Post by peterd on May 23, 2013 10:48:57 GMT -8
A Review Of Ansar Al-Shari'a In Tunisia's Da'wa Efforts
Introduction
As of this writing, clashes between security forces and Salafis are taking place in several locations across Tunisia following the plan to hold the third annual Ansar Al-Shari'a conference that was scheduled for May 19, 2013, in Al-Qayrawan.[1] The conference, organized by the Ansar Al-Shari'a in Tunisia (AST), was banned several days earlier by the Tunisian Interior Ministry on the grounds that AST failed to obtain the necessary permits.[2]
The Tunisian Interior Ministry has also recently banned all organizations, individuals, and political parties from holding da'wa activities in public places without obtaining permits, and warned that any provocation or assault against its headquarters or personnel would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.[3] AST, which has been the main force behind the Salafi-jihadi movement in Tunisia since its establishment in 2011, appears to have been the main group affected by the Interior Ministry decision since it relies heavily on public da'wa activities to spread its message.
The government ban has led to further deterioration in the relationship between AST and Al-Nahda, which is amplified by AST's religiously-driven attitude towards the ruling Al-Nahda government, which they see as being subjugated to U.S. and Western demands and as utterly unrepresentative of true Islam. Despite the government ban, AST has expressed its determination to continue its activities, and any concessions to the government would be considered a defeat.
Recent events in Tunisia, including the discovery of a terrorist group with possible ties to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in the Jebel Chaambi region in northwestern Tunisia, and its alleged ties to radical elements inside Tunisia, as well as the lessening tolerance of Al-Nahda vis-à-vis AST, might signal a shift in the group's operations and focus.[4]
It is noteworthy that AST da'wa activities, which include setting up da'wa tents in different neighborhoods; lecturing in mosques and public gatherings; visiting hospitals; and providing humanitarian relief efforts across the country, have been effectively coupled with a heavy online presence via AST's several Facebook pages, Twitter and Youtube accounts, participation in jihadi forums, and through AST's newly-established official website.[5]
www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7190.htm
Introduction
As of this writing, clashes between security forces and Salafis are taking place in several locations across Tunisia following the plan to hold the third annual Ansar Al-Shari'a conference that was scheduled for May 19, 2013, in Al-Qayrawan.[1] The conference, organized by the Ansar Al-Shari'a in Tunisia (AST), was banned several days earlier by the Tunisian Interior Ministry on the grounds that AST failed to obtain the necessary permits.[2]
The Tunisian Interior Ministry has also recently banned all organizations, individuals, and political parties from holding da'wa activities in public places without obtaining permits, and warned that any provocation or assault against its headquarters or personnel would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.[3] AST, which has been the main force behind the Salafi-jihadi movement in Tunisia since its establishment in 2011, appears to have been the main group affected by the Interior Ministry decision since it relies heavily on public da'wa activities to spread its message.
The government ban has led to further deterioration in the relationship between AST and Al-Nahda, which is amplified by AST's religiously-driven attitude towards the ruling Al-Nahda government, which they see as being subjugated to U.S. and Western demands and as utterly unrepresentative of true Islam. Despite the government ban, AST has expressed its determination to continue its activities, and any concessions to the government would be considered a defeat.
Recent events in Tunisia, including the discovery of a terrorist group with possible ties to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in the Jebel Chaambi region in northwestern Tunisia, and its alleged ties to radical elements inside Tunisia, as well as the lessening tolerance of Al-Nahda vis-à-vis AST, might signal a shift in the group's operations and focus.[4]
It is noteworthy that AST da'wa activities, which include setting up da'wa tents in different neighborhoods; lecturing in mosques and public gatherings; visiting hospitals; and providing humanitarian relief efforts across the country, have been effectively coupled with a heavy online presence via AST's several Facebook pages, Twitter and Youtube accounts, participation in jihadi forums, and through AST's newly-established official website.[5]
www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7190.htm