Why did the French attempt to suppress the religious-language element in in Algeria

Gianmarco Morassutti-VitaleDavid LewzeySaadet Ozyurt

Thomas B Price

Introduction

• Historiographical perspective – David

• Algeria in comparison with other French colonies– Gian

• Birth of Algerian ethno-nationalism - Tom

• French reaction - Saadet

How?1870: Failed Muslim rebellion lead to French reprisals. Quranic schools put under surveillance and Arabic declared a foreign language

Code De L’indigenat (1881): Harsh laws for Muslims. Stopped applying if Muslims disregarded their heritage and became French citizens

Civilian rule: MP’s elected to the National Assembly in Paris but only Full French citizens (read adult male settlers) were allowed to vote.

Mission Civilisatrice• The concept that it is the duty of the “advanced” and “civilised” countries to teach

the “Backwards” nations the glories of Western civilisation.• Islam and Arabic culture considered archaic compared to Enlightenment ideals of

Third Republic, such as Science and progress.• In effect this justified suppression of Muslims, claiming there dire material

conditions being a result of their own practices• L’indigenat laws justified, rights could be attained when the Algeriasn recognised

the supremacy of French culture

Economics• Part of the reprisals after the failed 1870 rebellion was the confiscating of

Rebellious tribes land• Warnier Law (1873): Broke up communally held plots of land. This made it much

easier for French settlers to buy the land. “Between 1871 and 1898 French settlers acquired one million hectares” (Algeria andger of the dispossessed p 34)

• Lead to new class of dispossessed peasants, many of whom ended up in the cities. Fanon argues that this was the main class contradiction in Algeria.

• “The gaze that the colonized subject casts at the colonist’s sector is a look of lust, a look of envy... The colonist is aware of this as he catches the furtive glance, and constantly on his guard, realises that: ‘They want to take our place’” (Fanon: p. 5.)

• Attacks upon Islam and Arabic were effective for the French in destroying their class opposition.

Isolation• Attempts were made to isolate Algerians from the wider Muslim world• Destruction of Arabic education, represented through the Quranic schools lead to

illiteracy. This cut off Algerians from events in other Arab countries as well as a loss of a linguisitc link, classical written Arabic being the same across the Muslim World

• Also cut Algerians off from a history and present of Arabic and Muslim culture, something which Nationalist ideas could collect around.

• This also internalised a feeling of inferiority in the Arabs, and of the greatness of the French. This policy was designed to stop resistance and allow for further entrenchment of French culture.

• In some cases French schools replaced the Arabic ones, in others the Arabic schools were just destroyed

Birth of Nationalism• First signs of independent Algerian leadership (nationalism) emerged in

1920s. Out of jelousy of Colonons, desire to re-connect with their own ethno-nationalist history, right to self-determination.

• Consisted of wealthy Algerians, French Algerian soldiers, Algerians living in France, “pieds-noirs” related

• Nationalist groups evolved over time. The Jeunesse Algerienne (Young Algerians) formed in 1892. The Etoile Nord-Africaine (North African Star) founded in 1926. The Parti du peuple Algerien (Algerian People’s Party) succeeded this group.

• Fuelled by the 1945 Setif and Guelma massacres, French massacre of Algerians in response to Algerian attacks on French Colons. 6,000 casualties were reported but some sources reported losses of up to 45,000. Marked a turning point in relationship with France.

FLN

• FLNs core principles were for every resident in the country to be granted citizenship in the new republic, with full rights, on the condition they adopted the Algerian nationality.

• First emerged as a political entity when proposing the French administration with , “The Manifesto of the Algerian people,” signed by 56 international leaders.

• During this period the FLN, joined by other nationalist groups, established a government in exile, first in Cairo then in Tunis in 1958. Represented in the UN, the government was known as GPRA (Gouvernement Provisoire de la République Algérienne), with nationalist leader Ferhat Abbas serving as prime minister.

• Used Violence as means of attaining power, and even killed its own civilians. (Oran Massacre 1962 mostly french), (Philippeville Massacre) .

• FLNs right for independence was finally achieved by the signing of the Evian accords, the accords involved cease-fire agreements, and most importantly the recognition of Algerians right to Self determination and non discrimination amongst all .

Fanonism

• A great man who helped legitimise the Algerian struggle for Independence. Franz fanon a Matiniquan, educated in Lyon, France, was actively involved in the Liberation movement.

• “To speak a language is to take on a world, a culture.” (Fanon, 1986) , he promoted the idea of ethno-nationalism amongst Algerians and garnered support from other French dominions (Outre-Mer). “Imperialism leaves behind germs of rot which we must clinically detect and remove from our land but from our minds as well.” (Fanon, 1963)

Conclusion

• To suppress ethno-nationalism

• Stabilize French dominion

• Colonial desire to “emancipate” Algeria

Bibliography

• Corn Industry• Algerian ting, Harki : Trator