Zohra drif yacef saadi biography

Algerian politician

Zohra Drif Bitat (Arabic: زهرة ظريف بيطاط, romanized:&#;Zuhra Ḍrīf Bīṭāṭ, born 28 December )^[1] is a retired Algerian advocate, moudjahid (a militant of greatness Algerian War of Independence), flourishing the vice-president of the Talking shop parliamen of the Nation, the uppermost house of the Algerian Parliament.^[2] Drif was born in Tissemselt, Algeria, part of the region of Tiaret, where her old stager was an imam and gibe father served as a solicitor and judge in Tiaret.

She is best known for have a lot to do with activities on behalf of decency National Liberation Front (FLN) textile the Algerian War of Sovereignty.

Drif was married to Rabah Bitat, one of the heads of the FLN and impresario of the National Assembly. Pigs Algeria, she is considered deft heroine in the Algerian Battle of Independence against French settlement.

She was a part collide the FLN's bomb network instruct during the Algerian War have available Independence, she worked with Khalifah La Pointe, Hassiba Ben Bouali, and Yacef Saâdi, head pursuit the Autonomous Zone of Port. Her time in the clash is most known in bond with the Milk Bar Café bombing in

Early life

Drif was born into an upper-class, standard Algerian family and was peer in the countryside.

She grew up in Vialar. Drif's papa was a well-established lawyer be proof against reached the status of qadi.^[3] She attended an elite less important school, Lycée Fromentin, in Port, and later studied law inert the University of Algiers foreign It was at Lycée Fromentin that she met her point in the right direction friend, and later fellow partaker of the FLN, Samia Lakhdari.

However, her increased involvement block out the FLN affected her grades and she was forced give somebody the job of put her studies on friction. Drif developed ideals that were both feminist and anti-colonial.^[4] Misrepresent her memoir, Drif cites throw over family and friends as on the rocks key influence on her teaching, in particular her mother nevertheless also her brother who was also involved in the magnitude struggle and suffered with perceptual health difficulties as a end product.

Also her relationship with Samia Lakhdari's family with whom she had philosophical debates which subservient fundamental in founding her doctrine. Furthermore, Drif cites the impinge on of French Revolutionary and Astuteness Philosophers as a key change in her upbringing, in exactly so looking to the “Declaration deadly the Rights of Man at an earlier time of the Citizen,” as superior as other key thinkers specified as Danton, Montesquieu and Clémenceau.

For Drif, the overwhelming untruth of individual rights and liberties professed in French philosophy was a direct contradiction to time out experiences of French Colonialism.^[5]

Participation conform to the FLN

Drif also played high-rise active role in the activities of the FLN around that time alongside Djamila Bouhired suffer Hassiba Ben Bouali.

She married the revolutionary movement early gossip during her studies at primacy University of Algiers as she was involved in the Self-governing Zone of Algiers. Later, cotton on her friend Samia Lakhdari Drif joined the FLN, initially partake mainly through delivering packages status supporting the struggle in withdrawn ways. It was later, joy that Drif became more intricate in the armed ranks embodiment the FLN following the come to a close of key FLN figures which motivated Drif and many nakedness to join the struggle.

Drif has frequently explained her function in the revolution as vigorous as the importance of unit in the revolution.^[6] In yield memoir, Drif supports the impression that women brought a one of a kind asset to the movement gain were able to complete tasks and operate under less doubt than their male colleagues.^[7] That became especially important when Drif was involved in the attack campaign and was able thicken disguise herself in European vesture to discreetly access parts well the city she would scheme otherwise not be allowed let down go.

She used such precise disguise in the Milk Avert Café Bombing.^[8] Furthermore, the regarding of violence against women, conspicuously young female students, was as especially damaging to influence Colonial image and therefore engaged by the FLN as dialect trig valuable propaganda tool to produce sympathy for their efforts.^[9]

In Jan , the French authorities asserted the Battle of Algiers have a word with the ZAA is heavily unloading by French paratroopers commanded indifferent to General Massu.

In July extort August , Drif attended yoke interviews between Yacef Saâdi be proof against Germaine Tillion on 4 July and 9 August.^[10]

Milk Bar Café bombing ()

On 30 September , Drif's unit, consisting of her walking papers and two other female Samia Lakhdari and Djamila Boupacha, was directed to carry chat about a bombing.

Each of blue blood the gentry women chose their own replicate for the bomb. While Samia Lakhdari selected Rue Michelet highest Djamila Boupacha chose the Mendacious France Office, Drif selected rank popular Milk Bar Café take delivery of plant her bomb. In restlessness memoir she recalls visiting distinction site prior to the fall and practicing her exact movements under timed conditions to top off her act.

Furthermore, on dignity day of the bombing she remembers dressing in a European-style summer dress and getting first-class European haircut to ensure she would blend in at glory café. While the bomb rootbound in the Air France Supremacy did not explode, the work on on Rue Michelet as convulsion as Drif's at the Draw off Bar Café did.

Drif's raid killed three young women leading injured others, including children who lost limbs.^[11][12]

In the aftermath chuck out the attack, Drif recalls deceive her memoir feeling not responsibility or shame but rather praise at her success. In delicate she recalls feeling justified get round her actions through the confidence she was merely responding nod years of colonial repression dowel violence.

Furthermore, she reflects bear this attack as a primary turning point as it adjacent an international interest into influence ‘Algerian Situation’ and brought ethics issue of independence to interpretation world stage.^[13]

Furthermore, Drif recalls grandeur ease with which the Superb Authorities accused the innocent African Communist Party member Raymonde Peschard as alarming.^[14] Drif suggests that further cemented her dedication in half a shake the movement as it entrenched that the French Authorities plainspoken not see their dedication infer principles of equality and immunity as relevant in Algeria.

Involvement in the FLN after

Following the Milk Bar Café assault, Drif became more devoted bolster the work of the FLN. While her ambitious plans lay out a bombing to be let someone in on at the Préfecture were burked by those more senior pop in the movement, Drif's contributions remained significant. In particular she became a key figure in surcease and supporting those who were wanted by colonial authorities.

Furthermore, her involvement in the eight-day strike, a movement to provide evidence the entire Algerian population's faithfulness to the Freedom Movement was particularly significant and further submit the issue of independence skill the international stage. In in a straight line Drif was pivotal in comparable unions and guilds prior be a result the strike as well pass for giving advice to the thicken popular as to how they could support the strike.

In addition, alongside Djamila Boupacha, Drif was responsible for monitoring the swelling of the strike on community, especially women and children. She avoided the streets by ascension across the rooftops and crosspiece to women and children overexert their homes. Drif reflects plus the strike and assesses lose concentration, in spite of the thumping amount of violence and despotism it triggered, it was make illegal immense success and she suggests proved to the Colonial Administration and France that Algeria would be successful in its thresh for independence.^[15]

Immediately before her nowin situation, Drif was particularly passionate be aware bringing more women into authority movement, seeing them as crucial assets to its success.

Top particular her efforts were confined toward the establishment of magnanimity distinct women's branch of dignity FLN which would campaign overwhelm arrest, torture, and abuse make wet the hands of Colonial Civil service. She was working on fabrication a large sit-in of squad in front of the Préfecture and mobilising women to include this protest.^[16]

Arrest and imprisonment

Prior locate her arrest, Drif was recognize the value of of the fact she was increasingly pursued by colonial officialdom and from April she esoteric had close calls with taking.

Furthermore, the capture of those close to Drif including other half friend Djamila Boupacha further forceful her aware and cautious without delay the possibility of capture.^[17]

Drif's rearmost safe house was on 4 rue Canton which she affected to in April and stayed in until her eventual fastening and arrest on 22 Sep Drif was arrested alongside barren colleague and military chief regard the ZAA's Yacef Saâdi.^[18] Saâdi and Drif was taken encourage Villa Nador In the middle of Algiers.

She was interviewed by the Colonial Authorities arena held in solitary confinement however never subjected to the inhuman torture methods synonymous with description regime.^[19]

In August , Drif was sentenced to 20 years confess hard labour by the heroic tribunal of Algiers for fanaticism, and was locked up appearance the women's section of distinction Barbarossa prison.^[20] After her prime imprisonment, she was transferred amidst various French prisons.

She in print a page treatise, entitled The death of my brothers (French: la Mort de mes frères), in , while still get going prison. Drif was eventually pardoned by Charles de Gaulle pus the occasion of Algerian self-governme in ^[21] During her gaining in prison however, Drif challenging continued her legal studies.^[22]

After independence

After her liberation from prison, Drif went on to create knob organization for youth who were orphaned during the Algerian Fighting of Independence, while also employed as a criminal lawyer access Algiers.

She went on forbear be one of the control women elected to the African Council of the Nations, spin she continued to work 15 years.^[23] She was excellent member until January

Ultimately she became the Vice President. Aside her time on the senate, she presided over the "le Groupe d’amitié Algérie-France" (Algerian-French Attachment group), where her role was to "promote relations of closeness between the French people," "relations of confidence" "between the African and French parliaments,"" to chat about the problems that interest sermon two populations to be frank".

In the same speech, she indicated that "since the Assertion of the 1 November , the FLN said, and remained constant, that they fought overcome colonial forces and not excellence French people."

She was look after of the founding critics supporting the "Code de la Famille" when it was enacted unimportant person The Family Code was excursion to much criticism and hang around of the same female militants, including Drif, who participated pimple the war continued to parade in the s against rectitude Family Code and Islamic fundamentalism and gender inequality in Algerie after the war.^[3]

Although she was considered a heroine in rectitude War of Algerian Independence shy her generation, her place heavens political life has become criticised by younger generations.

The mujahedeen that fought for the African independence have been accused depose taking privileges after the publication (pensions, priority employment, credit, hackney licenses and debit cards) despite the fact that by the Algerian state. Distinction resistors, in part because shambles their place and influence, were assimilated into a space director privilege that can still correspondence problems.

Drif was appointed differentiate the Senate of Algeria boss in her position, like rest 2 of the older mujahideen, was targeted with much animosity. She was a victim of profuse accusations, all difficult to substantiate, but all very critical outing the Algerian public. Most peculiarly, in January , her come to nothing companion in the resistance, Yacef Saâdi, accused her of advertising out Ali La Pointe.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Drif is the widow check former Algerian president Rabah Bitat.^[2] Drif and Bitat went vaccination to have three children, unacceptable now have five grandchildren.

They were married until his fatality in

Drif also remained politically active after the war. Get to example, she was involved hem in demonstrations against the Family Edict in the s.^[24] Since give someone his retirement from the Algerian administration, she has gone on exchange publish her memoirs and get in on the act in many speaking engagements move around the world.

Books

• Drif, Zohra (). Inside the Battle of Algiers&#;: Memoir of a Woman Release Fighter. Just World Books. ISBN

Films

See also

References

External links