Algerian Minister Accuses Iran of Spreading Religious Sectarianism

Muhammad Issa, the Algerian minister of endowment and religious affairs, has accused the Iranian government of promoting instability and sectarianism in the Middle East and North Africa region. In an interview with Arab daily al-Madina published today, the Algerian official compared Iran’s role in the region to that of the Islamic State. He also alleged that Tehran even partnered with its enemies at times to further its agenda in the region. Issa thanked the Saudi government for helping to tackle Iran’s subversive activities in the region.

Comment: Algerian officials have repeatedly expressed the concern that Iran and Iraq are spreading Shiism in the country. Last year, the head of the country’s High Islamic Council, Bou Abdullah Ghulamallah, said “thousands of imported books carry dangerous thoughts that are aimed at convincing the Algerian people that their Islamic religion is wrong.” But the allegations by Muhammad Issa are the most scathing criticism of the Iranian government by a senior Algerian official to date.

The growing anti-Iran sentiment in Algeria came to surface in early February when Reza Ameri, Iran’s ambassador to Algeria, announced that President Hassan Rouhani was scheduled to visit the African country in the near future. The news triggered an angry backlash in social media. The hashtag in Arabic “#No to Rouhani’s visit to Algeria” was trending on Twitter in the country. The Iranian president’s trip has been postponed.

معهد الشرق الأوسط (MEI) هو منظمة تعليمية مستقلة وغير حزبية وغير ربحية. لا يشارك المعهد في أي أنشطة دعوية، وآراء الباحثين فيه تعبر عن آرائهم الشخصية. يرحب المعهد بالتبرعات المالية، لكنه يحتفظ بالسيطرة التحريرية الكاملة على أعماله، ولا تعكس منشوراته سوى آراء المؤلفين. للاطلاع على قائمة المتبرعين للمعهد، يرجى النقر هنا.