The shifting sands of revolutionary legitimacy

The role of former mūjāhidīn in the shaping of Algeria's collective memory

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3979429
AutoresThomas Degeorges (American University of Sharjah, autor de correspondencia)
Año2009
Volumen14
Número2
Páginas273-288
Fecha de publicación2009-06-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaThe Journal of North African Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1362-9387 • E-ISSN: 1743-9345
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13629380902745199
OpenAlexW2016362619
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas3
Referencias citadas9

This paper will examine the role played by the former veterans of Algeria's war of independence (the mūjāhidīn) in the construction of Algeria's collective memory. I will argue that these veterans were able to embrace a broader vision of Algeria's national destiny while weaving themselves into the local historical narratives of their regions, when the legitimacy of the centralised state was threatened by a decade of civil unrest and violence, known within Algeria as the ‘dark decade’. The term ‘dark decade’ is used locally to refer to the 1990s, a period bracketed by the controversial parliamentary elections of 1990–91 and the election of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 1999 Abdelaziz Bouteflika. 1979. Al-akh yalqa kalima al-ta'bīn'. Awal November, 32(January) [Google Scholar]. Much of the evidence presented in this paper is from archival material I collected at the Algerian National Archives, the Sanctuary of the Martyr and other research centres in the country from 2006–2007. The veterans' ability to navigate both national and local political arenas explains their largely successful effort to retain their privileged position in Algerian society despite the turbulent events of late 20th century Algeria. Keywords: Algeriamujahidinveteranssocial policycollective memory Notes Malley, R., 1996. The call from Algeria: third worldism, revolution and the turn to Islam. Los Angeles: University of California Press. Cited in Klein 2000 Klein, K. 2000. On the emergence of memory in historical discourse. Representations, 69: 127–150. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], p. 133. A fuller description of the concept of ‘zero hour’ and its importance to post-war German historiography can be found in Kapczynski 2002 Kapczynski, J. 2002. Review of Robert G. Moeller's book War stories: the search for a usable past in the Federal Republic of Germany. German Quarterly, 75(3): 341–342. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]. Malley, R. 1996. The call from Algeria: third worldism, revolution and the turn to Islam. Los Angeles: University of California Press. Lil mujāhid al-yūm ‘an yiburhan ‘ala ‘asalātihi al-nidāliyya. Awal November, 4 (May), 4–5. It is interesting to note that Tunisian president Habib Bourguiba also expanded the definition of ‘jihad’ to include countrywide efforts to industrialise his country (Kenneth Perkins, 141). Algerian National Archives. Ministère des Anciens Moudjahidine, Direction, Cabinet Mr. le Ministre : Divers communications et conclusions des seminaires de l'ONM. Conseil National Economique et Social: Exposé du 9.11. 1971 de M. Sansal (Directeur du Personnel de la SNS). Le centre d'etude et de recherche sur le mouvement national et la revolution du premier novembre 1954 Le centre d'etude et de recherche sur le mouvement national et la revolution du premier novembre 1954. El-Biar, Algiers. Available from: http://www.cnerh-nov54.dz/ [Accessed 2008] [Google Scholar] (El-Biar, Algiers). Al-taqrīr al-wilā'iyya li al-munthama al-wataniyya li al-mujāhidīn (al-mu'atamar al-sābi' lil mujāhidīn) March 4, 1986, p. 15. Malley, 1996 Malley, R. 1996. The Call from Algeria: Third Worldism, Revolution, and the Turn to Islam, Berkeley: University of California Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar], p. 208. Some of these works include: Mekideche 1993 Mekideche, A. 1993. Regards sur l'ecole et la vie, Alger: ENAG/Editions. [Google Scholar], p. 288, Bennoune and el-Kenz 1990 Bennoune, M. and El-Kenz, A. 1990. Le Hasard et l'Histoire: Entretiens avec Belaid Abdesselam (Tome I), Alger: ENAG/Editions. [Google Scholar]. Al-thawra al-tahrīriyya intalaqat min al-gharb (19 June 2006) Sawt al-Gharb. Thakira 8 mayo p. 13 al-Jaysh. Bayān musānida. Al-Khabar (January 25, 1999 Al-Khabar. 1999. Bayān musānida. Al-Khabar, 25 January [Google Scholar

Collective memory · Legitimacy · Political science · Politics · Hispanic-African Historical Relations · Law · North African History and Literature · Philippine History and Culture