The repentant prisoners include three al-Qaeda linked suspected murderers of a tourist family near Aleg in 2007.
By Mohamed Yahya Ould Abdel Wedoud for Magharebia in Nouakchott — 12/02/10
The Mauritanian government is reporting positive results from a "spiritual dialogue" between moderate religious scholars and imprisoned Salafists, with nearly all the inmates involved declaring their "repentance".
To initiate the dialogue, Sheikh Mohamed El Hacen Ould Deddew led a panel of scholars that debated with 68 Salafists in a two-day event that began on January 18th. An earlier Nouakchott conference on tolerance set the stage for the debate, which challenged inmates to take more moderate stances.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Ould Deddew said that most of the prisoners had vowed they would quit Al-Qaeda.
The prisoners included three men who declared their repentance for the 2007 killing near Aleg of a French family of tourists. "In addition, they pledged not to return to [these activities], and not to carry arms in Mauritania against either Muslims or infidels," Ould Deddew added.
Mauritania would "continue to rid its soil of Al-Qaeda and acts of violence," he said, adding that authorities have to "accelerate the arrangement of positive steps based on that dialogue".
A spokesperson for the scholars, Mohamed El Mokhtar Ould Mbale, said in a press conference on February 4th that the dialogue tackled topics including allegiance, baraa (disavowal), governance, democracy, positive laws, isteaman (pledge of security) and aggression. The scholars presented Sharia rules, "and the young men dealt so positively with them that some of them asked God for repentance and said they had previously had a confused understanding of these concepts".
"The dialogue is not just an occasion that starts and then ends; rather, it's an option and approach adopted by the state in dealing with all issues on the table in the country," added Ould Mbale. "It will be renewed on an as-needed basis."
Ould Mbale declined to comment on when or how the prisoners would be released now that they have signed declarations of regret for resorting to arms and violence as the means of achieving their goals.
"We have advised the president of the dialogue's results, which have been good," the rapporteur of the scholars committee, Abdellahi Ould Aminou, told the state media on February 3rd. "We can say that it had a 90% success rate, and that the goals set will have a good effect, not just on those who were the target of the dialogue, but also on those who may embrace these ideas, the public arena, and on all the Mauritanian people who were impatiently waiting for this dialogue".
Ould Aminou said that 90% of the Salafists involved in the dialogue had declared their "repentance".
During a February 3rd meeting with members of the scholars committee, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz promised to continue the dialogue with the Salafists in order to resolve outstanding issues.
According to Ould Deddew, the dialogue aims to show that Islam has "nothing to do with devious ideas, such as takfir, aggression, and carrying of arms in Muslim countries". He said other goals included "eliminating injustice towards the oppressed and alleviating the suffering of those prisoners" and "helping the country avoid security problems".
Ordinary Mauritanians who spoke to Magharebia on Wednesday expressed relief at how the dialogue had been conducted. Saleck Ould Mohamed, 53, who sells clothes in the capital, said: "I've followed most of the dialogue sessions in the state media and through the statements issued from time to time by some Salafists inside the prison. I was happy to see the scholars listening to the prisoners and responding to arguments with counter-arguments in a beautiful, brotherly atmosphere."
"I prefer the ideological solution that took place to the security solution," Ould Mohamed added. "Mauritania is a peaceful country, and its people have never known violence and extremism."
At the same time, Teghy Ould Moussa, a man in his 20s who works in the fishing sector in Nouadhibou, said that "in principle, dialogue with the Salafists is a good thing. But the government should focus on the root causes of extremism and terrorism, which are poverty, unemployment, deprivation and loss of hope. Terrorism is a consequence, not a cause."
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/02/12/feature-02.
By Mohamed Yahya Ould Abdel Wedoud for Magharebia in Nouakchott — 12/02/10
The Mauritanian government is reporting positive results from a "spiritual dialogue" between moderate religious scholars and imprisoned Salafists, with nearly all the inmates involved declaring their "repentance".
To initiate the dialogue, Sheikh Mohamed El Hacen Ould Deddew led a panel of scholars that debated with 68 Salafists in a two-day event that began on January 18th. An earlier Nouakchott conference on tolerance set the stage for the debate, which challenged inmates to take more moderate stances.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Ould Deddew said that most of the prisoners had vowed they would quit Al-Qaeda.
The prisoners included three men who declared their repentance for the 2007 killing near Aleg of a French family of tourists. "In addition, they pledged not to return to [these activities], and not to carry arms in Mauritania against either Muslims or infidels," Ould Deddew added.
Mauritania would "continue to rid its soil of Al-Qaeda and acts of violence," he said, adding that authorities have to "accelerate the arrangement of positive steps based on that dialogue".
A spokesperson for the scholars, Mohamed El Mokhtar Ould Mbale, said in a press conference on February 4th that the dialogue tackled topics including allegiance, baraa (disavowal), governance, democracy, positive laws, isteaman (pledge of security) and aggression. The scholars presented Sharia rules, "and the young men dealt so positively with them that some of them asked God for repentance and said they had previously had a confused understanding of these concepts".
"The dialogue is not just an occasion that starts and then ends; rather, it's an option and approach adopted by the state in dealing with all issues on the table in the country," added Ould Mbale. "It will be renewed on an as-needed basis."
Ould Mbale declined to comment on when or how the prisoners would be released now that they have signed declarations of regret for resorting to arms and violence as the means of achieving their goals.
"We have advised the president of the dialogue's results, which have been good," the rapporteur of the scholars committee, Abdellahi Ould Aminou, told the state media on February 3rd. "We can say that it had a 90% success rate, and that the goals set will have a good effect, not just on those who were the target of the dialogue, but also on those who may embrace these ideas, the public arena, and on all the Mauritanian people who were impatiently waiting for this dialogue".
Ould Aminou said that 90% of the Salafists involved in the dialogue had declared their "repentance".
During a February 3rd meeting with members of the scholars committee, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz promised to continue the dialogue with the Salafists in order to resolve outstanding issues.
According to Ould Deddew, the dialogue aims to show that Islam has "nothing to do with devious ideas, such as takfir, aggression, and carrying of arms in Muslim countries". He said other goals included "eliminating injustice towards the oppressed and alleviating the suffering of those prisoners" and "helping the country avoid security problems".
Ordinary Mauritanians who spoke to Magharebia on Wednesday expressed relief at how the dialogue had been conducted. Saleck Ould Mohamed, 53, who sells clothes in the capital, said: "I've followed most of the dialogue sessions in the state media and through the statements issued from time to time by some Salafists inside the prison. I was happy to see the scholars listening to the prisoners and responding to arguments with counter-arguments in a beautiful, brotherly atmosphere."
"I prefer the ideological solution that took place to the security solution," Ould Mohamed added. "Mauritania is a peaceful country, and its people have never known violence and extremism."
At the same time, Teghy Ould Moussa, a man in his 20s who works in the fishing sector in Nouadhibou, said that "in principle, dialogue with the Salafists is a good thing. But the government should focus on the root causes of extremism and terrorism, which are poverty, unemployment, deprivation and loss of hope. Terrorism is a consequence, not a cause."
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/02/12/feature-02.
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