Ali Belhadj
Encyclopedia
Ali Belhadj was the Vice-President of the Islamic Salvation Front
(FIS).
Born in 1956 in Tunis
to parents of Mauritanian
origin from the wilaya of Adrar in Algeria
, Belhadj became a teacher of Arabic
and an Islamist
activist in the 1970s. In 1989, after the Algerian Constitution was changed to allow multiparty democracy, he helped found the Islamic Salvation Front
(FIS), an Islamic party which won the only ever free elections in Algeria since its independence. During this period, he was a preacher at the famous Al-Sunna mosque
in Bab el-Oued, a popular district in Algiers
.
In 1991, soon after FIS had finished a strike
and massive demonstration
s in Algiers, he, along with FIS president Abassi Madani, was arrested and jailed on charges of threatening state security. In late 1991, FIS won the first round of parliamentary elections, which were then called off by the military, who banned FIS; Belhadj remained in jail throughout most of the Algerian Civil War
that followed, and was released only after serving a 12-year sentence in 2003 under the condition of abstaining from all political activity. Belhadj is in possession of a certain charismatic talent, his speech is more poetic than rational.
He did not remain free for long; in July 2005, he was arrested for making a statement on Al-Jazeera which praised Iraqi insurgents and condemned Algeria for sending diplomats to Iraq
shortly after two Algerian diplomats (Ali Belaroussi and Azzedine Belkadi) had been kidnapped
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/6E7CE69B-1239-4212-A6C9-52CCE48AA3F2.htm. He was released http://za.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-03-07T070818Z_01_ALL725628_RTRIDST_0_OZATP-ALGERIA-ISLAMIST-20060307.XML just under a year later in March 2006, under the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation
.
He joined in the protests in Bab El Oued on 5 January 2011; he was arrested the same day, and charged a few days later with "harming state security and inciting an armed rebellion."http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hKTxyPHH5hb05Dib_3gLxD8Vek8w?docId=CNG.39a3ec779b59aa2263adc5395de3d1b3.821
Representing a Salafist wing of FIS, and seen as the spiritual leader of the most hardline factions of the party, he was against women working and condemned democracy
as a West
ern innovation, while emphasizing the importance of Islamic education. He described his favorite authors as Ibn Taymiyya, and Ibn al-Qayyim
, as well as the more recent Hassan al-Banna
and Sayyid Qutb
. However, his ideology is distinct from his favorite authors. He was often arrested by Algerian police for giving talk in Mosques about different subjects of actuality. On July 25, 2011, Belhadj's 23 year-old son Abdelkahar, along with three-would be suicide bombers and two of his associates, was shot dead by Algerian security forces while planning a suicide bombing at a military checkpoint in Algeris. Abdelkahar Belhadj was considered to be a high ranking senior leader in Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
Islamic Salvation Front
The Islamic Salvation Front is an outlawed Islamist political party in Algeria.-Goals:...
(FIS).
Born in 1956 in Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
to parents of Mauritanian
Mauritanian
Mauritanian may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Mauritania, a country in northwest Africa.* A person from Mauritania, or of Mauritanian descent. For information about the Mauritanian people, see Demographics of Mauritania....
origin from the wilaya of Adrar in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Belhadj became a teacher of Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and an Islamist
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
activist in the 1970s. In 1989, after the Algerian Constitution was changed to allow multiparty democracy, he helped found the Islamic Salvation Front
Islamic Salvation Front
The Islamic Salvation Front is an outlawed Islamist political party in Algeria.-Goals:...
(FIS), an Islamic party which won the only ever free elections in Algeria since its independence. During this period, he was a preacher at the famous Al-Sunna mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in Bab el-Oued, a popular district in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
.
In 1991, soon after FIS had finished a strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
and massive demonstration
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
s in Algiers, he, along with FIS president Abassi Madani, was arrested and jailed on charges of threatening state security. In late 1991, FIS won the first round of parliamentary elections, which were then called off by the military, who banned FIS; Belhadj remained in jail throughout most of the Algerian Civil War
Algerian Civil War
The Algerian Civil War was an armed conflict between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups which began in 1991. It is estimated to have cost between 150,000 and 200,000 lives, in a population of about 25,010,000 in 1990 and 31,193,917 in 2000.More than 70 journalists were...
that followed, and was released only after serving a 12-year sentence in 2003 under the condition of abstaining from all political activity. Belhadj is in possession of a certain charismatic talent, his speech is more poetic than rational.
He did not remain free for long; in July 2005, he was arrested for making a statement on Al-Jazeera which praised Iraqi insurgents and condemned Algeria for sending diplomats to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
shortly after two Algerian diplomats (Ali Belaroussi and Azzedine Belkadi) had been kidnapped
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/6E7CE69B-1239-4212-A6C9-52CCE48AA3F2.htm. He was released http://za.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-03-07T070818Z_01_ALL725628_RTRIDST_0_OZATP-ALGERIA-ISLAMIST-20060307.XML just under a year later in March 2006, under the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation
Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation
The Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation was a charter proposed by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in an attempt to bring closure to the Algerian Civil War by offering an amnesty for most violence committed in it...
.
He joined in the protests in Bab El Oued on 5 January 2011; he was arrested the same day, and charged a few days later with "harming state security and inciting an armed rebellion."http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hKTxyPHH5hb05Dib_3gLxD8Vek8w?docId=CNG.39a3ec779b59aa2263adc5395de3d1b3.821
Representing a Salafist wing of FIS, and seen as the spiritual leader of the most hardline factions of the party, he was against women working and condemned democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
as a West
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
ern innovation, while emphasizing the importance of Islamic education. He described his favorite authors as Ibn Taymiyya, and Ibn al-Qayyim
Ibn al-Qayyim
Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr...
, as well as the more recent Hassan al-Banna
Hassan al-Banna
Sheikh Hasan Ahmed Abdel Rahman Muhammed al-Banna known as Hasan al-Banna was a schoolteacher and imam, best known for founding the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the largest and most influential 20th century Muslim revivalist organizations.-Early life:Banna was born in 1906 in Mahmoudiyah, Egypt...
and Sayyid Qutb
Sayyid Qutb
Sayyid Qutb was an Egyptian author, educator, Islamist theorist, poet, and the leading member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s and '60s....
. However, his ideology is distinct from his favorite authors. He was often arrested by Algerian police for giving talk in Mosques about different subjects of actuality. On July 25, 2011, Belhadj's 23 year-old son Abdelkahar, along with three-would be suicide bombers and two of his associates, was shot dead by Algerian security forces while planning a suicide bombing at a military checkpoint in Algeris. Abdelkahar Belhadj was considered to be a high ranking senior leader in Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.