Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Algerian School books glorifying colonialism

"Unforgivable crime against the Algerian historic memory"

"[...] an expression glorifying colonialism in Algeria in the 5th primary year history book and another one offending freedom fighters in the 4th intermediate year history book.
"The expression glorifying the French colonialism was mentioned in P17 as follows: 'in the early 19th century, during the industrial revolution, France developed its army and built up its military capacities which allowed to free Algeria.” Specialists say that the expression “to freeeAlgeria” is an attempt to alter History and to glorify French colonialism, especially, given the fact that the book was cloned on history programmes adopted by the former coloniser.

"Furthermore, the 4th intermediate history book quoted in P59 'At the end of WWII, the French coloniser barbaric aspect was finally disclosed. This has fuelled the People’s Party militants’ extremism and the gap between them and those who aspired at a pacific coexistence with France [...]'. Historians consider that the expression 'extremists' [is undermining the memory of the revolution]. [...]"

Source:
El Khabar (Algeria), October 30, 2007