Arabic and Tamazight languages in Algeria

The history of Islam in Algeria traces back to 649 when Muslims opened Morocco. The Amazigh entered into Islam based on conviction and contentment, and helped the Arabs to expel the Byzantines. Later on, disturbances started since 704 AH because of the Arabs' tries to autocracy and excluding the Amazigh. That matter was repeated also in Andalusia and caused the Amazigh as well as the Andalusian —although they are the true landowners— feel they have become second-class citizens and those newcomers have become the new landowners. This is one of the critical issues in the history of Islam which we must examine, study in full length, and discuss the major setbacks it caused for Muslims. The matter was out of hand when the true landowners were asked to pay Al Jizyah (tribute) which caused a great crack in the Islamic coherence. That reminded me of what I have read in the schoolbooks, which are now being studied in South America, where they say: When Muslims came to Andalusia, the Amazigh considered new converters to Islam traitors, whereas Muslims considered them as second-class citizens, which caused the people to refrain from embracing Islam.

However, the matter was severer in Andalusia and caused Muslims to leave Andalusia after eight centuries, it was less effect in Maghreb because of the emergence of some countries, which later on, declared independence from the Caliphate, and gained power.

They did not leave Islam because of their intensive love to its teachings and their full contentment with it. This matter cannot be questioned by anyone because their love to Islam, defending it, and sacrificing for it with every dear and cheap are among their traits. When the Ottoman Caliphate came, Algerians were its right strong worriers and could control the Mediterranean Sea. The European ships used to pay taxes to them when passing by until the Ottoman army became weak, which caused France to attack the north coast of Algeria and seized it. The Algerians remained resisting the French occupiers for more than one hundred years during which Algeria presented more than a million martyrs, in an unforgettable epic.

No one can doubt the unbeatable spirit, power, and will of those people when you wander in the streets of the capital, meet their youth, or attend one of the students' parties. However, conspiracies circled those people since their independence: starting from socialism, which exhausted them, and passing through the civil war that was attributed falsely to Islam; in a time it was controlled by a hidden foreign hand.

Today, while they are trying to recover from previous crises that were plotted against them; one time by Tamazight, by alienation, and another time by French culture; would the Algerians wake up, unite, and hold firm with their religion which they adored and sacrificed for it with every cheap and dear?!