Imams warn against Shia doctrine in Algeria

Shia doctrine has become a real danger in Algeria as it is not controlled by any international organization and it is spread in some provinces in the west and poor areas in Algiers, according to the president of Imams’ National Independence Council.

“Imams’ Union is concerned about the lack of official figures about Shia members as they do not belong to any international organization and practice their rituals secretly,” Djamel Ghould told Echorouk.

“Iran sponsors Shia doctrine as Algeria is coveted,” he added.

Speaking about reasons behind the Shia doctrine spread in Algeria, Ghoul said the first reason is women’s attraction. “Shia partisans allow temporary marriages.”

He also said they use money to spread their ideas through collective feasts.

Ghould believes that the western part of the country is the most threatened by Shia tendency. He criticized some foreign satellite channels which work under religious cover.

Security forces are aware of the phenomenon

According to former advisor at the Algerian religious affairs ministry Ada Felahi, security forces are assigned to search for Shia partisans in Algeria.

“Security forces have accurate information about Shia doctrine spread,” he said.

He believes that security forces can not reveal those information while the Salafist movement overstates the phenomenon as part of a “positions war.”

“Security forces did not sound the alarm as the phenomenon is still limited in the elite due to the philosophical character of Shia thoughts,” he added.