Information On Movement of Society for Peace

The Movement for the Society of Peace (Arabic language Harakat mujtama as-silm حركة مجتمع السلم, formerly called Hamas حماس, French language Mouvement de la société pour la paix is an Islamist party in Algeria led until his 2003 death by Mahfoud Nahnah Its current leader is Bouguerra Soltani It is aligned with the international Muslim Brotherhood It is currently (as of 2004) part of a ruling coalition with the National Liberation Front (Algeria) and National Rally for Democracy and holds posts in the parliament and government of Algeria.

Roots in the Muslim Brotherhood

The Muslim Brotherhood reached Algeria during the later years of the France colonial presence in the country (1830-1962). Sheikh Ahmad Sahnoun led the organization in Algeria between 1953 and 1954 during the French colonialism Brotherhood members and sympathizers took part in the uprising against France in 1954-1962, but the movement was marginalized during the largely secular National Liberation Front (Algeria) one-party rule which was installed at independence in 1962. Islamist forces however remained active in religious education, mosque and religious associations, including sympathizers of the Muslim Brotherhood. Brotherhood activists generally refrained from confronting the regime, which did not tolerate independent Opposition (politics) but sometimes protested the government and generally argued for a greater role for Islam in Algeria Islamists also called for increased Arabization of education and the state bureaucracy, and gained a foothold through heavy state backing for the early Arabization programs under President of Algeria Ahmed Ben Bella and Houari Boumédiène The reformist-Islamist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, in particular, was strengthened through the recruitment of Arabic language teachers from other Arab countries, particularly Egypt which is the Brotherhoods main stronghold.

History of the party

When a multi-party system was introduced in Algeria in the early 1990s, the Muslim Brotherhood formed the Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP), led by Mahfoud Nahnah until his death in 2003 (he was succeeded by present party leader Boudjerra Soltani . The party was initially known as the Movement for the Islamic Society and abbreviated in Arabic as Hamas, but following legal bans on religiously founded parties, the name was changed. (The abbreviation Hamas still remains in use.) A dissident wing of Brotherhood-inspired Islamists led by Abdallah Djaballah formed their own party, Islamic Renaissance Movement which later split to create Movement for National Reform advocating a more hardline stand towards the government. (Neither is supported by the Muslim Brotherhoods international organization, which recognizes MSP/Hamas as its Algerian wing.) The Muslim Brotherhood in Algeria did not join the Front islamique du salut (FIS), which emerged as the leading Islamist group in the Algerian local election, 1990 and Algerian_legislative_election,_1991 although the rapidly growing FIS did attract some of its supporters. In 1992, a military coup d'état cancelled elections which the FIS was on the verge of winning, and banned the organization. The Brotherhood condemned the coup, but refused to join the resulting violent uprising by FIS sympathizers and the Armed Islamic Groups (GIA) against the Algerian state and military. Instead, the group urged a peaceful resolution to the conflict and cooperation with the state, which for a time caused some strains with the international Muslim Brotherhood, where many sympathized with the Islamist insurgency. The MSP/Hamas thus remained a legal political organization, and ran in all elections organized by the state while the ex-FIS and other rebel forces urged a boycott. In retaliation for the partys pro-government stance, several members were assassinated by extremist militants during the war. Since 1997, the party has been supportive of the presidencies of Liamine Zeroual and Abdelaziz Bouteflika and has participated in government. In parliament and government, the party has tried strengthen conservative and Islamic trends in state and society, eg. in opposing secularizing changes in the Algerian_Family_Code It has argued in favor of amnesty and Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation towards former Islamist guerrillas, while simultaneously condemning violence and supporting the state in its confrontation with radical groups still fighting, such as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (formerly GSPC .

Electoral participation

In the first round of the Algerian legislative election, 1991 (Algerias first multi-party elections) the MSP/Hamas gained 5,3% of the popular vote, becoming the fourth-largest party in parliament. The movement was significantly weaker than the non-Brotherhood FIS, which became the largest party with 47%. The second round of elections were cancelled by a military coup in January 1992, and the FIS was banned.

During the civil war

The MSP/Hamas protested the coup, but also clearly condemned the Algerian Civil War that ensued. The party remained committed to the Elections in Algeria arguing in favor of peaceful reconciliation, an amnesty for Islamist fighters and a return to democracy while criticizing both sides of the conflict. In 1995, Sheikh Nahnah participated in the presidential elections as main contender against the military-backed winning candidate, Liamine Zeroual He finished second with 25.38% of the popular vote. In the 1997 parliamentary elections, the party gained 14.8% of the vote, finishing as the second-largest party in parliament.http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/algeria/algeria1997.txt], and subsequently joining the pro-Zeroual governing coalition under leadership of the National Rally for Democracy (Algeria)

Presidential alliance under Bouteflika

The party would later support Zerouals successor as president of Algeria from 1999, Abdelaziz Bouteflika In the first parliamentary elections under Bouteflika, the MSP received 7% of the vote in Algerian legislative election, 2002 gaining 38 members in the parliament. In the Algerian presidential election, 2004 the party endorsed and were part of a coalition supporting the reelection of Bouteflika, and it has remained committed to the three-party "presidential coalition" (together with the secular National Liberation Front (Algeria) and the National Rally for Democracy (Algeria) parties). As part of the presidential coalition, the party has argued for conservative values and the Islamization of society, as well as supported Bouteflikas projects to grant amnesty to former Islamist militants. In the Algerian_legislative_election,_2007 the MSP again ran as a member of the presidential bloc, earning 9.64% of the popular vote and becoming the third-largest party of the parliament, with 52 members. The party further supported constitutional changes in 2008, designed to allow President Bouteflika to run for a third term. Rather than launching its own candidate, it campaigned in favor of Bouteflikas candidacy in the Algerian_presidential_election,_2009

External links

* http://www.hmsalgeria.net/ Movement for the Society of Peace] - Official website in Arabic Category:Muslim Brotherhood Category:Political parties in Algeria ar:حركة مجتمع السلم da:Harakat Moudjtamaa As-Silm fr:Mouvement de la société pour la paix pt:Movimento da Sociedade pela Paz

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