LEGACY OF THE FRENCH COLONIALISM FROM THE ALGERIAN CIVIL WAR TO THE BEUR RIOTS: A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ‘SELF-OTHER’ Elif Kuru 104605009 İSTANBUL BİLGİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ ULUSLARARASI İLİŞKİLER YÜKSEK LİSANS PROGRAMI Doç. Dr. Ayhan Kaya 2008 LEGACY OF THE FRENCH COLONIALISM FROM THE ALGERIAN CIVIL WAR TO THE BEUR RIOTS: A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ‘SELF- OTHER’ by Elif Kuru 104605009 Submitted to the Social Sciences Institute in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in International Relations Istanbul Bilgi University 2008 ii “Legacy of the French Colonialism from the Algerian Civil War to the Beur Riots: A Short History of the Self-Other” “Cezayir İç Savaşı’ndan Beur Ayaklanması’na Fransız Sömürgecilik Mirası: İçimizdeki Ötekinin Kısa Tarihi” Elif Kuru 104605009 Approved by: Assoc. Prof. Ayhan Kaya ............................................................. Assoc. Prof. Emre Işık ................................................................. Assoc. Prof. Ferhat Kentel .......................................................... Date of Approval: .................... No. of pages:……95…………. Keywords (English) Keywords (Turkish) 1) Colonialism 1) Sömürgecilik 2) Immigration 2) Göç 3) Civil War 3) İç Savaş 4) France 4) Fransa 5) Algeria 5) Cezayir iii ABSTRACT This study, which deals with the effects of the History of Colonialism and Algerian Civil War on the Beur Uprisings, tries to make an analysis on the French migration policies and deals with the problems of being a migrant in a country having a colonial past. Algeria faced serious problems after the independence war in the wake of the years under French colony. Without the fulfillment of state-building and nation-building processes, Algeria went through a harsh civil war. Migration to France is a consequence of the economic and political problems that Maghrebians went through in their homelands. In the aftermath of the migration process, the Diaspora Muslims in France, however, could not integrate into the system due to the assimilationist policies. Migrants who could not benefit from their right of political representation attempt to legitimize their problems in different ways. Therefore, youth riots that occurred in Paris banlieues in October 2005 demonstrated that France is still feeling the ramifications of its colonial past. Overall, this study contends that a strong relationship exists between the consequences of the colonialism, Algerian Civil War and the Beur Uprisings and claims that those third generation riots are the legacy of history of colonialism for France. iv ÖZET Sömürgecilik tarihi ve Cezayir İç Savaşı’nın Fransa’daki Beur Ayaklanmaları’na etkisini konu alan bu çalışma, Fransa’nın göç politikalarının analizini yapmakta ve sömürgeci geçmişe sahip bir ülkede göçmen olmanın sorunlarını ele almaktadır. Cezayir, siyasi, ekonomik ve kültürel olarak Fransa’nın vesayeti altında geçirilen yılların ardından bağımsızlık mücadelesiyle ciddi sorunlar yaşamıştır. Devletleşme ve milletleşme projelerini tam olarak tamamlayamadan iç savaşla yüz yüze gelmiştir. Fransa’ya göç, Mağriplilerin ülkelerinde yaşadıkları ekonomik ve siyasi problemlerin bir sonucudur. Ancak bu göç neticesinde Fransa’daki diaspora Müslümanları asimilasyoncu politikalar nedeniyle sisteme entegre olamamışlardır. Siyasi temsil hakkından gerektiği şekilde yararlanamayan göçmenler, problemlerini farklı yollarla duyurma yoluna yönelmişlerdir. Dolayısıyla, 2005 yılının Ekim ayında Paris banliyölerinde meydana gelen gençlik ayaklanmaları Fransa’nın sömürgeciliğin izlerini hala silemediğini ortaya koymuştur. Sonuç olarak bu çalışma, sömürgeciliğin sonuçları, Cezayir İç Savaşı ve Beur Ayaklanmaları arasında çok önemli bir ilişki olduğunu savunmakta ve bu üçüncü jenerasyon ayaklanmalarının sömürgecilik tarihinin Fransa’ya bir mirası olduğunu iddia etmektedir. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my thesis supervisor Associate Professor Ayhan Kaya both for his guidance throughout the writing of this study and his sincere comments and patience. Moreover, I am grateful to Mr. Soli Özel for dedicating some of his time and energy to answer my questions. Finally, this study is dedicated to my parents, Nuran and Şeref Kuru; my sisters, Mine, Safiye and Esra; my dearest nephews, Ömer and Ahmet Şeref; my friends, Tuğba, Seth, Derya, Göksun and Saliha and finally Orhan whom I frequently tired with my chequered emotions during my journey of thesis. ELİF KURU İstanbul, May 2008 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page ………………………………………………………………………………ii Page of Aproval ……………………………………………………………………….iii Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………..iv Özet ……………………………………………………………………………………..v Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………….vi Table of Contents………………………………………………………………….......vii List of Abbreviations…………………………………………………………………..ix INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………1 Aims of the Study……………………………………………………………………….2 Methodolgy……………………………………………………………………………...4 State of the Art………………………………………………………………………….5 I. SURRENDERING TO THE AURA OF COLONIALISM AND ITS CONSEQUENCES A General Outlook to the History of Colonialism……………………………………8 Colonization of Africa………………………………………………………………...16 Colonization of Algeria…………………………………………………………….....19 Decolonization Period………………………………………………………………...22 Decolonization of Algeria………………………………………………………….....24 II. CHASING THE ALGERIAN CIVIL WAR: A HISTORY OF RESURRECTION OR TANTALIZATION? Algeria: Reborn from Its Ashes……………………………………………………...32 Pre-Civil War Period (1962-1991)…………………………………………………...34 Algerian Civil War: A Civil War or a Deep State Struggle?....................................37 vii Role of Economy during the Civil War……………………………………………...43 Role of Religion during the Civil War………………………………………………46 Foreign Policy in Algeria during the Civil War Years……………………………..48 Consequences of the Civil War………………………………………………………55 III. ALGERIAN MIGRATION TO FRANCE: LEGACY OF THE COLONIAL REGIME Migration: An Oxymoron in Understanding the French Society………………….58 French Policies of Migration and Citizenship: Lack of Political Representation of Muslim Origin Migrants……………………………………………………………..63 Assimilation versus Integration……………………………………………………...71 The Beur Uprisings: The Bell Tolls for France……………………………………..78 CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………..85 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………….92 viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AIS: Armed Wing of the Islamic Salvation Front ALN: Army of the National Salvation AML: Friends of the Manifesto and of Liberty ENA: North African Star FIS: Islamic Salvation Front FLN: National Salvation Front GIA: Armed Islamic Group GSPC: Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat IMF: International Monetary Fund La HALDE: High Authority for the Fight Against Discrimination and for Equality Le CRAN: Black Rights Group in France MNA: Algerian National Movement MTLD: Movement of the Triumph of Democratic Liberties NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization NAM: Non-Aligned Movement OAU: Organization of the African Unity PPA: Algerian People’s Party PS: French Socialist Party RUSI: Royal United Services Institution UDMA: Democratic Union of the Algerian Manifesto UMP: Union for a Popular Movement ix INTRODUCTION The September 11, 2001 attacks paved the way for a change in world dynamics. The attacks, committed by a terrorist group called al-Qaeda, destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City. Those attacks have become a milestone in international relations. According to some observers, the crucial event marked the beginning of a new age. The lives of migrants and minorities, living in both the United States and Europe, changed as a result of the attacks. Before the incidents, they enjoyed the advantages of multicultural societies. Now, they must contend with the discriminating assimilation policies of the Western world. It is not possible to see a positive outcome stemming from 9/11, which affected the lives of thousands of innocent people. And it is the first pivotal pillar of the confrontation between the West and the Muslim world during the so-called postmodern era. Although Muslims across the globe condemned the attacks, al-Qaeda militants under Osama bin Laden’s leadership have not altered their discourse on jihad. In response, the West re-invoked the idea of “enemies within.”1 The West has been suspicious of minorities and migrants ever since. While the migrants living in the US and the Europe were dragged into a boiling bowl in the aftermath of the attacks on the one hand, the state administrations looked for various precautions on the other hand. The 2005 Beur2 incidents in France may be considered a prime example. Eastern migrants and the Western world came face to face during the October 2005 banlieues uprisings in Paris. I will elaborate the connection between the uprisings and the repercussions of 9/11 in detail with this study. This connection, which is demanded to be elaborated in detail 1 This definition was initially put forward during the Cold War era. 2 This concept was firstly used during the incidents occurred in France in 1980s. Although the migrant youngsters refused the denomination of ‘Beur’, this notion has been frequently used in the literature of 2005 riots. 1