Silent growth of Salafi Madkhalism in Europe (1)

Maher Farghaly & Salah El-Din Hassan

Introduction

Following the ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt, the Salafi Madhalism seems to be the sole gainer while other Salafist groups of the Alexandria Salafi trends were losing ground.

The Salafi Madkhalism was founded by Saudi preacher Rabee al-Madkhali, who established his doctrines on the Holy Qur’an and Sunna (Hadith).

The Salafi Madkhalism has not dropped its tenets under any circumstances; revolts are banned or haram according sharia or Islamic law. Obedience to the ruler is a must even if this ruler is unjust. The ruler is the pillar of the Muslim people and revolts are considered to be violating the Sunni doctrines.

The Salafi Madkhalism boomed although it bans political and labor union activism. It gained popularity when it joined Marshal Haftar in Libya. Analysts speak about the international organization of the Muslim Brotherhood, but they neglect the Salafi Madkhalism. How does it work with decentralized network and vertical communication?

However, generalization is a big mistake as the Salafist movement is a wide trend and divided according to its strategies, not its ideologies. All of the Salafi trends – the reforming, jihadist, Madkhalism and Sururism — share nearly the same ideologies.

Here we are mainly concerned with the Salafi Madkhalism and its silent expansion across Europe. This trend is dynamic all the time, taking a tidal movement, according to the local, regional and international conditions.

It has become more of a mercury-like social network. Therefore, we can feel their activities as they try to establish puritan communities in the societies where they exist whether in the Muslim world or the West. This has brought about radical roots in upmarket districts in countries like Belgium and the Netherlands.

1. Emergence and Re-launch of Madkhalism

Salafist preacher Saeed Raslan, a physician, launched a campaign to resist the social and political activism that started to shape three years prior to the January 25 Revolution in 2011. Raslan issued a number of booklets and delivered speeches and sermons warning of a popular revolt that would be disastrous for Islam and Muslims.

He based his opinion on some fatwas (Islamic edicts according to sharia) that ban revolt against the rulers. He considered that to be the right path for Muslims. In his small village in the Nile Delta governorate of Menoufia, Raslan lured thousands of disciples and followers from Egypt and foreign countries. They dubbed him as “Assad Al Sunna”, or the Lion of the Sunna.

Raslan used to yell at his followers saying: “Fear Allah! Revolts, civil disobediences, strikes, and inciting the public are actions of Kharijites”.

Historically, the Khaijites were emerged after the assassination of the Third Caliph Othman ibn Affan. They led many armed revolts against the Muslim caliphs and rulers.  They considered the rulers and all who oppose their opinions as infidels. The term “Khrijite” has been associated with sedition and bloodshed in the Islamic history.

Raslan was not the only Slafist who resisted the social and political upheaval before the January 25 Revolution. Other Salafi preachers joined forces with him.

The January 25 Revolution ousted former president Hosni Mubarak, and other uprisings took place in Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, and Syria.  Political Islamist movement, the main foe of Salafi Madkhalism, rose in these countries.

However, the Salafists who opposed the political resistance did not change their attitude, while some Salafi groups joined the political race. The Salafists who joined the race lost their popular base and their countries plunged into chaos.

The Salafi Madkhalism is an offshoot of the Saudi Madkhalism, which emerged in 1991following the Iraqi aggression on Kuwait. This Salafi trend appeared to resist the opposition – of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi Sururism (which was founded by Syrian-born preacher Muhammad Surur) to the interference of foreign troops.

The Salafi Madkhalism thought of allowing foreign troops into Saudi Arab as a matter of interest. This Salafi trend was originally named after its founder, Muhammad Aman al-Jami (Saudi preacher of an Ethiopian origin). Sheikh Rabee al-Madkhali took the helm after al-Jami.

The Salafi Madkhalism calls for complete and absolute obedience to the rulers. Any resistance would be a kind of revolt against the rulers, according to Madkhalism, which considers any resistance a violation of the Sunna.

Madkhalists call for absolute obedience to the ruler, even if the is not on the right path and even “he whips your back”. They reject any advice to the ruler said in public. Any opposition, founding political parties and groups within the state would be a sort of rebellion against him and considered it totally against Sunna.

Moreover, Madkhalists deem any resistance to the rulers as bidaa, or a religious innovation, which has been like a virus that weakened the Islamic nation.

The term Kharijites, or Khawarij, is of great significance to Madkhalists. The Kharijites in the Islamic history stirred political turmoil.

The Kharijites based resistance and revolt against the Muslim rulers on the concept of al-Hakimeya (Godly governance). However, the Kharijites have gone, but the term remained to describe any political resistance or revolt against the rulers.

Moreover, the Madkhalist movement deems “verbal disobedience” to be minor revolt. Madkhalists say that those who call for revolt and do not revolt are the wickedest of all Kharijites.

The Madkhali School has lured many of the mainstream Salafi movement. Some of the leading Salafist figures joined the Madkhalist trend after leaving the Salafi groups, which adopted al-Hakimeya concept.

The Madkhalists label any people who resist or oppose the rulers as the Kharijites of this time. They say any popular uprising will be disastrous, citing that seculars, communists and the infidels would rule, while Islam would be only in mosques without any connection to real life.