Algerian leader sends message to Tunisia

Spokesperson for the Free Awakening Front, Abdelfattah Hamadache Zeraoui sent a message to the Tunisian regime advising them to deal with the ongoing Salafist trend with flexibility. Zeraoui called on Tunisian Salafists, advising them to refrain from getting into confrontations with the government to avoid "the Algerian experience." Zeraoui believes the new generation of Salafists has increased recently, notably in Tunisia and Algeria. The spokesperson rebuked the Algerian ministry of religious affairs for launching a "brutal campaign against his movement." He stressed that such attacks aim to distract people of Algeria from "the sensitive issues witnessed in the community." "Salafists in Algeria face a systematic siege from the ministry and the ruling regime," Zeraoui stated. He added that his movement will resume its activities on a political level as well as continue preaching, despite the "challenges faced from the Algerian government," affirming that the interior ministry refused his group a licence to exercise their political work. Referring to the recent conflicting health reports of Algerian President Bouteflika, Zeraoui criticised the regime for the way it had dealt with the situation, expressing his frustration over the current situation in the country.