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“We want to be carriers of solutions, but without allowing ourselves to be stigmatized”
Interview: Farid Benhagoug, president of the “Citoyens Pluriels” association, in Marseille:
Biomedical engineer and president of the “Citoyens Pluriels” association based in Marseille (France), Abderrahim Farid Benhagoug is a young Franco-Algerian, he represents the new generation of the large Algerian community established in France, very involved in social action and having already contributed to donation operations delivered to Algeria, his country of origin, the biomedical engineer has decided to open his heart to the daily La Nouvelle République, in this interview, where the young Franco-Algerian returned to the dirty campaign of racism that the Algerian diaspora in France is currently experiencing. Let’s hear it!
LNR: Your attachment to your country of origin is great, very admiring and does not date from today since from a young age, you have contributed to and supported both Algeria through the sending of aid for the benefit of vulnerable categories of civil society, in particular sick people. How do you judge your career in social action?
Farid Benhagoug: “As president of the “Citoyens Pluriels” association, as an actor in social action and above all as an Algerian, I have carried out, with honor and duty, many actions in Algeria before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. I was one of the initiators of the operation to distribute medical oxygenation devices. This operation took place during the start of the second wave of Covid-19 and while many hospitals had experienced a shortage of oxygenation bottles in the face of a colossal number of patients contaminated by the pandemic. Also, we carried out operations to support doctors in Algeria. My goal as president of the “Citoyens Pluriels” association, which was born in 2019 and based in Marseille, is to work for citizen emancipation in the working-class neighborhoods of Marseille.”
The Algerian community established in France has been the subject, for more than two years already, of a campaign of racism and stigmatization led by a French minority which uses, as every Algerian clearly sees, heavy media to control communication, even to dominate the “hybrid war” against Algeria. How do you experience this racism on a daily basis?
“Listen, in Marseille there reside and live more than 300,000 Franco-Algerians. They are part of the millions of Franco-Algerians who reside in France and who, today, say “stop the stigma”. What we are currently experiencing is absurd and unbearable on a human level, racism has become a national impact for the new Franco-Algerian generation. Even my children do not understand why this campaign focuses almost solely and particularly against Algerians, while other communities, Muslims and Africans, which exist and live in France have not been concerned or affected by racial discrimination.
The belligerent statements against Algerians made by the former Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, bear witness to and perfectly illustrate this campaign of systematic racism suffered by the Algerian diaspora. Fortunately, the arrival of the new Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nunez, whom we welcome, seems to have the desire to ease the crisis in relations between Algiers and Paris. We strongly wish this, because we feel Algerian and French at the same time and we cannot “uproot” ourselves from our binational belonging. It is in the interest of everyone, on both sides. In the meantime, the new Franco-Algerian generation feels stigmatized. This is how my association “Citoyens Pluriels” and with the participation of many other associations, including CESAM, have decided to respond to the dirty campaign of racism which particularly targets Algerians and Algeria. We have initiated a petition and we intend to create by the end of the current year a permanent municipal departmental body, at national level, to fight against the systematic racism that associations suffer in their noble activities.
As such, our action aims to defend “racialized” people in the face of the generalization and liberalization of racist speech. Our action aims to condemn public discrimination hostile to the Muslim community in general and the Algerian community in particular. It became unbearable to the point where we decided to act publicly and collectively to say loud and clear, stop the stigma.”
Many victims of stigma refuse to give their testimonies, some even refuse the idea of filing a complaint, they live in silence. Has the time come to break this silence, to emerge from this darkness and to see the end of the tunnel?
“We hope that our action will be heard and taken into consideration at the highest level of the French authorities, that it will be seen as an act of citizenship and republicanism to reduce the social divide generated during several years of stigmatization policy. Today, we are present in the development of the French economy, in all social categories and there is no shortage of examples of professional success in the Franco-Algerian community. As a continuation of our actions, we plan to organize a conference where free expression and good speech will take their place with testimonies from influential and sensitive Marseille personalities on the subject of racism, just as the floor will be given to victims of discrimination to testify about their painful experiences lived in racist and fascist circumstances.
Unfortunately, many victims of stigma live in silence out of resilience instead of filing complaints for racist acts, but we hope, through this event, to provide their testimonies so that we can stop the stigma that currently reigns in France.
We have therefore brought together a list of proposals, even solutions, through a manifesto which will be addressed to French political leaders, including the new Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nunez. The flagship measure that we are defending remains the creation of a permanent municipal and departmental body to fight against systematic racism. We campaign for the promotion of actions, for the advancement of projects and for the promotion of dual culture as a double wealth for the development of French civil society.
We campaign for the positive recognition of multiple identities as a vector of national solidarity and opportunity for economic and cultural development on both sides of the Mediterranean shore. Also and above all, our approach aims to improve relations between Algeria and France.
We claim a full place in French civil society which recognizes our identity, our culture and our added value. We want to be carriers of solutions, proposals and added value, but without allowing ourselves to be stigmatized.”
Sofiane Abi