Algeria: "Mainstream" Muslim cleric says Allah will punish those who don't vote, warns against "Zionist" influence

Sinners in the hands of an angry polling place official. "Abstaining Algerian voters warned: God will punish you," by Lamine Chikhi for Reuters, April 25 (thanks to David)

(Reuters) - A prominent Muslim cleric in Algeria has issued a religious decree saying God will punish anyone who does not vote in a May 10 parliamentary election, a warning aimed at the large numbers planning to abstain from a vote they view as irrelevant.
Algeria's authorities, under pressure to reform after last year's "Arab Spring" revolts in neighbouring countries, say the vote will be more free and transparent than ever before. This though is met with scepticism by many ordinary Algerians.

Sheikh Chemseddine Bouroubi, a well-known imam who follows a mainstream Algerian school of Islam, said people should vote to prevent foreign powers - who he said included Zionists - from fomenting a violent revolution in Algeria.

"Algerians must vote because it is about Algeria's stability, and it is about preserving our country from any foreign interference," the imam told Reuters on Wednesday in a telephone interview.

"Allah will punish those who do not vote... Voting is a religious obligation," said the cleric, who runs a charity organisation in the capital Algiers.

The cleric said the fatwa was his own initiative and he denied any ties to the authorities. But his message chimes with that of the government, which is worried about a low turnout on May 10 and has been urging people to vote.

Algeria's leaders say they are carrying out a gradual, managed transition towards democracy, as an alternative to the violent revolutions which have toppled leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen over the past 14 months.

The imam pointed to French celebrity-philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, who played a role in persuading Paris to help overthrow Libya's Muammar Gaddafi last year. Levy was born in Algeria when it was a French colony.

"We must do our best to prevent foreign interference in our domestic affairs. Listen to what the Zionist Bernard-Henri Levy is saying: 'Algeria is about to experience an Arab spring very soon.' This is what he said ten days ago in France."

"What he means by 'Arab Spring' is a repetition of the Libyan scenario: blood, killings, destruction," the cleric said....

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9 Comments

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www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003546219302 | April 25, 2012 10:40 AM | Reply

Demonstrators who claim Tunisia’s state television network is backing the ousted Ben Ali dictatorship ended nearly eight weeks of sit-ins Wednesday after the government asked them to leave.

Youssef

Mary | April 25, 2012 11:06 AM | Reply

What he is really saying and implying in saying it is a religious duty is that it is a "sin" for Muslims to not vote in Sharia and Muslim rule. Islamic law (Sharia) is based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah which Mohammad declared was Mohammad's Allah's demands, and there is no free will in Islam.

London Jim | April 25, 2012 11:27 AM | Reply

I'd vote with my feet. .and kick that imam in the rump.

Champ ♥ | April 25, 2012 11:57 AM | Reply

In reality, mohammedans serve satan, so of course it's a sin not to vote, but it's a-okay to lie, steel, rape, have sex with children, murder--you name it. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that allah is not the One True God of love, peace, hope and justice.

miriam rove replied to comment from Mary | April 25, 2012 12:05 PM | Reply

allah was also respossible for the voting act!!!
M

ala sux | April 25, 2012 1:15 PM | Reply

The dirty little secret for Muslims in canada is the mass-slaughtering of 14 female students in Montreal by an Jihad drive muslim named Gamil Gharabi in 1989.
Canada's first real Honour killing to protect and defend Allah love and peace so females stay at home and have babies ad muslim men het the jobs to pump out more Jihad-Joe's for allah's cause.
Yes folks , canada imported an Algerian Misogynistic/homophobic/pedophilie-friendly pro-Shariah Muslim that married a candian to stay in the Country and then handed down this barbaric 7th century death-cult to Gamil , the loving son .

Feminists like Naomi Klein and Susan G Cole exploted this Jihad to fuel their hatred for all males and make this a Domestic-abuse and male violence issue and got money from the Feds to poison more young females on campus that thinks bigotry and misandry is OK expect don't we dare point out the islamic misogyny or Homophobia and child-brides for dirty old men in their 50's like mohammad was.

Aqsa Parvez and the Shafia Grils are just the latest victims of Honour killings in canada by muslims, but even since 9/11 the Shariah murders are up %400 while CAIR-canada now brings in the Ground-Zero Mosque 'Imam Rauf' to spew his bogus "islamophobia" claims to incite muslim youths to more Toronto-18 style mass slaughter plans where they wanted to murder 10'000+ people in Toornot as a favour to allah.

**************************************************

here's CAIR's Ad to fuel hatred for non-muslims by fake hate-crimes and islamophobia.

**
2012 TORONTO GALA DINNER “Islamophobia: Is there a cure?” with IMAM FEISAL RAUF
: May 12

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 1:32 pm

CAIR-CAN cordially invites you to its 2012 Gala Dinner with keynote speaker Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. While you may know Imam Feisal through his fearless work to dispel misinformation and Islamophobia during the so-called ‘Ground Zero mosque’ controversy in New York his list of accomplishments and accolades extend far higher and beyond his involvement in promoting the community's interests.

Imam Feisal is Chairman of the Cordoba Initiative, an independent, multi-national project that works to "Re-connect the Muslim World and the West." In 1997, he founded the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), the first Muslim organization committed to bringing American Muslims and non-Muslims together through programs in academia, policy, current affairs, and culture.

For the past 25 years, Imam Feisal has been Imam of Masjid al-Farah, a New York City mosque. He has won awards from The Alliance for International Conflict Prevention and Resolution and the Interfaith Center in New York.

http://www.caircan.ca/ann_more.php?id=3152_0_9_0_C

**********************************************************

CAIR canada is now angry at an alleged Hijab pulling
at a store where the Muslims was assaulted and it was on camera.
But CAIR is offering $2000.00 for a witness?????

kelbi yahud | April 25, 2012 2:14 PM | Reply

voting itself is Haram, for it approves governing by man instead of Allah

now it's a sin NOT to vote?

That's what's great about Islam, if it doesn't suit you, you can "adapt" it as it's convenient for you.

gravenimage | April 25, 2012 3:54 PM | Reply

Algeria: "Mainstream" Muslim cleric says Allah will punish those who don't vote, warns against "Zionist" influence

Sinners in the hands of an angry polling place official.
......................................

OK—that's hilarious. Of curse, the issue that inspired the line, less so.

What this Muslim cleric means, of course, is that it's "a sin" not to vote in Shari'ah.

Sheikh Chemseddine Bouroubi, a well-known imam who follows a mainstream Algerian school of Islam, said people should vote to prevent foreign powers - who he said included Zionists - from fomenting a violent revolution in Algeria.
......................................

This is—unintentionally—hilarious, as well, given that the nature of those violent revolutions throughout the Mahgreb have been decidedly Islamic in flavor. But Muslims can *always* blame the "Zionists"—the Jews—for *anything* they consider undesirable.

"Allah will punish those who do not vote... Voting is a religious obligation," said the cleric, who runs a charity organisation in the capital Algiers.
......................................

More hilarity—given that most pious Muslims consider voting to be "un-Islamic".

The imam pointed to French celebrity-philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, who played a role in persuading Paris to help overthrow Libya's Muammar Gaddafi last year.
......................................

Bernard-Henri Lévy is laboring under his own illusions. He seems to have convinced himself that the "Arab Spring"—even the bloody mess in Libya—has been all about Jeffersonian democracy. He has gone on record as believing that the Libyan rebels will "recognize Israel". I wouldn't be holding my breath on that one...

PETER SHEARER replied to comment from ala sux | April 29, 2012 12:06 AM | Reply

Hi ala sux. You said "The dirty little secret for Muslims in canada is the mass-slaughtering of 14 female students in Montreal by an Jihad drive muslim named Gamil Gharabi in 1989.
Canada's first real Honour killing to protect and defend Allah love and peace so females stay at home and have babies ad muslim men het the jobs to pump out more Jihad-Joe's for allah's cause.
Yes folks , canada imported an Algerian Misogynistic/homophobic/pedophilie-friendly pro-Shariah Muslim that married a candian to stay in the Country and then handed down this barbaric 7th century death-cult to Gamil , the loving son ."

Wrong. In fact, in the next universe wrong. I called you out on this one at the following link on March 29, 2012

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/03/pamela-geller-jew-killing-jihadist-now-a-hero.html

I will repeat what I said in that post below; but first some supplemental information.

The following link is to the CBC news report that took place almost immediately after the incident. It will give everyone a pretty good feel of what transpired.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndkw0yK85z4

In my original post on your assertion I didn't provide any references to the story beyond the book written (co-authored) by Marc Lepine's mother. I found out afterwards there was a Wikipedia entry on this story. I just went over it and it seems to bear out what I said.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_L%C3%A9pine

=========
Hi ala sux.

Usually, I enjoy your posts but not this one. You have wrongly interpreted this story for jihad watchers several times over the years. I have always let it pass but I think it is time to comment on your theory.

First, you say 'a young Muslim male' went on a rampage.

He was not a young muslim male. His father was a NON PRACTICING Muslim who married a Montreal nurse Monique Lépine who at one time was a nun.

I presume, after the marriage, she still had Roman Catholic leanings because she had her son baptized. I think a real Muslim father (even a stealth jihadist) would draw the line in the sand about that action and the baptism never would have happened. [The father had a history of brutality against his wife and their son so it is safe to assume he would have had no problem putting a stop to having a Christian sacrament being practiced on his 'Muslim' son].

So, if anything, the monster-in-the-making was a Catholic not a Muslim.

His birth name was Gamil Rodrigue Liass Gharbi. He later changed it to Marc Lépine and not for the reason you claim (so he could hide the fact that he was Muslim). He changed it because he loathed his abusive father and because he was being taunted for being an Arab by his school mates.

Monique Lépine has made it clear that:
1) Marc never received any religious education when young
2) Marc was a confirmed atheist all his life

As I recall, all of the above can be confirmed by reference to "Aftermath" a book that was co-authored by Marc Lépine's mother.

It is probably as honest a portrayal of who this guy was as we are ever going to get. As one reviewer of the book stated:

"This is a very interesting book which does shed a lot of life on the whole tragedy. It answers a lot of questions that we may have about the life of Marc Lepine and his early life. The author does not take an "oh, my poor son" view but is very honest. The one downfall of this read is that it is a very poorly written book from an academic perspective."

I live in Toronto Canada and remember the story fairly well. This massacre took place at a time when political correctness had not put its umbrella over jihadis or run of the mill Muslims.

At that time, the press would have had a feeding frenzy if it could have been shown that Canada was dealing with a jihadi.

Now, I am fully willing to retract some or all of the above if you can show me wrong. Some ways of doing that would include:

1) evidence that Lépine frequented a Montreal mosque; or
2) evidence that he had terrorist connections; or
3) evidence that he mingled with the Muslim community; or
4) evidence that he quoted the Qur'an to anyone; or
5) evidence that he even once yelled Allahu Akbar while murdering his victims; or
6) evidence that he left any pre-written notes, tapes, or video tapes justifying his actions citing the Qur'an; or
7) evidence that he even read the Qur'an or;
8) evidence that a jihad spokesman anywhere made public statements supporting his action or posthumously recognized him as a martyr for Islam or;
9) evidence that he had spoken the shahada (in English, French or Arabic); or
10)taken the Hajj or expressed an interest in taking the Hajj.

I think you will be hard pressed to do so and the reason is quite clear. This guy was not a Muslim, he was an atheist, and his actions were the result of a mental disorder unrelated to things Islamic.

I will agree with you on one point however. The Liberal Left, especially the feminist wing of that group, have spun the story to fit their socio-political objectives. I would prefer that we at jihad watch NOT do the same.

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