Skip to main content.
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
A Random Image
Islamic Terrorism:

Ansar Al Sunna’s ideology does not preach violence, say Muslims

The Peninsula Online, Qatar
www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 8655 • Posted: Wednesday September 8, 2004  

Click here... More articles on this topic: Islamic Terrorism

Doha: The killing of 12 innocent Nepalese workers in Baghdad recently allegedly carried out by Ansar Al Sunna has shocked some Muslims who claim the group adheres to an ideology that does not preach violence.

Ansar Al Sunna was set up in Egypt in 1951 inspired by the conservative Wahabi school of Islamic thought which basically asked Muslims not to visit graves and seek the blessings of the dead.

The Wahabi school, founded in Saudi Arabia in the 1920s, gets its name from its founder Mohamed Abdul Wahab.

Ansar Al Sunna was founded in Egypt by Mohamed Hamid Al Faqih and it had no political agenda, its objective being religious reform.

By 1956 the movement spread to neighbouring Sudan, which had just gained independence from the British, but it was not politicised until the late 1980s when the National Islamic Front came to power there.

Ansar Al Sunna, though, remained totally non-violent. The movement later spread to other parts of the Arab world but Iraq continued to be an exception because the Baathists led by Saddam Hussain were dead opposed to its philosophy, which believed in pan-Islamism and was against the concept of Arab nationalism.

However, the movement did reach the northern parts of Iraq inhabited by Kurds and was known as Ansarul Islam there. Its leader Mulla Krekar is said to be still hiding in some European country.

Saddam Hussain was so much opposed to Ansar Al Sunna that a book they revere Fatahul Majeed was a taboo in Iraq and its availability with anyone could attract severe punishment from the state.

The term ‘Ansar Al Sunna’ simply means the supporters of the traditions of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) but what their so-called followers in Iraq have done runs counter to his teachings, say Muslims. After the fall of Saddam Hussain, those who privately sympathised with Ansar Al Sunna’s ideology in Iraq came into the open.

Like all other militant groups in the country, they had easy access to weapons which were said to have been supplied in abundance by men from Saddam’s armed forces.

Ansar Al Sunna soon spread its influence in Al Anbar province of Iraq post-Saddam which is known as a Sunni stronghold.

Ramadi and Falluja are the two big cities where the group reportedly enjoys the maximum influence.

There are pockets in Baghdad with Sunni influence and the presence of armed and underground operatives of Ansar Al Sunna cannot be ruled out. This was, though, the first time since the outfit came into existence 53 years ago that one hears of killings carried out by the group anywhere in the Arab world.

“We were immensely shocked to hear of the death of the 12 innocent Nepalese workers allegedly carried out by Ansar Al Sunna in Baghdad recently,” said Abdul Rahman, who claims familiarity with the ideology of Ansar Al Sunna.

It is a totally non-violent movement and what has been done in its name in Iraq has shocked people who have better understanding of its philosophy, he said in remarks to The Peninsula yesterday.

Those who claim to be the followers of Ansar Al Sunna in Iraq seem to be totally swayed by the bloodshed and killing around them, he added.

“But nothing can justify the killing of the poor and helpless Nepalese in the name of religion,” Abdul Rahman stressed.


What You Can Do From Here

Read More Articles On These Topics
more cult news articlemore religion news Categories: Islamic Terrorism
more religion news aboutmore Religion News Blog articles about
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Read Another Article
Find Related Information
cult research search enginecountercult information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults
Find Related Books


Most Popular Today


Share This Article

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:





Counter Cult Search

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.


Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.


Apologetics Search

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.


Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.

Home
Latest Headlines
RSS news feed [?]
Headlines by Email
News Trackers
Free content for your site
About RNB
Privacy Policy
Contact RNB
Link to RNB
Advertise on RNB
Apologetics Index
Cult FAQ
Apologetics Search Engine
CounterCult Search Engine