On 27 May 2020, the Arab Weekly reported that a youth had been arrested after a large mural on the side of a building in Algiers had been
defaced by daubing white paint over the faces of the persons depicted. The incident is reminiscent of how a Salafist vandalized a statue of a woman in the city of Setif in east Algeria in 2017.
Michael Bosch, persecution analyst at Word Watch Research, comments: "Although not explicitly mentioned in the Quran, the depiction of living beings is commonly seen as being prohibited in Islam, following
warnings in the Hadith (David Museum/Copenhagen, accessed 3 June 2020). It would appear that the defacement of the mural in Algiers was carried out by youth influenced by radical Islamic teaching. Although there were many
anti-government demonstrations prior to the introduction of measures to combat the COVID-19 outbreak (Chatham House, 6 May 2020), this act shows that not all are protesting for a change towards a more liberal society. When one of the vandals was arrested, conservative Islamic elements immediately staged an online campaign for his release, showing that his action had substantial support."
Michael Bosch continues: "According to the Arab Weekly journalist, the‚ arrest of the youth has led to a further rift between the government and conservative groups, who accuse the government of giving in to secular tendencies. It was probably to appease those same conservative elements when the government chose to greatly increase pressure on churches in 2019. Although it is too early to draw any definite conclusions, it could be a positive development for Algeria"s Christians if the government were to draw away from its conservative Islamic support base."
