Paris Provokes Algeria with Controversial Bill Against “Harki Hate”

BY: Dr. Hana Saada  

Algiers, Algeria | October 31st, 2024 — Just as Algeria embarks on commemorating the 70th anniversary of the November 1 Revolution, France has rekindled a sensitive and contentious issue that stirs historic wounds. French right-wing lawmakers have introduced a provocative bill, seeking to impose penalties against so-called “anti-Harki” sentiments, targeting perceived hostility toward the Harkis—Algerian auxiliaries who fought alongside French forces during Algeria’s liberation war—and their descendants. This bill, unveiled by France’s National Assembly on October 29, 2024, has been rightly perceived in Algeria as an affront carefully timed to undercut the symbolic weight of this year’s milestone November Revolution celebrations.

The draft law, introduced by 30 MPs from the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR) and led by the notoriously anti-Algerian MP Eric Ciotti, proposes amendments to French criminal law, intending to elevate hostility against Harkis and their descendants as grounds for aggravated penalties in cases of violence or harassment. This legislative move essentially rewrites the narrative of Algerian history by painting the Harkis as long-suffering victims deserving of French legal protection. The bill’s drafters argue that Harkis suffered “torture” following Algeria’s independence, purporting, without verifiable basis, that between 60,000 and 150,000 Harkis were killed in the post-revolutionary period.

French right-wing proponents of the bill rely on contested statistics and a revisionist historical stance to argue that the Harkis, often vilified as “traitors” by the National Liberation Front (FLN) for siding with colonial forces, are victims of a lingering animus that necessitates legal intervention. The bill’s framers claim that terms, such as “Harki” have become synonymous with “traitor,” allegedly inciting verbal and physical violence against Harki descendants and individuals who back France in disputes involving Algeria.

The legislation not only extends support to Harkis themselves but also provides legal protections for their progeny, contending that any attack on Harkis or their descendants must be treated as an aggravated offense, comparable to crimes motivated by racism or religious bias. This novel category of “Harki status” as a protected legal ground in French criminal law would, if passed, become an unprecedented measure—one that Algerians see as an attempt to alter public perception about the colonial war and paint the Harkis in a sympathetic light, conveniently omitting their collaboration with French forces against the Algerian people.

The draft law is structured with three core articles. The first would classify violence against Harkis or their descendants as an aggravated offense in cases resulting in temporary incapacitation or lesser injuries. The second proposes an amendment to French penal code provisions on hate crimes, adding “Harki status” alongside race, gender, nationality, and religion as grounds for enhanced penalties. Finally, a third article requires the French government to report annually on cases involving offenses against Harkis and their families, effectively tracking “anti-Harki hate” as a specific social ill within France.

Unsurprisingly, this legislative push has sparked outrage in Algeria, where the Harki narrative is seen as a dark reminder of betrayal during the bitter struggle for liberation. The bill’s timing and intent are widely regarded as an attempt to provoke Algeria at a moment when the country is united in honoring its independence heroes. The push by right-wing French MPs to sanitize the role of the Harkis and criminalize criticism of their legacy is seen as a deliberate provocation against Algeria’s revolutionary values and a distortion of a painful chapter in Algerian history.

Translated from: 

https://www.echoroukonline.com/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b3-%d8%aa%d8%b3%d8%aa%d9%81%d8%b2-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ac%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%a6%d8%b1-%d8%a8%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%b6%d8%af%d9%91-%d9%83%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%87%d9%8a%d8%a9

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