Larbi Tbessi, whose real name was Larbi Ferhati, born in 1891 in

Cheria Cheria () is a town and commune in Tébessa Province in north-eastern Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, ...

Tébessa Province Tébessa () is a provinces of Algeria, province (''wilayah'') of Algeria. Tébessa is also the name of the capital, which in ancient times it was known as ''Theveste''. Another important city is El Ouenza. Tébessa is located only 20 kilometers w ...

, was a revolutionary and reformist Algerian, president of the

Association of Algerian Muslim Ulema The Association of Algerian Muslim Ulama (, , AOMA), commonly known as Jam'iyat al-'Ulama (), was an Islamist and Arab nationalist cultural and religious movement in French Algeria led by Abdelhamid Ben Badis. Its motto was "Islam is our religion ...

. He disappeared on April 4, 1957, during the

war of Algeria The Algerian War (also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence) ''; '' (and sometimes in Algeria as the ''War of 1 November'') was an armed conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (Algeri ...

, following his arrest at his

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

home by civilians disguised

paratroopers A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light inf ...

, the French military are still denying arresting or detaining him.

Biography

He spent his early life at

Nefta Nefta (or Nafta; ) is a Tunisian municipality and an oasis in Tozeur Governorate north of the Chott el Djerid. Religious significance Nefta is considered by most Sufis to be the spiritual home of Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam; many rel ...

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

, then he studied in

al-Azhar University The Al-Azhar University ( ; , , ) is a public university in Cairo, Egypt. Associated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Islamic Cairo, it is Egypt's oldest degree-granting university and is known as one of the most prestigious universities for Islamic ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, and

University of Ez-Zitouna Ez-Zitouna University (, ) is an Ancient higher-learning institutions, ancient public university in Tunis, Tunisia. The university originated in the Al-Zaytuna Mosque, founded at the end of the 7th or in the early 8th century, which developed into ...

. Subsequently, he participated actively in the

and was President of the Association after his return to

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

. Larbi Tebessi was arrested in 1943 and then released. Then he was imprisoned in 1945 after the

Sétif and Guelma massacre The Sétif and Guelma massacre (also called the Sétif, Guelma and Kherrata massacres or the massacres of 8 May 1945) was a series of massacres by French colonial authorities and '' pied-noir'' European settler militias on Algerian civilians in ...

on May 8, 1945. Larbi Tebessi managed to create a school and he spread his anti-colonial ideas. Sheikh Larbi Tebessi represented the main current of the

ulema In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

association who rallied the principles of the National Liberation Front in 1956. This was instigated by Zighoud Youcef head of the department of

Constantinois Constantinois is a cultural and historical region of the Maghreb, located in northeastern Algeria. Geography The region corresponds roughly to seven contemporary ''wilayas'': Constantine Province, Annaba Province, Guelma Province, Skikda Pro ...

and founding member of the FLN and after insurgency of August 20, 1955. Sheikh Larbi Tebessi was killed in 1957 by a commando of the French Army. His body was burned in hot oil and his remains have yet to be returned to the Algerian people. Similar to many Algerian revolutionaries whose remains are kept in museums throughout France, a wicked practice in postcolonial France .

Legacy

* Tébessa University bears his name. * Larbi Tbessi prize is awarded to the best researchers in Algeria. * Seminars are organized by the Ministry of Culture and the one of War Veterans in Algeria to celebrate the memory of Larbi Tbessi each year.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tbessi, Larbi 1891 births 1957 deaths People from Tébessa Province Algerian Muslims Al-Azhar University alumni University of Ez-Zitouna alumni People of the Algerian War Enforced disappearances

Biography

Legacy

See also

References