Extreme Islamist Ideas Penetrating Territories

[Jerusalem Post ] Jonathan Spyer - There is a growing presence in eastern Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza of preachers, organizations and individuals committed to the extreme Sunni Islamist current known as "Salafiyya," the ideology associated with al-Qaeda. In the West Bank, the removal of Hamas-affiliated imams in over 1,000 mosques has paradoxically opened the door for the rising prominence of Salafi-oriented preachers. A certain Saudi-Palestinian sheikh, whose brother is in a Saudi jail accused of al-Qaeda ties, has been in Nablus since early 2008. He has a lot of money (presumably from supporters in Saudi Arabia), and has gathered around himself a circle of young activists committed to the Salafi-Jihadi path.


2008-07-24 01:00:00

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