Are you mute (or dumb)? Worry not, I’ll speak for you!

The riots which are taking place in Algeria give the opportunity for many people to speak. These people are taking advantage of the non-organisation of the rioters, their young age, their ignorance and of the looting and criminal acts which go with them to speak on their behalf and give the reasons and explanations meeting their own agenda.

Unlike the Tunisians, the Algerian rioters do not represent all the socioprofessional categories. Most of them are unemployed young men, many are teenagers who should be in school, and some are there just to steal and destroy. They have no clear message and they don’t hold placards to tell the world what they want. I am not even sure they would agree on a common message, if they have one that is. We see therefore men and women on the ENTV, the foreign TV channels and on the internet who attempt to explain the rioters’ actions, and of course to link them with their own desires.

Algerian revolution: who is lying and who is telling the truth?

I mentioned in a previous post how the Algerian regime managed to create a perfect history around the Algerian revolution as a whole and for many of the freedom fighters and martyrs as individuals. It is for example amazing that we have two historical versions on Ali Tounsi who was a great moudjahid in one and the worst harki in the other.
Today we are witnessing a different phenomenon with many men criticizing some of the Algerian revolution’s figures. It has been an ongoing trend for some time now but Said Saadi‘s recent book triggered a new storm which, I think, won’t stop any soon.

I haven’t read Saadi’s book, but what I gathered from the Algerian newspapers is that he “used” some archive materials he got from France to prove that colonel Amirouche (and Si Lhaoues, but he doesn’t really care as he was not Kabyle) was killed by the French with the help (or instigation) of both Boussouf and Boumediene. He also, again according to the newspapers, wrote that Krim Belkacem was not involved in the murder of Abane. A Kabyle cannot kill another Kabyle, duh!

Saadi chose to publish his book while Kabylia commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Berber spring, and apparently aimed with his book at gaining (or regaining) some support among the Kabyles. He could as always count on Noureddine Ait-Hamouda as his moral caution. In their fight, the RCD, the FFS, the 3rouche and the MAK don’t hesitate to use any tool to get an advantage over the others, even though the FFS tries to show itself as a national party and not a regional one.

And many people now are retaliating and a snowball effect is ongoing.

“Embedded” opposition is useless? So is the external one

This video of the RCD deputy Mr. Noureddine Ait-Hamouda, who is also the vice-president of the APN, is being shared and commented all over the net.
The contribution of Amirouche Ait-Hamouda‘s son is successful probably because, in his speech, he shared the Algerian public opinion on many important matters. Its success comes also from the fact Ait-Hamouda is famous for his “kharjates”. I can mention here his speeches about Emir Abdelkader, Algiers new mosque,  or the fake Moudjahidine (videos on these topics and others are available on YouTube or DailyMotion).

This deputy’s action raises the question of the opposition to the Algerian system while being part of it, or what I would call “embedded” opposition.
There are many political parties represented in the Algerian parliament. The most active among the opponents being the PT, the RCD, El-Islah and En-nahdha. But what is this embedded opposition there for? And is it more efficient than say the FFS?