Jessica M. Rivera Sink| IS 760| Spring 2014

DECOLONIZATION AND THE DECOLONIZED

BY: ALBERT MEMMI

• Born in Tunisia to Jewish parents

• Speaks French and Tunisian-Judeo Arabic

• While studying in France he experienced the complexity of balancing the East and the West

• Leading contributor to the Islamophobia in France

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

• After decolonization comes poverty and corruption, violence, and sometimes chaos

• The prospect of being govern one of their own, leads to disappointment

• “There has been a change of masters, but, like new leeches, the new ruling classes are often greedier than the old” (page 4)

• Those who assume power are mainly upper class, educated outside the country and former friends or allies of the colonizers

THE NEW CITIZEN

• Major problem in formerly colonized nations is poverty• “…poverty leads to and helps prolong ignorance and superstition, stagnant forms of social

behavior, the absence of democracy, poor hygiene, sickness, and death” (5)

• Corruption is universal, affects everyone and everything- it creates poverty• Money made by the government is not invested into the local economy,

this leads to a lack of domestic development• Lack of domestic development means little to no interest in

foreign or local investors• “Consequently there is a scarcity of directly available funding, which

perpetuates underdevelopment, and underdevelopment discourages potential investment”

POVERTY AND CORRUPTION

• Lack of a stable infrastructure leads to increase in violence• High unemployment levels, especially among the younger generation, are

linked to higher levels of violence and crime• Underdevelopment leads to a lack of development in the science

and technology fields (since all the money is either being invested abroad or used by the corrupt leaders)

• As a way to control the population the government promotes folklore, arts and crafts, and tourism• A dependence on tourism, however, continues the dependence on the

developed world

POVERTY AND CORRUPTION

• A tyrant leader needs the help of two important groups: soldiers (military) and the religious zealots

• Many adopt military titles in order seem more imposing

• Military governments are unstable, which leads to the constant change in leaders

• Myths are used to control the population

EVERY CORRUPT NATION NEEDS A TYRANT LEADER

• Religion is used to distract and control the population • Religious fundamentalist are unstable, the leader will grant

them favors (the Islamic veil, the beard, the mosques)• “These texts should be placed on a shelf, along with the

religious books of other religions, as a contribution to the history of world literature. This is not to attack Islam; all religions are intolerant, exclusive, restrictive, and sometimes violence” (34)

“IF YOU RAISE A BABY CROCODILE IN YOUR APARTMENT ONE DAY HE WILL EAT YOU” (46)

• “Given the absence of other cohesive forces in still fragile nations, religion continues to be one of the foundations of a shared identity. It retains a tenacious hold on intellect and behavior; it is a relatively coherent system; it contains beliefs, rituals, and morality, which reinforce one another and combine to incorporate all aspects of life, individual and collective” (47).

• Reallocation of funds to build mosques, instead of schools

• No formal legal system: relies heavily on religious law

RELIGION IS A SHARED IDENTITY

• The ruler introduces an ancient leader as a form of inspiration for the society: it symbolizes their past and their bright future

• Ancient traditions are reinstated, sometimes even created out thin air

• Rebirth of the traditional language (creates problems since it is not spoken by the majority of the society)

• This is all done to create a sense of nationalism, pride• The focus is placed on the past and the future, the present is

ignored, which leads to its destruction (lack of development, investment, and interest)

CULTURE

• Act of desperation• Different from other types of suicide attacks because these

attackers do not care for their lives and the lives of others• They are not afraid to die, in fact they welcome death• They are considered Martyrs, by not only their own

countrymen but also other Muslims around the world

ISLAMIC TERRORISM

• Leaves country in search of a better life (often goes to former colonizer)• Lives in the ghetto and takes whatever job they can get• Focuses on sending money home and bringing family to live with him• Desires to assimilate• Attempts to hold on to traditions and customs from home country, but becomes increasingly difficult• Travels back to home country, but begins to feel like an outsider when he visits

IMMIGRANT: DUAL IDENTITY

• The daughter: • rebels against tradition; • wears what she wants; • has no respect for father• Dates a non-Muslim• Begins to wear head scarves:

does not truly understand the history behind the head scarf, only does this for shock value

• Begins to date non-Muslims• Lacks connection with parent’s

country

IMMIGRANT CHILDREN• The son:• Rebels against tradition, yet

claims to be Muslim and uses this to protest against the local government

• Embarrass by their father and his desire to assimilate

• Hostile and angry• Strong dislike of any national

institution (i.e. school, work)• Lacks connection with parent’s

country

• A need to rediscover the desire for self-government and freedom

• Stop the dependency on foreign aid and investment: invest profit made from the natural resources into local economy

• Liberation of women• Better management of

wealth and equitable distribution

HOW TO CREATE UTOPIA• Suppression of corruption

and despotism • Universal morality- which

leads to secularism • Freedom of thought• Create solidarity-without

the use of religion• Promote rationality

(sciences, technology, and arts)