Is French-Algerian reconciliation possible?
President Sarkozy’s usual audacity was slightly flinching when he made his speech in Algeria. Of the course the question is a thorny one, but what is there to gain by remaining so woolly?
There were victims on both sides, Sarkozy said. Quite. French and Algerian historians should join forces and establish a shared view based on hard facts: yes, the idea is excellent, if not indispensable. Yet, what the French an Algerians people really expect, especially the descendants of the victims, are very simple words. Words that would clearly show that the mistakes of the past are well understood and that old demons can never return.
Deep down, today’s French would readily associate themselves with such words. Of course, there is the touchy issue of forgiveness. Forgiveness, not repentance, much too heavy and too religious a word. These words could sound like: we have hurt your people, we have done so deliberately, we deeply regret it and we ask for your forgiveness.
Whatever the historical causes, the explanations, the alibis, we must accept that France obviously erred and wronged the peoples who used to live on Algerian soil as much as herself.
She erred in 1870 when she promulgated the Cremieux decree which granted the French nationality to both Christians and Jewish residents of Algeria, and left the Muslims confined in a “native people” status. By doing this, France turned her back on her own republican ideals, and sent two clear messages to the majority of the population: first, a confirmation that they were under a colonial rule and secondly a regrettable gesture of contempt and distrust towards Islam. Divide its own people according to religious lines amounted to kill ahead of time any hypothetic French Algeria, since most of the inhabitants of Algeria were not allowed to claim French citizenship. Quite a paradox for the (self proclaimed) homeland of Human Rights and a secular republic!
France erred again when she fell into the trap of violence and war as soon as May 1945, neglecting the avenues of dialogue which she later recommended to others. She erred when she used techniques of total war, like torture or displacements of population, etc. She erred when she did not keep her promises towards harkis (Muslim Algerian auxiliaries enrolled in the French army); many of them were left behind to die at the hands of nationalists.
In a nutshell, if they would get some background information, the French of today would rather identify themselves with a generous country, able to ask for forgiveness and to grant forgiveness, than with an old lady stiff in her old-fashioned pride and who tries to ignore historical facts.
Mister President, let’s dare to cross this line.
President Sarkozy’s usual audacity was slightly flinching when he made his speech in Algeria. Of the course the question is a thorny one, but what is there to gain by remaining so woolly?
There were victims on both sides, Sarkozy said. Quite. French and Algerian historians should join forces and establish a shared view based on hard facts: yes, the idea is excellent, if not indispensable. Yet, what the French an Algerians people really expect, especially the descendants of the victims, are very simple words. Words that would clearly show that the mistakes of the past are well understood and that old demons can never return.
Deep down, today’s French would readily associate themselves with such words. Of course, there is the touchy issue of forgiveness. Forgiveness, not repentance, much too heavy and too religious a word. These words could sound like: we have hurt your people, we have done so deliberately, we deeply regret it and we ask for your forgiveness.
Whatever the historical causes, the explanations, the alibis, we must accept that France obviously erred and wronged the peoples who used to live on Algerian soil as much as herself.
She erred in 1870 when she promulgated the Cremieux decree which granted the French nationality to both Christians and Jewish residents of Algeria, and left the Muslims confined in a “native people” status. By doing this, France turned her back on her own republican ideals, and sent two clear messages to the majority of the population: first, a confirmation that they were under a colonial rule and secondly a regrettable gesture of contempt and distrust towards Islam. Divide its own people according to religious lines amounted to kill ahead of time any hypothetic French Algeria, since most of the inhabitants of Algeria were not allowed to claim French citizenship. Quite a paradox for the (self proclaimed) homeland of Human Rights and a secular republic!
France erred again when she fell into the trap of violence and war as soon as May 1945, neglecting the avenues of dialogue which she later recommended to others. She erred when she used techniques of total war, like torture or displacements of population, etc. She erred when she did not keep her promises towards harkis (Muslim Algerian auxiliaries enrolled in the French army); many of them were left behind to die at the hands of nationalists.
In a nutshell, if they would get some background information, the French of today would rather identify themselves with a generous country, able to ask for forgiveness and to grant forgiveness, than with an old lady stiff in her old-fashioned pride and who tries to ignore historical facts.
Mister President, let’s dare to cross this line.
posted by Antoine Jaulmes at 11:37 AM
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