PARIS — An exhibition, Djazair 2003, The Year of Algeria has opened in Paris. The exhibition is a yearlong celebration of Franco-Algerian friendship including more than 2000 largely cultural events. Although the opening night — a concert of Algerian music "Algerie au Coeur" (Algeria of the Heart) — featured such celebrated artists as Cheb Mami, Khaled, Chabba Djenad, Cheb Bilal and Nagham, the exhibition has stirred up a controversy. Many people have questioned the value of such a commemoration in the first place.
First among those protesting Djazair 2003 has been the French Kabyle community. Their power was such that no artists from Algeria’s Kabyle region took part in the opening ceremonies. They are also being asked to boycott the entire yearlong celebration.
The veterans of France’s colonial war with Algeria have never hidden their distaste for an event largely prepared by the government of Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. Their distaste was increased by the personal involvement of both the French head of state, Jacques Chirac, and the Algerian President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in preparations for the exhibition. For the moment, the boycott has been successful, with such celebrated Kabyle Algerian artists as Ferhat Mehenni not only refusing to take part but also publicly demanding that other non-Kabyle artists refuse to participate. In a text for those Algerian artists who were taking part in the celebrations, Mehenni asked: "How dare you sing (of Algeria) when Kabyle prisoners are undertaking a hunger strike with some of them close to death? How can you think of feasting and singing when you would be doing so over many Kabyle bodies? The money you are receiving is for effectively having sold your souls to the devil!"
His call obviously struck a chord as at the last minute, the entire portion of the concert devoted to Kabyle singers had to be eliminated from the opening night program. Things have progressed to the point where the French authorities are now attempting to incorporate events into the calendar which stress Kabyle contributions to Algerian culture. This has so far taken the form of a special performance by the Comedie Francaise of a play, by Mohamed Kacimi, dealing with the work of the celebrated poet Kateb Yacine.
He died in Grenoble in 1989 and was close to such French intellectuals as Jean Genet and Antoine Vitez. Many Algerian intellectuals are still demanding concessions from the French authorities — foremost among them the liberation of Kabyle prisoners.
— Arab News Features 9 January 2003
