View source for Rachad

{{Self-published|date=October 2013}}{{Infobox organization
| name                = Rachad
| formation           = 2007
| image               = Rachad.png
| location_country    =
| website             = https://rachad.org/
}}
'''Rachad''' ({{langx|ar|رشاد}}) is an Algerian [[islamist]]<ref name="Touaibia 2021">{{cite web | last=Touaibia | first=Nadjib | title=En Algérie, comment les islamistes infiltrent le hirak | website=L'Humanité | date=19 Apr 2021 | url=https://www.humanite.fr/monde/algerie/en-algerie-comment-les-islamistes-infiltrent-le-hirak-703995 | language=fr | access-date=25 Jun 2022}}</ref><ref name="Yahia H. Zoubir">{{cite book|author=Yahia H. Zoubir|title=The Politics of Algeria Domestic Issues and International Relations|year=2019|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-82486-9|pages=270}}</ref> political movement. Rachad claims its goal is to "bring about a fundamental change in Algeria, to break with the political practices in progress since independence and to restore hope to the Algerian people" and that it "intends to work for the establishment of a rule of law governed by democratic principles and good governance."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Qui sommes nous – Mouvement Rachad |url=https://rachad.org/fr/?page_id=231 |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=rachad.org}}</ref> It calls upon the Algerian people to overthrow the government by peaceful mass protests, arguing that the government is controlled by a military junta largely responsible for the horrors of the [[Algerian Civil War]] and for the country's economic and social malaise. The movement has the reputation for having a high "intellectual calibre of the leadership" and for transcending the gulf between secular and Islamist politics.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/story/0,,2074353,00.html |title=A warning for Turkey |author=Victoria Brittain |author-link=Victoria Brittain |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=2007-05-07 |accessdate=2012-05-17}}</ref> According to Rachad, any Algerian can join Rachad, "respecting their differences, banishes all forms of extremism, exclusion or discrimination and advocates non-violence to bring about change".<ref name=":0" />
As of 2021 it is banned by the Algerian government.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/north-africa/western-sahara/227-relaunching-negotiations-over-western-sahara |title=Relaunching Negotiations over Western Sahara |author=Crisis Group |date=2021-10-14 |accessdate=2021-11-13}}</ref>
==History==
Rachad was founded in 2007<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200704210165.html|title=Algérie: Création à Londres d'un mouvement d'opposition |date=2007-04-21 |accessdate=2012-05-17|publisher=allAfrica.com|language=French|trans-title=Algeria: Creation of an opposition movement in London}}</ref> by a number of Algerian opponents of the current government, including [[Abbas Aroua]], [[Mourad Dhina]], [[Rachid Mesli]], [[Mohamed Samraoui]], and [[Mohamed Larbi Zitout]] (who comprise the movement's secretariat, and all live in exile),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rachad.org/fr/qui-sommes-nous- |language=French |title=Le Mouvement Rachad |publisher=Rachad |date=2011-01-13 |accessdate=2012-05-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514043908/https://www.rachad.org/fr/qui-sommes-nous- |archivedate=2012-05-14 }}</ref> and others living in Algeria whose identity has not been made public. In September 2008, its founding member [[Abbas Aroua]], through the Cordoba Foundation, organised a conference in [[Geneva]], "Perspectives on political change in Algeria", which brought together Algerians from a variety of political perspectives who oppose the current system, including Rachad, to agree on a set of shared principles.<ref>[http://www.rachad.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=218:colloque-de-geneve-perspectives-de-changement-politique-en-algerie&catid=68:editoriauxfr&Itemid=99 "Geneva Symposium: Perspectives for political change in Algeria"], Rachad, 2008-11-15, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228224150/http://www.rachad.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=218:colloque-de-geneve-perspectives-de-changement-politique-en-algerie&catid=68:editoriauxfr&Itemid=99 |title=|date=  2008-12-28 }}</ref> Along with other groups across the political spectrum, it called for a boycott of the [[Algerian presidential election, 2009|2009 presidential elections]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rachad.org/fr/communiques/22-une-parodie-delections-a-condamner-a-boycotter-et-a-en-refuser-les-resultats|title=Une parodie d’élections à condamner, à boycotter et à en refuser les résultats|date=2009-03-19|accessdate=2012-05-17|language=French |trans-title=A parody of elections to condemn, boycott and refuse the results of|publisher=Rachad}}</ref> afterwards, it condemned the reported results as fraudulent and claimed that the true participation rate was just 16%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rachad.org/fr/communiques/19-la-parodie-delections-du-9-avril-2009-et-les-vrais-chiffres|title=16% est le vrai taux de participation à la parodie d'élections du 9 avril 2009|date=2009-04-10|accessdate=2012-05-17|language=French |trans-title=16% is the real participation rate of the electoral parody of 9 April |publisher=Rachad}}</ref> The organisation has made extensive use of TV and the Internet to spread its ideas, with spokespersons appearing on major channels including [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Aljazeera]].<ref>Rachad's means of communication include [http://tv.rachad.org/ Rachad TV] and the [[YouTube]] channels [https://www.youtube.com/user/YouRachad YouRachad] and [https://www.youtube.com/user/TvRachad TvRachad]</ref> In January 2011, as unprecedented [[2010–2012 Algerian protests|large-scale protests]] began in Algeria, it called upon its supporters to join demonstrations against the system. Rachad's pronouncements have been supportive of the [[Arab Spring]] uprisings, including the overthrow of [[Muammar Gaddafi]] in [[Libya]],<ref>{{cite web|language=French|date=2011-08-23 |accessdate=2012-05-17|publisher=Rachad |url=http://rachad.org/fr/communiques/66-rachad-se-felicite-de-la-victoire-du-peuple-libyen-sur-le-dictateur-de-tripoli |title=Rachad se félicite de la victoire du peuple libyen sur le dictateur de Tripoli |trans-title=Rachad applauds the victory of the Libyan people over the dictator of Tripoli}}</ref> while condemning the Algerian political reforms undertaken by the Bouteflika régime as a "masquerade".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rachad.org/fr/communiques/114-la-mascarade-des-reformes-politiques-en-algerie|publisher=Rachad |language=French |title=La mascarade des réformes politiques en Algérie |trans-title=The masquerade of political reforms in Algeria |date=2012-02-21 |accessdate=2012-05-17}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://en.rachad.org Rachad homepage] (also in [http://www.rachad.org Arabic] and [http://fr.rachad.org French])
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927202833/http://www.alhayat.com/arab_news/nafrica_news/04-2007/Item-20070418-060c7c8e-c0a8-10ed-01c3-5b6c30ddf3f7/story.html  New Algerian movement calls for "radical nonviolent reform"] ([[Al Hayat]])
[[Category:Politics of Algeria]]
[[Category:Nonviolent resistance movements]]
[[Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by Algeria]]