🚀 go-pugleaf

I received this from a feminist list in India.  I thought there may be
people on the Quaker-P list interested in an eye witness account of events
in Algeria.  Apologies if a cross-post.  I have not seen it anywhere else.

Linda Rogers

>Return-Path: <owner-il-gender@unv.ernet.in>
>Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 17:26:11 +0500 (GMT+0500)
>From: Mail List Admin <mailist@unv.ernet.in>
>To: il-gender@unv.ernet.in
>Subject: Open Letter By Algerian Feminist
>Sender: owner-il-gender@unv.ernet.in
>Reply-To: il-gender@unv.ernet.in
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: vikram!aiindex@mnet.fr (Harsh Kapoor)
>
>To feminist and women's right activits in India. Please pass on...
>__________________________________
>
>>Dear Friend,
>>
>>       I had plan to write you earlier but daily life is keeping me busy
>>always,
>>and especially in these difficult times. "Difficult" is rather an
>>understated term given the drama and horrors I have been confronted with
>>lately. But, despite everything, I have every reason to believe that we will
>>succeed in getting out of this trap - thanks to the courage and dedication
>>of all those that I am meeting daily. Despite the horrors they are facing
>>these people convey an incredible strength, the strength of life. I am
>>thinking especially of those teachers, women and men, living in martyr areas
>>and who really deserve our admiration.
>>>      For sure you have "seen" images, heard descriptions, read
>>>commentaries on
>>the massacres that have taken place recently in some areas in the periphery
>>of Algiers. The day following the genocide of Hai Rais (29th of August,
>>1997, more than 500 victims - the majority of them women and children)
>>Princess Diana was killed in a car crash and her death was on the front
>>pages of every media. I am referring to her on purpose because our painful
>>memories could not believe that nobody mentioned our own little princesses.
>>However... Hundreds of images were captured by our photographers, dozens of
>>testimonies collected by our journalists who, as always, have shown
>>incredible courage and commitment to "talk, testify", to avoid - precisely -
>>the isolation of the population. "Break the wall of silence, testify on the
>>very facts": it is this motto that brought Ouahab, the tireless photographer
>>of "Le Matin",  Salima Tlemcani from "El Watan", Said N. from "El Khabar"
>>(daily newspaper in arabic) as well as other journalists of the independent
>>press to force the "reluctance" (resistance?) of the authorities in order to
>>reach immediately the site of the drama. But one continues, here and there,
>>to hear that "this war has no face...". However, it is certainly not the
>>faces of the victims, or of the survivors, nor even the ones of the
>>terrorists that are missing! Those who really want it can obviously gather
>>information - and collect it from those who have been affected by the
>>massacres. I can testify that not a single woman, man or child who I have
>>freely gotten in touch with - simply by stating my identity and the reasons
>>of my being here - have refused to talk. On the contrary. My and my friends'
>>presence have not only been appreciated but the victims understood it as a
>>solidarity gesture, as a sign of belonging to the human community. For me,
>>the massacres of Bentalha and Hai Rais are now bearing names, faces, hidden
>>wounds that will have to heal - but above all people convey an amazing will
>>to live. To live, for them, is to find the paths that will bring them back
>>towards Humanity - because they refuse from now on to be left in the margins
>>of society, the very place where fundamentalism wants them to remain. "We
>>need to relearn how to live normally, to shake the hand of a woman, to look
>>at her in a fraternal way even if she does not cover her head or her arms.
>>It is now about 5 or 6 years since that we have forgotten these rather
>>normal attitudes" told me a young man from Hai rais.
>>
>>       I wish you to know that "our" anger is not directed only towards
some of
>>the media abroad but also against our government-controlled television. This
>>television reached the highest stage of criminal stupidity when it kept
>>silent in the face of this genocide, which was followed a few days later by
>>another one in Bentalha (23rd of September 1997, more than 250 victims). Our
>>television has also been affected by the "Diana syndrom" at the very moment
>>Fatiha, a woman teacher in Hai Rais, witnessed helplessly the murders of her
>>husband and 3 years-old son burnt alive in their home. Who has even heard of
>>Fatiha? A few days later she went back to her workplace "because I cannot
>>leave these children without education." That's what she told me when I met
>>her. As you can well imagine the path that I am following most often these
>>days is the one leading me towards these women, these men, these children
>>traumatized by fire and blood - but who remain so courageous and show so
>>much dignity.
>>>
>>>      I guess you can imagine the pain, the anger I felt when I went to those
>>two villages a couple of days after massacres were perpetrated with
>>incredible bestiality by the islamist armed groups. I do not know whether
>>you have already been to Oradour - the only thing I can tell you is that it
>>is horrible! Exactly a year ago I went to Oradour. Upon leaving I simply
>>said to the French resistants who were there: "You were right to fight
>>against the fascists and, for us, we are also right to fight against
>>fundamentalism in order to avoid other martyr villages". But never would I
>>have dreamed about finding myself at home, in Algeria, in circumstances
>>where, once having entered burned-down houses, the only visible traces of
>>life left behind were remains of burnt shoes, children's text books and some
>>family pictures, which by miracle did not burn, as well as broken dishes,
>>burnt mattresses or clothes - and blood, blood everywhere, not even really
>>dry yet. And the eyes of the men!
>>>      Oh how difficult it is for me - who was raised in a culture where
>>>men hide
>>to cry - to see them struck by pain, by rage because of their helplessness,
>>their guilt at being still alive while their wives, their children had their
>>throats slit in front of their eyes. Ahmed saved 35 people, his neighbors,
>>by helping them to reach the house of a patriot while his own wife and three
>>children ran in another direction and were slaughtered. And this one father
>>who took me to what has been his humble house. He managed to escape the
>>murderers' knives by hiding with one of his sons in his tiny garden. During
>>that time, he witnessed, totally helpless, the massacre of his wife and
>>three younger children who got their throats slit open and then were burned.
>>He could see it "live" since one of the terrorists was holding a torch to
>>facilitate the criminal acts of his accomplices. When I entered this house I
>>saw on the floor the remains of hair held together by a hair pin. All
>>burned. My only reaction was to bend and pick what remained from this martyr
>>woman. The poor man could only burst into tears because he did not have the
>>courage to do this gesture. I cried and pledged to show all those who
>>continue to pretend that "no one knows who kills in Algeria" the signature
>>of those who not only claim responsibility for their crimes but also commit
>>them without even hiding their faces. I have not heard once, not even once,
>>a survivor doubting of the identity of his or her murderers. The victims
>>know them, they recognize them and can name them. The fact is each time
>>these terrorist groups came, they were guided by people - including women -
>>from the neighborhood. They arrived with bare faces, first using tricks such
>>as making the village inhabitants believe that they belonged to the army
>>because the first terrorist group always comes dressed in military uniforms.
>>Then, once the population trusts them and opens their doors, horror starts.
>>This scenario is used repeatedly. Those who hide in their houses saw their
>>doors blown open by explosives. The leaders of the massacres in Bentalha are
>>known by everyone. The leaders are Laazaraoui and Ould hamrane, whose sister
>>Nacera, also a terrorist, was arrested the day after the massacre by the
>>village's patriots. Her testimony is very important in regards to  the
>>politico-military organization of the islamist parties and armed groups.
>>Together with other women, she took part in the massacre and was responsible
>>to designate which families should be murdered and those, accomplices, which
>>should be spared. Then she and the other women collected the gold and cash
>>of their victims.  On the day of her arrest her testimony was made public
>>before photographers and the press. The majority of the terrorists
>>identified by the inhabitants of Hai Rais, Bentalha, Larbaa, Sidi Moussa,
>>etc... were activists in the FIS. I also heard a lot of inhabitants
>>criticizing very firmly and directly the vacuum and long term invisibility
>>of the state's institutions. These populations were "abandoned" for years to
>>the diktats of the islamists. " We lived under their control. Everywhere
>>they were 'dawla' (the state). They were the ones who watched over the kids
>>coming to school every morning. They came to our school to check how we were
>>teaching our classes and whether the girls were veiled and dressed according
>>to their will. One day I was wearing a "Lacoste" T-shirt so they stopped me
>>at the school entrance to threaten me and to tell me that they will take
>>care of my own education before I could take care of the one of my
>>pupils..." These are the words of a male teacher from Hai Rais school who
>>despite the terror in the region has chosen to stick to his school. Nowadays
>>there are about one dozen, all with university qualifications, to take
>>responsibility for the education of the thousand of children in their village.
>>>
>>>      The responsibility of the state is total as far as the issues of the
>>security of the persons and their properties have been dealt with. This
>>governmental power - in its actions, its incompetence and under-estimation
>>of the fundamentalist phenomena - is in striking contradiction with the
>>maturity and awareness most Algerian men and women are showing.
>>>      When the massacres ocured the number of terrorists on site was,
>>>according
>>to all testimonies, far beyond the number of military persons posted in the
>>area.  It is precisely this under-estimation by the state of the potential
>>power of fundamentalist terrorism that led to the government's decision to
>>not gather all its power to guarantee the security of people. At the very
>>moment when our prime minister refers to 'residual' terrorism, and when the
>>government is negotiating with the "criminal" FIS leader Abassi Madani,
>>fundamentalist troops who have undergone ideological hate training, are
>>organizing themselves. As they organize as extermination troops, they are
>>getting ready to commit the worst of the genocides. Their main and only goal
>>is to induce the collapse of the republican state and impose a theocratic
>>islamist state through chaos and a pseudo-negotiation with the political
>>system that has led the country for over 30 years.
>>
>>        The "dialogue" that many political forces in Algeria and abroad wish
>>to impose as the ONLY solution is already taking place on the ground. Hasn't
>>the compromise that so many here and elsewhere want us to reach already been
>>put into practice? When one listens to the discourses of the current
>>ministers (which include the 7 representatives of the islamist party of
>>Nahnah), or reads the decrees regarding the generalization of arabic
>>language, and when high representatives of the state testify about the
>>recommendations given to them by conservative leaders of the FLN and the RND
>>(presidential party) - well then we are absolutely in islamist politics! I
>>won't even tell you about the status of women - as this is the absolute
>>status quo. On the eve of each election all leaders-to-be are trying to
>>charm women in order to get their votes. We are even labelled CITIZENS -
>>even by the governmental power - only for the occasion, but as soon as the
>>ballot (although asexual) is in, then women become second class citizens
again.
>>>
>>>      For 15 days a large military operation has been taking place in this
>>region of the Mitidja known as the "Triangle of death" where the worse
>>massacres have occured. Unbelievable discoveries have been made: the
>>terrorist armed groups, all factions together, have for several years built
>>an underground city with labs designed to produce explosives, hospital
>>units, food supplies and very sophisticated communication channels. This
>>military operation is reported on on a daily basis by the press as there are
>>journalists in the area. Many documents are found such as correspondence
>>between various GIA leaders (emirs), financial reports, fatwa regarding how
>>terrorists should "treat" the young girls they have kidnapped, etc... These
>>documents reveal that this organization is not simply a mafia type
>>organization as some wanted us to believe but truly a politico-military
>>organization which is preparing itself and strategizing for years in order
>>to conquer political power by all means.
>>>
>>>      I started writing because I wanted to tell you about the schools,
>>>teachers
>>and pupils that I met. I wanted to tell you about their thirst for knowledge
>>and the lack of means. When I met the principal of a primary school in this
>>area I thought I was meeting a "Mohican" - not the last one though for they
>>are many. Imagine the responsibility he is assuming by accepting to be the
>>headmaster of a primary school in an area totally under the control of
>>fundamentalists and therefore where teaching and attending school equates a
>>death penalty! During a whole year in 1994 the teachers, mainly women, were
>>teaching in class rooms without doors. While the classes were taking place
>>the head master kept an eye out in case there was "a bomb attack or a
>>terrorist group." This school did not close its doors even for a day. And
>>the female teachers did not abandon their pupils even for a day. Today, in
>>this school where hundreds of beheaded bodies were exposed, life goes on.
>>With a tremendous will power. Once again, the school staff performs a
>>magnificent role. "Before we start our lessons we listen to the kids tell us
>>about the drama they lived, because there are no psychologists available so
>>we have to take care of that. We are not trained for such a role and we are
>>traumatized ourselves, but the children have to come first". These are the
>>humble and admirable words of those who chose the light rather than the
>>darkness.
>>>
>>>      Now you understand why I say that we have the strength and will to
>>>win, to
>>get out of this trap, to restore the values of the Republic, of secularism,
>>of citizenship - here in our country. We do not need U.N. peace keepers nor
>>any so-called "strong" intervention to clear out a more human path. There is
>>much more to say on this subject. I read this morning in the press that an
>>appeal has been signed by 4 international human rights organizations,
>>including Amnesty International, for the internationalization of the
>>Algerian issue. What do they know about our reality, about our lives? They
>>should come discuss with the population, listen to those who point at their
>>murderers and stop depicting those butchers as victims. They should come and
>>listen to this father, Boudjemaa, who saved 200 people in Bentalha. 200
>>persons came to take refuge in his house because they knew he was a patriot.
>>       Our consciousness, our souls have learned to measure the extent of
>>what we
>>refuse - ["au prix du sang"]. The majority of Algerian women and men refuse
>>the ideology imposed by islamists, they refuse to see their religious belief
>>manipulated by the politic and call for a rupture with the political system
>>that brought us where we are - in a dead end street. How? That's already
>>another debate. But the "keys" are here, at home, already blossoming. That
>>is my strong belief.
>>
>>
>>Zazi Sadou
>>RAFD (Algerian Assembly of Women for Democracy)
>>Alger
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
----------------------------------------------------
Linda Rogers
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Canada
lrogers@vaxxine.com
family page:  http://www3.sympatico.ca/douglas.rogers/douglas.rogers
GH Social Action Committee:  http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/9378
cello page: http://www.cello.org/freepage/lrogers.htm
BPO Educational Programs:  http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/5732
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No more the drudge and idler, ten that toil where one reposes,
But a sharing of life's glories: Bread and roses, bread and roses.
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
Hearts starve as well as bodies; bread and roses, bread and roses.