Minorities and the politics of recognition in Algeria: Kabylia and the M’zab. Confluences Méditerrannée,
Ratiba Hadj-Moussa
Refereed Article, 2020
Hadj-Moussa, R., & Tilmatine, M. (2020). Minorities and the politics of recognition in Algeria: Kabylia and the M’zab. Confluences Méditerrannée, 114(3), 135–147.
The question of linguistic and religious minorities is a quasi-taboo subject in Algeria. The silencing of the Berber languages and the marginalization of minority religions have been constant and long-lasting. This paper focuses on the responses of minority actors from Kabylia and the M’zab to the restrictive policies of successive Algerian regimes. Of interest are the modes of inclusion/exclusion of these minorities in the Algerian nation and their claims for recognition. Particular attention is paid to the process of heritagization, which appears to be the focus of political and symbolic clashes between the state and the minorities.