Habiba Kouide Crime of practising a non-Muslim religion without authorisation

Church in the World
7 June 2008
Algeria

Archbishop seeks clemency in trial of convert

Tom Heneghan



THE RETIRING Archbishop of Algiers is urging the Algerian authorities to drop charges against a convert to Christianity following the suspension of her trial in the city of Tiaret last week, writes Tom Heneghan.

Demanding more information from the prosecution, the judge in the case of Protestant evangelical Habiba Kouider, charged with possessing unauthorised Bibles, suspended the trial, one of several the Muslim country is bringing against evangelical Protestants. The prosecution wants a three-year sentence for her under a 2006 law banning "practising a non-Muslim religion without authorisation".

In another trial in Tiaret, four converts received suspended jail sentences of between two and six months and fines of up to £1,500 on Tuesday for holding illegal religious services in a private home. In February a Catholic priest received a one-year suspended jail sentence for celebrating Mass in an unregistered location (The Tablet, 23 February).

Evangelicals and Catholics alike fear the Government is using the law to clamp down against Christians, provoking Archbishop Henri Teissier to voice his plea in an interview with the Algerian daily El Khabar. "I hope Habiba Kouider will be released since the judge in the case has expressed a different opinion from that of the prosecutor," said the archbishop. He also sought to emphasise that the Catholic Church does not proselytise in Algeria by saying, "It does not match our view of relations between Christians and Muslims."

Last weekend, the head of the official Higher Islamic Council accused evangelicals of trying to undermine Algeria with foreign help. "This is a new form of colonisation that is hidden behind freedom of worship," said council head Abu Amrane Chikh. Officials say there are about 10,000 Christians in the country of 33 million.

France's Minister for Human Rights, Rama Yade, a Muslim of Senegalese descent, has also urged clemency for the converts, saying: "Christianity does not threaten Islam in Algeria." Her comments were later criticised in the pro-Government press.

The Vatican announced on 28 May that Archbishop Teissier will be replaced by Ghaleb Moussa Abdalla Bader from Jordan, the first Arab to be made a bishop in Algeria. Bishop Claude Rault of Laghouat, in southern Algeria, told the Paris Catholic daily La Croix: "The Church in Algeria has long been oriented along a North-South axis. The opportunity and the hope of this nomination is that it will look more towards the Middle East."