Algeria is the women’s rights activist Alice Schwarzer on the heart. In the Interview she talks about her close ties to an Algerian family, her book about the country and the protests against President Bouteflika.
DW: the woman in Black, where does your interest in Algeria?
Alice Black: I have two Times longer in the 1960s and 1970s lived in Paris and there was the whole of Algeria. Algeria, Vietnam, France, the cipher for the politicization, decolonization, outrage and so on is, so to speak. Then on top of that, I made in 1989 in Tunis, a Seminar for journalists in the Maghreb. Among the participants were Algerians. As I have held, among other things, to Djamila contact, is the Central figure of my book “My Algerian family.” Djamila was in the 1990s as a journalist and emancipated woman in severe distress. I brought five years after the Cologne, which has saved her life. Through this action, I have developed a friendship with the family friends. The family came to me, I went to Algiers, and this family I portrayed, so to speak, a prototype of a large family with three generations.
What is the advantage of it is perhaps to tell of Algeria from the perspective of a family rather than an analysis?
Both is legitimate. The story of a family is, of course, told Algeria from the inside. The book is published a year ago in Germany, and two weeks ago in France. In France, it is said, it is the first book about the life in Algeria today. Today we know little of Algeria. Algeria was in the 1960s and 1970s world famous and has been admired as the country that has freed itself from its own power from the colonial masters and the Mecca of all Revolutionary. All the way – Che Guevara, the Black Panthers, and so on. And then it sunk a bit in oblivion and especially in the Trauma of the nineties. In the Nineties, which are called by the Algerians of the “Black years”, died in the Islamist-instigated civil war, more than 200,000 people. And this Trauma has a lasting effect. There are basically two traumas that Algeria has today: It is the post-colonialism. The oldest brother of Djamila has been fighting as a child against the colonial masters, as he told me. And it is Islam extremism in the 90s. Those are the two big issues of our time, and these two great topics we can study in this country.
Alice Schwarzer has written about your contacts to an Algerian family in a book
There are demonstrations against President Bouteflika. I would be very interested to know how you assess this development in light of their many years of experience.
I have already predicted in my book, this unrest. To do this, you must be clairvoyant. It was to be expected that Bouteflika would put a fifth of an opaque, a mafia-type Clan behind him, although he action is. However, no one could know – I have not expected so wide and so resolute protests. “My whole family” goes on the road and keeps me up to date daily. And I can tell you that both in Algiers and in Oran, Setif, and in Tipaza, mainly the young [people] and a very strong women to go on the road. Because you have to catch up on citizen’s rights, even a little. They are still not equal citizens. And the mood was first, and is still very peaceful and very serene. The women “Yuyus”, this Arabic yodel, and it’s almost familiar, tell me my family and the many people who write to me. Since in France the book is published, write to me stranger Algerians, I don’t know. But at the same time, people are afraid, justifiably, because they protest against the Existing. You don’t know what might come. There is nothing there and you know not yet how the Regime will ultimately respond when the resistance stops. And, of course, lurking in the Background of the Islamists.
And this is exactly the reason why Algeria of 2011, had held…
During the Arab spring, the Algerians have said “no thank you”. And you were right. Because of the “Arab spring” has been very quickly to the “Arab Winter”. It may have triggered a couple of really freedom-thirsting people this spring. But very quickly, the well-organized and good with Petrodollars-equipped Islamists in this Chaos are pushed and have tried in all the countries, to seize Power. This danger was the Algerians clear, and you will no longer vote after the nineties open for the Islamists. You know, what is this for a gang of murderers.
But of course, there is the danger of religious radicalisation as a result of the trauma. There are very a lot of hope and a whole lot of concern. How will it be? As it is, of course, on the West. How will respond to the West? He will try to support the truly democratic forces there? What is not easy. Or will he choose in the end for the Graveyard and the existing Regime? Because one thing is clear: if Algeria falls into Chaos or falling into the wrong hands, then North Africa, it is quite. And then we learn what is a wave of refugees. The Algerian destiny should not be of concern to us only out of compassion.
The Interview was conducted by Luisa von Richthofen.
Alice Black is one of the most well-known women’s rights activist in Germany. The journalist and publicist, founded, among others, the women’s magazine “Emma”. Her book “My Algerian family,” is published in German and French.