Muqtada al Sadr can not harm Algeria, says minister

Religious affairs minister Mohamed Aissa Monday said Shiite minorities and extremist doctrines have no place in Algeria, in response to remarks made by Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr.

“Those personalities who harmed their countries want to do the same with our nation. This is not allowed,” said the minister.

He added that the State is aware that extremist minorities want to infiltrate in Algerian society.

“Authorities set a strict plan to face this invasion. Imams and executives are mobilized to fight those misled minorities,” he told journalists.

According to Aissa, Shiite activists use private houses and university campus to spread their ideas among young people. Yet, they could not work in mosques.

He believes that those groups have nothing to do with religion and they work for suspicious activists. “They tried to spread Christian, Zionist, secular, libertine, superstition and Shiite ideas.”

Speaking about measures to face extremist groups, Aissa said the ministry ordered imams to prevent preaches with Shiite ideas from being circulated in mosques.

Asked about Paris bombings, he said Algeria stands by the side of its community and French authorities should ensure the safety of mosques and Muslims.