Protests over Prophet Mouhammed (PBUH) video: 35 arrested in Algiers
A number of citizens marched after Friday prayer in Al Biar, Kouba, Babelouad in Algiers to condemn the film that abused our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), as security services cordoned off, hours before Friday prayer, all the mosques that were the starting point of many marches, in previous years, including the march for Palestine in 2010, and the march of Arouche (tribes) in 2003, things were quiet at at certain time over the rest of the country’s mosques, before worshipers started the protests.
Algiers marches, which started after Friday prayers, caused an emergency across all the neighborhoods, where the helicopter that was patrolling the sky of the capital, attracted the attention of all neighborhoods and that there are protests in Kouba and Al Biar , where the helicopter focused its control over three hours, after controling the situation in Harrach and Bab Elouad, where clashes between security services and protesters ended with the arrest of 25 people in Al Biar, and 10 others in Babelouad.
The security cordon that was imposed around Algiers mosques was composed of all reinforcements, both by anti-riots agents, trucks equipped with water hoses, and civilian vehicles, in application of the information received, on Thursday, indicating that there is movement of youth that called for a Friday anger, prompting security services to tighten control over the mosques.
Ali Belhadj led his march from the neighborhood “La Provale” along with nearly 200 people and roamed the streets of Kouba to escape from police, in an attempt to access to the headquarters of the U.S. Embassy in Algiers, walking on a distance of 10 km, and carrying Korans and slogans reading “We sacrifice our lives for you, Messenger of Allah”, “America, freedom of expression does not mean insults, verbal abuse, slander and pornography”, and “Our religious beliefs are an introduction to our life demands”.
Police stopped the protesters at the crossroads leading to the company “Sial” and the city of “Michel Lotissement”, and protesters returned homes through various streets -where entrances were guarded by security men-, then Belhadj and his companions arrived to the mosque of “Al Wafa Bilahd” (to fulfill the testament) in “La Provale” neighborhood – the starting point-.Belhadj companions tried to put “Al Qaeda” banner in black reading “Chahadataane” (the two testimonies of faith), but Belhadj opposed that act and remove it.
Belhadj said that the anger of Muslims in the Arab countries due to the love of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), and this is a message to the authorities here and abroad, adding that the authorities are responsible for what is happening because they refuse to lift the ban on marches; “Authorities should let people protest in a peaceful manner, and the task of the security men is to protect the protesters and to protect public and private properties. People are talking about sexual repression and neglect the political repression, and this is the most dangerous. We are intending to go to the U.S. Embassy to deliver a message for denouncing the anti-islam video. Arab countries should tighten ties with religion and Allah, not with the West at the expense of our religion. International laws were drafted and we are just colonized peoples, things must be re-examined to respect the beliefs of nations and peoples, and freedom does not mean defamation and insults”.
Protesters finished their sit-in with a prayer calling on Allah to destroy America and its supporters and all the enemies of Islam.
At the same time, there was a protest in the square of Caliphs in Al Biar, in an attempt to move towards the U.S. embassy, where 25 people who came out spontaneously were arrested, from within about 100 people who were waving slogans that support the Messenger reading; “paralyzed hands for those who insulted you, O, Messenger of Allah, “and” Our Master forever, our leader Muhammad “.
One of the arrested called Echorouk and wondered about everyone’s right to express his opinion, saying that he was arrested along with 15 people, while nearly 10 other people were transfered from Al Biar to other security headquarters in Ben Aknoun and Chateau neuve before they were released later.