Changing Attitudes Of Ferhat Abbas :: essays research papers

Changing Attitudes of Ferhat AbbasIntroductionFerhat Abbas believed in the peace-loving solution and that the French arwilling to co-operate with the Algerians. With this co-operation, he thought, itwas possible for all to live together. He was brought up and thought to believein democracy and parliament, to look for these in a peaceful fashion and thatthe people have to be asked what to do with their country and not to beterrorised to be convinced differently. However in the 1950s we can see aclear change, a turn in his thoughts. He accepts more violent ways in order togain what he believes in. In order to beg off the change in attitudes of FerhatAbbas it is important that we first look at his background. In 1899 FerhatAbbas was born. He had, like many others, received entirely French education atConstantine and at the University of Algiers. After finishing his studies hehad served the French Army for two year after which he founded a pharmacist shopin Setif. there he also foun ded a student union which was a start of hispolitical career. Soon he was accepted into the city Council where he foughtfor the emancipation of Algerians from the French. In 1938 Abbas founded theUnion Populaire Algrienne which peacefully fought for the equal rights ofAlgerians and French. Believing in the possible co-operation of French andAlgerians he had, fought alongside the French.Political CareerDuring the war Abbas still continues his work towards the equality. In1943 he wrote the Manifesto of the Algerian People which was than proclaimedand several times sent to the French authorities. "The French colony only admitsequality with Muslim Algeria on one take aim sacrifice on the battlefields." Thismanifesto represented some very revolutionary ideas and proposed the equality ofrights and "immediate and effective participation." Also in this manifestoAbbas continuously condemns the French oppressive colonialism and even asks forthe self- determination of the whol e population as a different culture. Soonafterward he wrote an addition to the manifesto in which he sees the Algeria asthe country separate from France. In the book A Savage War of Peace hisattitude is described as following"Of pacific temperament, although he was a in force(p) debater, he was no rabble-rouser..."(Horne,1979, p.40).The A.M.LOn its rejection by the French governor general, Ferhat Abbas and an Algerianworking-class leader, Messali Hadj, formed the Amis du Manifeste et de la Libert(A.M.L. Friends of the Manifesto and Liberty), which envisioned an Algerianautonomous res publica federated to a renewed, anti-colonial France.