Algerian official praises government's efforts in confronting extremist thoughts

Algerian Minister of Religious Affairs Mohamed Issa, said, in a seminar hosted by the Foreign and Diplomatic Institute at the Foreign Ministry's headquarters on "freedom of belief in Algeria between religious extremism and sectarian deviation", that the Algerian authorities have no intention to fight the followers of Qadiani sect in Algeria as promoted.

The security services have accused the sect of being involved in unauthorized associations, collecting donations without a legal license and having elements of IS organization within their ranks, which raised the government's fears in Algeria.

The Algerian minister of religious affairs responded to messages received by his ministry from representatives of Ahmadiyya sect in Britain, which criticized the authorities' narrowing of their activities. He said that that he met representatives of the Jewish community in Algeria last week and discussed with them this matter. He informed them that Algeria's relationship with different religions is a relationship of cooperation and religious diplomacy.

The minister stressed that Algeria has mobilized all possible means to prevent the infiltration of IS organization and entrusted this task to the imams of mosques to impose strict control on the houses of God, by reporting any suspicious practices and cracking down on networks that seek to recruit young people in extremist groups.

Mohamed Issa praised the success of the Algerian imams in this field, saying that the number of Algerians who are in the ranks of IS organization is very few compared to other countries, stressing that Algeria has achieved great success in the field of religious diplomacy.

Algerians are the least number in this organization compared to other Arab and Maghreb countries. The Algerian minister of religious affairs revealed in a press statement that only 100 Algerians had joined this radical organization, praising the success of the Algerian authorities in besieging the cells working for this hardline organization and finally mobilizing the Algerian authorities in various sectors to wage a war against extremism and those affected by extremist ideology to prevent their penetration into society.

Algerian government adopted a plan of action to combat extremism in Algeria. The Algerian Ministry of Education, in coordination with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, is working to combat extremism by revising the curriculum, reviewing the Koranic education system and imposing strict control over private schools that refuse to follow the same approach as the Algerian Ministry of Education .