Mustapha Filali ( 5 July 1921 – 20 January 2019) was a Tunisian politician. He was the first Tunisian Minister of Agriculture after their independence.

Biography

Filali studied at

Sadiki College Sadiki College, also known as ''Collège Sadiki'' ( aeb, المدرسة الصادقية, "El-Sadqiya High School"), is a '' lycée'' (high school) in Tunis, Tunisia. It was established in 1875. Associations formed by its alumni played a major rol ...

and the

Faculté des lettres de Paris The faculté des lettres de Paris was a French educational institution based at the Sorbonne. It was set up by the imperial decree regarding the University of France on 17 March 1808. It partly succeeded the arts faculty of the former University ...

, obtaining a graduate degree in Arabic literature. After his education, Filali served as a teacher of literature in primary and secondary schools in

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. He was very active in the

Tunisian General Labour Union The Tunisian General Labour Union (french: Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail, ''UGTT''. ar, الاتحاد العام التونسي للشغل) is a national trade union center in Tunisia. It has a membership of more than one million and wa ...

(UGTT), where he worked to improve the economy of

Sfax Sfax (; ar, صفاقس, Ṣafāqis ) is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD849 on the ruins of Berber Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 955,421 inhabitants in 2014), and a Mediterran ...

. Due to the UGTT's support of

Habib Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba (; ar, الحبيب بورقيبة, al-Ḥabīb Būrqībah; 3 August 19036 April 2000) was a Tunisian lawyer, nationalist leader and statesman who led the country from 1956 to 1957 as the prime minister of the Kingdom of ...

, Filali was appointed as minister of agriculture once Bourguiba gained power as independent Tunisia's first president in 1956. As minister, Filali worked to end

habous A waqf ( ar, وَقْف; ), also known as hubous () or ''mortmain'' property is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot of land or other assets for Muslim religious or charitabl ...

. Filali was then appointed as minister of information. However, he would leave the government on 30 December 1958. He would lead the

Socialist Destourian Party The Socialist Destourian Party ( ar, الحزب الاشتراكي الدستوري ' ; french: Parti socialiste destourien) was the ruling political party of Tunisia from 1964 to 1988. Bahi Ladgham was the first Prime Minister from the party a ...

from 26 October to 31 October 1971. After the 2011

Tunisian revolution The Tunisian Revolution, also called the Jasmine Revolution, was an intensive 28-day campaign of civil resistance. It included a series of street demonstrations which took place in Tunisia, and led to the ousting of longtime president Zine ...

, Filali was a member of the

Higher Authority for Realisation of the Objectives of the Revolution, Political Reform and Democratic Transition The Higher Authority for Realisation of the Objectives of the Revolution, Political Reform and Democratic Transition ( ar, الهيئة العليا لتحقيق أهداف الثورة والإصلاح السياسي والانتقال الدي ...

. Aside from his political work, Filali was head of the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...

office of the

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , religi ...

. He was also on the board of directors for the Studies Center of Arab Unity in

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

Awards

*Grand Officer of the Tunisian Order of Independence (1966) *Grand Officer of the Order of the Republic of

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

(1968) *Medal of the

President of Algeria The president of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria is the head of state and chief executive of Algeria, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Algerian People's National Armed Forces. History of the office The Tripoli Program, wh ...

(2013)

Works

*''Islam and the new international economic order'' (الإسلام و النظام الاقتصادي الدولي الجديد) *''Maghreb: the call of the future'' (المغرب العربي الكبير: نداء المستقبل) *''The Tables of the Inchirah'' (موائد الانشراح)

References

1921 births 2019 deaths Alumni of Sadiki College Agriculture ministers of Tunisia Information ministers of Tunisia People from Kairouan Governorate Socialist Destourian Party politicians Tunisian expatriates in France Recipients of the Order of the Republic (Tunisia) {{Tunisia-politician-stub