Ferhat Mehenni
{{Short description|Algerian political activist (born 1951)}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Expand French|topic=bio |date=May 2024}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2022}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
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| name = Ferhat Mehenni
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| caption = Photo taken at the gathering of September 4, 2011, on the Plaza of Human Rights in Paris
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| office = President of the MAK
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| term_start = June 4, 2010
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| office2 = MAK Chairman
| term_start2 = August 24, 2001
| term_end2 = December 9, 2011
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| successor2 = Bouaziz Ait Chebib
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|03|05}}
| birth_place = Illoula Oumalou, Tizi Ouzou Province, French Algeria
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| citizenship = Algerian
| nationality = Algerian
| party = RCD {{small|(1989–1997)}}
MAK {{small|(2001–present)}}
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| alma_mater = University of Algiers
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| profession = Politician
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Ferhat Mehenni (Kabyle: Ferḥat Mhenni; born March 5, 1951) is a Kabyle politician, writer, protest singer, musician and songwriter, founder and first President in June 5, 2001 of the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylia (MAK) renamed in October 4, 2013 to Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia. He has been President of the Kabyle Provisional Government since June 1, 2010.
In 2012, Mehenni was subjected to controversy after visiting Israel, where he voiced his support and solidarity for Israel, comparing it to Kabylia.{{cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Algerias-Kabylie-craves-friendship-with-Israel|title=Algeria's Kabylie craves friendship with Israel|author1=Sharon Udasin|author2=Jan Koscinski|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|date=May 27, 2007|accessdate=August 20, 2014}} In 2021, Mehenni's organization, MAK, has been classified as a terrorist organisation in Algeria after claims from the Algerian authorities saying that MAK members were planning car bombs. Mehenni was arrested by the French authorities and placed in police custody in 2021 as part of an investigation into organised money laundering in relation to sports betting.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-19 |title=Algérie : pourquoi Ferhat Mehenni, chef du MAK, a été entendu par la police française – Jeune Afrique |url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1174134/politique/algerie-pourquoi-ferhat-mehenni-chef-du-mak-a-ete-entendu-par-la-police-francaise/ |access-date=2021-07-16 |website=JeuneAfrique.com |language=fr-FR}}
Career and Politics
= Early life =
Mehenni was born on March 5, 1951, in Illoula Oumalou, Tizi Ouzou Province, Kabylia. He graduated from the University of Algiers with a degree in political science.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-11 |title=51 Notable Alumni of University of Algiers 1 [Sorted List] |url=https://edurank.org/uni/university-of-algiers-1/alumni/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=EduRank.org - Discover university rankings by location |language=en}} Soon after, he began his career as a protest singer and political activist.{{cite journal |last1=MacEoin |first1=Denis |date=March 22, 2010 |title=Dissident watch: Ferhat Mehenni |url=http://www.meforum.org/2722/dissident-watch-ferhat-mehenni |journal=Middle East Quarterly |accessdate=April 7, 2013}}
= Activism =
Due to his hostility towards the Algerian government and extremists, Mehenni was arrested 13 times, imprisoned for 3 years, and tortured repeatedly by government forces.{{cite web |date=March 22, 2010 |title=Dissident watch: Ferhat Mehenni |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-237358213.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105020243/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-237358213.html |archive-date=November 5, 2012 |accessdate=November 1, 2010 |work=Middle East Quarterly}}
In response to the Black Spring massacre in Kabylia, Mehenni established the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylia. The MAK was later reformed into the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia.{{cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.makabylie.org/ |website=makabylie.org}}
Mehenni's eldest son, Améziane Mehenni, was assassinated in 2004.
Discography
{{Expand section|date=December 2023}}
- Chants révolutionnaires de Kabylie (1979)
- Chants berbères de lutte et d'espoir (1981)
- L'Algérie a 20 ans (1983)
- Chants d'acier...d'amour et de liberté (1994)
- Chants de feu et de l'eau (1996)
- Hymne à la Kabylie (2002)
- Requiem et Espoir (2008)
- Liberté pour la Kabylie (2015)
Publications
- {{cite book |last=Mehenni|first=Ferhat|author-link=Ferhat Mehenni|title=Algérie : la question kabyle |trans-title= |publisher=Éditions Michalon |location=Paris |date=2004 |page=187 |isbn=978-2-84186-226-9 |url=http://www.michalon.fr/Algerie-la-question-kabyle.html}}
- {{cite book |language=French |last=Mehenni|first=Ferhat|author-link=Ferhat Mehenni|title=Le siècle identitaire |trans-title=la fin des États post-coloniaux |publisher=Éditions Michalon |location=Paris |date=2010 |page=192 |isbn=978-2-84186-544-4 |url=http://www.michalon.fr/Le-siecle-identitaire.html}}
- {{cite book|language=French|last=Mehenni|first=Ferhat|author-link=Ferhat Mehenni|title=Afrique : le casse-tête français|trans-title=La France va-t-elle perdre l'Afrique ?|location=Paris|publisher=Les éditions de Passy|date=2013|page=112|isbn=978-2-35146-054-2|url=https://www.decitre.fr/livres/afrique-le-casse-tete-francais-9782351460542.html}}
- {{cite book|language=French|last=Mehenni|first=Ferhat|author-link=Ferhat Mehenni|title=Noël en otage|location=Paris|publisher=Éditions Michalon|date=2015|page=192|isbn=978-2-84186-814-8|url=https://www.michalon.fr/index.asp?navig=catalogue&obj=livre&no=69455&razSqlClone=1}}
- {{cite book|language=French|last=Mehenni|first=Ferhat|author-link=Ferhat Mehenni|title=Kabylie|trans-title=Mémorandum pour l'indépendance|location=Paris|publisher=Éditions Fauves|date=2017|page=286|isbn=979-10-302-007-75|url=https://www.fauves-editions.fr/livre-kabylie_memorandum_pour_l_independance_ferhat_mehenni-9791030200775-68747.html}}
- {{cite book|language=French|last=Mehenni|first=Ferhat|author-link=Ferhat Mehenni|title=Réflexions dans le feu de l'action|trans-title=Histoire de la renaissance du peuple kabyle|location=Paris|publisher=Éditions Fauves|date=2021|page=374|isbn=979-10-302-0392-9|url=https://www.fauves-editions.fr/livre-reflexions_dans_le_feu_de_l_action_histoire_de_la_renaissance_du_peuple_kabyle_ferhat_mehenni-9791030203929-71216.html}}
References
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Category:University of Algiers alumni
Category:Algerian Berber politicians
Category:Kabyle independence activists
Category:21st-century Algerian people