Local authorities shut down a church in Algeria on November 9, 2017 after accusing the church of printing religious publications illegally, reports World Watch Monitor.
The church is located in the northwestern town of Aïn Turk, about nine miles from the coastal city of Oran. It is affiliated to the Protestant Church of Algeria (known as EPA, its French acronym) and police claimed that the church was used to “illegally print Gospels and publications intended for evangelism.”
Rev Mahmoud Haddad, president of EPA, denounced the local government’s allegation and the decision to close down the church. He said the officials’ reasons were “unfounded.”
A predominantly Islamic country, Algeria passed a new Constitution in February 2016 granting freedom of religious worship within the limits of the law. However, many churches from other religions were forced to stop its activities after authorities claimed that they violated a 2006 law which bans anything that is against Islamic morality.
The cleric argued that the Protestant Church of Algeria is authorized to conduct religious activities. He explained that the church was o