Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Yasmina Allouche
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Profile: Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Algeria’s longest serving president (2 March 1937-17 September 2021)
Algeria’s longest reigning president Abdelaziz Bouteflika will be remembered as the man who helped Algeria transition from a brutal decade-long war, and reshaped the country’s international standing after years of isolation, but also the man who used reforms and amendments to stay in office for life. Born on 2 March…
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The cases of Shamima Begum and Rahaf Mohammed tell us a lot about how we define victimhood
Behind every headline there is a multi-layered story, and behind some stories there is a Muslim reading it and rolling their eyes. This is particularly true if you are a Muslim woman scrolling online; at least one eye-roll a day is mandatory. On one hand you have teenagers fleeing alleged…
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The 1982 Hama Massacre
What: Massacre and siege of Hama Where: Hama, Syria When: 2 February-28 February 1982 What happened? Since the 1940s, clashes between the secular Ba’ath Party of Syria and the Muslim Brotherhood were common. The city of Hama became known as a Brotherhood stronghold and the centre of anti-regime uprisings. Between…
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Profile: Ahmed Ben Bella, first president of Algeria (25 December 1916 – 11 April 2012)
Ahmed Ben Bella’s intelligence, ambition and love of his country marked him as a natural leader. Born on 25 December 1918 in the Algerian town of Marnia to Moroccan parents, he showed promise from a young age. Ben Bella’s father believed the same and moved his birth year to 1916…
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‘If I don’t give myself hope, I will not survive,’ says sister of Egypt detainee
“A day where I witnessed with my own eyes humanity being demolished.” That’s what Fatima Halawa, 26, replies when asked what the word “Rabaa” reminds her of. Memories of what happened on 14 August 2013 in Cairo’s Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square remain painful for those who suffered abuse at first hand.…
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Remembering Algeria’s Independence Day
What: Algeria gains independence from France after 132 years Where: Algeria When: 5 July 1962 What Happened? Algeria’s war of independence against colonial France, which had occupied the country for 132 years, began on 1 November 1954 and was led by the National Liberation Front (FLN). The guerrilla warfare adopted…
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50 years of arrests, evictions and interrogations for Palestinian children
The condition of Palestinian children, who have lived under occupation for the last five decades, was the main concern raised at the congressional meeting held yesterday by Ramallah-based NGO Defence for Children International Palestine (DCIP). The panel of experts and lawyers spoke about the daily, systematic abuse Palestinians are forced…
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Algeria’s repression of the Berber uprising
What: The 1980 Berber Spring Where: Tizi Ouzou, Algeria When: 20 April 1980 What Happened? On 10 March 1980, Algiers’ decision to cancel a conference in the University of Tizi Ouzou by renowned Kabyle (Berber) poet Mouloud Mammaeri because of the “risk of public unrest” sparked a rebellion. Protests ensured…
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Discover the Botanical Garden of Algiers, Algeria
When thinking of visiting North Africa few people would choose Algeria as their first destination choice; not because it doesn’t have a lot to offer but simply due to the lack of knowledge and misconceptions surrounding the country. 132 years of French occupation and a crippling civil war in the…
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Remembering the massacre of Algerians in Paris
What: Paris Massacre When: 17 October 1961 Where: Paris, France What Happened? On 5 October 1961, a curfew was imposed from 20:30 to 05.30 on Paris for “Algerian Muslim workers”, “French Muslims” and “French Muslims of Algeria”. The French Federation of the Algerian National Liberation Front called on Algerians in Paris…
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Discover Sheikh Zayed Mosque, UAE
Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the world’s third largest after the mosques in Makkah and Medina in Saudi Arabia. The mosque is named after the founder and first President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan who influenced the design and meaning behind the mosque. Sheikh Zayed…