Islamic Fundamentalism in Algeria

This paper examines the phenomenon of Islamic fundamentalism in Algeria today, taking into account a paradigmatic statement by Axtmann about the nature of human identity. Axtmann writes that: ôThe search for identity within a global world may manifest itself politically in the formation of a global consciousness, religious fundamentalism, civilizational consciousness and/or ethno-national revivalismö.

All of these things have happened in Algeria. Sometimes this is because different ethnic, religious, gender or generational groups have different goals. Sometimes, however, it is because individuals within the same group choose to search for their identity in different ways, taking one but not the other pathway that Axtmann outlines.

Algeria has seen a great deal of Islamic fundamentalist violence in the past decade, but certainly not all of the country has decided to follo

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ternational human rights groups for alleged torture and extrajudicial murders, and censured for acts such as the killing of about 100 inmates of Algiers' Serkadji prison two years ago in what authorities said was an escape attempt. Newspapers hostile to the government are often closed, or at least find that printers are no longer willing to accept their business. Thousands of people under suspicion of links to the militants have been arrested. Others have simply disappeared (45 Massacred in Algeria, 1998, p. A9). But the regime's policy of ôeradicationö û shorthand for wiping out the violent Islamic threat û has been implemented simultaneously with cautious democratic reforms. In 1995, the country got its first elected president; in 1996, a popularly endorsed amended constitution; and this month, its first multi-party parliament, with moderate Islamists and other opposition parties taking more than 40% of the seats (Daniszewski, 1997, p. A1). Between the regime's use of the iron fist, its halting steps toward democracy and the widening perception that extremist Islamic factions have been wallowing in mindless violence, support for the Islamists has ebbed and the government has bought itself time to improve living conditions and re
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Approximate Word count = 1306
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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