International Women's Day in Algeria communities
[RO-18 March 1995] "Women spontaneously occupied the city of Algiers on 8 March, went
Back issues available from out into the streets, moved around - the flower sellers sold out of roses - and met no your regular seller, or any ot hostility from the young men in the streets, which is something new. Perhaps this is a new the addresses on page two.
generation of young men. Such resistance in daily life by "ordinary" Algerian women -rather than only those who have an "European" mentality and way of life -- has been
El Khatwa
"A street theatre "tribunal" was organised by El Rafd (Refusal), a group closely allied to the former Communist Part (Tahadi). Fundamentalist leaders Ali Belhadj and Abassi Madani were sentenced to death by the tribunal. This action got widespread media coverage in
The journal of the Algerian
France. The problem is that this action claimed that the problem is simply one of religious
Socialist Workers' Party (PST)
obscurantism, attacking the enlightened ones, the elite among the women. And the tribunal has resumed publication!
judged only one side. There are not only 10,000 widows of victims of Islamic fundamentalist
For more information contact
International Viewpoint or write directly to
PST, 27 Blvd Zirout Youcef,
Algeria neglected by the media abroad.
----- pull-quotes on this page -----
17
All in all, it won't be easy to get the elections off the ground." *
1) A last minute agreement may result in the nomination of an "opposition" candidate like F.L.N.
General Secretary Abdel Hamid Mehri, a recurring fixture in the governments of the last 30 years, and one of those responsible for the present mess. He thinks he can cosy up to the fundamentalists and thus neutralise them. But he would probably get the thumbs down from the
International Viewpoint #265 April 1995
Algeria the situation in a positive direction. There should be more demonstrations in favour of democratic reforms and democratic forces, like on 3 December 1994 in Paris. Those abroad should also demand the cancelling of Algeria's foreign debt. Even if the regime is sucking resources out of the country for its own benefit, the abolition of the foreign debt would create much better possibilities for relaunching the economy.
Leila: Abolish the debt, yes. But for
The challenge for the benefit of those who have been on top for 34 years already? No way! At the very least, the democratic parties should propose a special commission [to ensure that the resources freed by cancelling the debt be directed into health, education and other social programmes].
Sanhadja: I still put my hope in the women's movement. Women still go to work, they still refuse to wear the veil -
Who's killing whom?
by Radouane Osmane
For my cousins in the smaller towns, to speak together, to go out, all this is almost a militant act. And even though the women's demonstrations of 22 March 1994 and the democratic demonstrations of June were completely aimed against the fundamentalists, and ignored the role of the regime, you have to admire the courage of the women who took part. *