Abdelbaki Sahraoui
Encyclopedia
Abdelbaki Sahraoui was a co-founder of the Islamic Salvation Front
(FIS) in Algeria
.
He was born in 1910 in Constantine, Algeria
. In 1926, he joined the circle of Sheikh Mubarak el-Mili. Five years later, he was conscripted by the French army, where he spent two years. He then moved to Algiers
, where he was involved with the Muslim Scholars' Society. In 1990, he helped found the FIS; after the Algerian Civil War
began, he fled to Paris
, from which he preached in favor of armed struggle - jihad
- against the Algerian government. However, he opposed the extension of the jihad to France , and was assassinated because of this in Paris, on July 11, 1995, by the Armed Islamic Group
, the GIA . His death was followed by a series of bombings in France
.
Islamic Salvation Front
The Islamic Salvation Front is an outlawed Islamist political party in Algeria.-Goals:...
(FIS) in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
.
He was born in 1910 in Constantine, Algeria
Constantine, Algeria
Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...
. In 1926, he joined the circle of Sheikh Mubarak el-Mili. Five years later, he was conscripted by the French army, where he spent two years. He then moved to Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, where he was involved with the Muslim Scholars' Society. In 1990, he helped found the FIS; after the Algerian Civil War
Algerian Civil War
The Algerian Civil War was an armed conflict between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups which began in 1991. It is estimated to have cost between 150,000 and 200,000 lives, in a population of about 25,010,000 in 1990 and 31,193,917 in 2000.More than 70 journalists were...
began, he fled to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, from which he preached in favor of armed struggle - jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
- against the Algerian government. However, he opposed the extension of the jihad to France , and was assassinated because of this in Paris, on July 11, 1995, by the Armed Islamic Group
Armed Islamic Group
The Armed Islamic Group is an Islamist organisation that wants to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state...
, the GIA . His death was followed by a series of bombings in France
1995 bombings in France
The 1995 bombings in France were carried out by the Armed Islamic Group , who were broadening the Algerian Civil War to France. In total, these attacks killed eight and injured more than 100...
.