s countries because they were behind the spread of Islam. 

What do you think is our duty in this situation? 

We have to unify our nation and respect Allah’s religion according to the holly Quran and the Prophet Mohamed’s Sunna. At that time, the nation will regain its strength and be able to defeat its enemies. 

In Algeria, the so-called Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is still carrying out attacks in the name of Islam. How such attacks are viewed? 

Terrorists in Algeria and in all Muslim countries are ignorant and they have never known Islam. Those who were behind Algeria’s attacks must repent and respect Allah’s holly book and his Prophet’s Sunna. They must support their ruler President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. 

Algerians are used to contact you when you give courses at Al-Masjid an-Nabawi mosque (the Prophet’s Mosque) in Saudi Arabia. How do you assess Algerians’ ideas about religion? 

I hail Algerians for the care about religion which is clear through their questions. I congratulate them and I pray for them.   

Do you have a longing for your homeland Algeria? 

I would love to come to Algeria and met the Algerian people’s imam President Abdelaziz Bouteflika who I pray God to help him in his endeavours. I also hope to meet my Algerian brothers in my country and show them the way to happiness.  

A rumour on your death has recently propagated. Who do you think is behind that and why? 

God knows (He refuses to comment on the question). By the way, I call on press to say the truth and avoid meaningless reports. Journalists have to know that they are in a sensitive position and they must urge for virtue and warn against vices. God bless you.    

Sheikh Abou Bakr Djaber Al Djazairi was born in Biskra Province (south of Algiers) in 1921. His conservative family helped him to learn the Quran. He worked as a teacher and moved to Saudi Arabia with his family in 1952 where he studied religion.

He worked as a teacher at some schools of Saudi religion affairs ministry and was among the first teachers at the Islamic University. He has worked there until he retired.

 Despite his old age, the Sheikh still gives courses on Islam at Al-Masjid an-Nabawi mosque where many people regularly attend his courses.