Dr. Chérif Sid-Cara or Chérif Sidkara. (26 November, 1902, in Mila, Algeria - 6 March, 1999, Grenoble, France) was an Algerian medical doctor and a politician in the French Fourth Republic. He was one of the leading Muslim political figures in favour of France during the

Algerian War The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...

Early life and education

Sid-Cara was born in Mila on November 26, 1902, into a family of

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

origin. He attended the lycée in Constantine and then studied medicine in

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

, Bordeaux, and Paris. Thereafter, he received his Doctorate in Medicine in 1931, and became a certified doctor in the Merchant Marines (Bordeaux) having earned his diplomas in Paris..

Politics

In 1935 Sid-Cara was elected in the municipal elections of

Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...

and became an assistant in the mayor’s office. Thereafter, in 1946, he was elected

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

under the "Démocratique d’Union Franco-Musulmane"; he was re-elected for this post in 1948 and then again in 1952. Moreover, he was elected to the Assemblée Nationale as député of Oran in 1951. By 1955 Sid-Cara was elected General Council of the department of Oran and was elected President of the department in April 1956. Moreover, in 1957 and 1958, he also served as Secretary of State of Algeria in the cabinets of Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury and Félix

Gaillard Gaillard () is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Gaillard lies on the border with Switzerland, 5 km east of the city centre of Geneva. The biggest border crossing is ca ...

. In May 1958 Sid-Cara became co-President of the Comité de Salut Publique where he worked for free access of Algerians to France. During the November 1958 elections, his party, the "Union pour le Renouveau de l’Algérie Française", which sought to keep Algeria as a part of the French Republic, was elected with 84% of the votes. In the Assemblée Nationale, he helped organize a group of representatives from Algeria and the Sahara which became known as "Unité de la République" and renamed the "Regroupement National pour l’Unité de la République" in December 1960. Sid-Cara was also elected mayor of Misserghin and remained in his post until Algeria obtained its independence in 1962.

Personal life

Sid-Cara's sister, Nafissa Sid Cara, was also a politician and the first Muslim woman to serve in French government. He died on March 6, 1999 in Grenoble.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sid Cara, Cherif 1902 births 1999 deaths People from Mila 20th-century Algerian people Algerian people of Turkish descent Algerian emigrants to France French people of Turkish descent Senators of French Algeria Mayors of places in Algeria