Al Asalah
|
Al Asalah Islamic Society - Al Asalah
جمعية الأصالة الإسلامية |
|
|---|---|
| Leader | Ghanim Al Buaneen |
| Ideology |
Salafism Sunni Islamism |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| Council of Representatives |
2 / 40
|
| Shura Council |
0 / 40
|
| Website | |
| alasalah-bh.org | |
The Al Asalah Islamic Society (Arabic: جمعية الأصالة الإسلامية) is the main Salafist political party in Bahrain, with four MPs after 2006's general election (down from seven MPs elected in 2002).
The party is the political wing of the Islamic Education Society. Asalah's leader is Ghanim Al Buaneen, who took over in 2005 from Sheikh Adel Mouwda, who was sacked because he was perceived to be too close to Shia Islamists, Al Wefaq. Asalah is most popular in the conservative bastions of Muharraq and Riffa.
Asalah seeks to promote a hardline interpretation of Islam which rejects much of Bahrain's modernism as well as encouraging religious observance. It has led opposition in the Kingdom to US military action in Iraq and was at the forefront of demonstrations against military action in Falluja.
On the issue of women's political rights, Mr Al Buaneen told the Bahrain Tribune on 18 January 2006 that the party disagrees with them having any. Mr Buaneen said that this position reflects the party's "honesty" while other parties support women’s participation only in their statements. Mr Buaneen said: "If women make it to parliament, then we would cooperate with them, but our society wouldn’t support any woman candidates".
The party's ideology has seen it at the forefront of debate on the Bahrain's national heritage, arguing, especially during Adel Mouwda's leadership, that the country should consider the destruction of all sites that pre-date Islam. During a debate on 17 July 2005, Asalah deputies clashed with other MPs over government plans to build a national museum to showcase the Dilmun burial mounds. Adel Mouwda told MPs that the money should be invested in building houses over the burial mounds. "Housing for the living is better than the graves for the dead. We must have pride in our Islamic roots and not some ancient civilisation from another place and time, which has only given us a jar here and a bone there."
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Wikipedia