Rachid Mimouni (In

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

:رشيد ميموني) (20 November 1945 – 12 February 1995) was an

Algerian Algerian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Algeria * Algerian people This article is about the demographic features of the population of Algeria, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, econo ...

writer, teacher and human rights activist. Mimouni wrote novels describing Algerian society in a realist style. He was threatened by

Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term t ...

s for his stance against a movement which he described as being based on archaic ideas, irrelevant in the present time.Barbarie et integrisme
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Biography

Rachid Mimouni was born in Boudouaou, 30 km from

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 ...

to a family of poor peasants. Mimouni studied science at the

University of Algiers The University of Algiers (Arabic language, Arabic:جامعة الجزائر – بن يوسف بن خـدة ), commonly called the Algiers 1 University, is a public university, public research university located in Algiers, Algeria. It is the ...

before becoming a teacher at the ''École supérieure du commerce'' (business school) in Algiers. He was president of the

Kateb Yacine Kateb Yacine (; 2 August 1929 or 6 August 1929 – 28 October 1989) was an Algerian writer notable for his novels and plays, both in French and Algerian Arabic, and his advocacy of the Berber cause. Biography Kateb Yacine was officially bo ...

foundation and he also held the position of vice-president at

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

. He fled

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

for

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

in 1993 to escape the civil war and the assassinations of intellectuals. He died in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 1995 of

hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pa ...

Works

* « Le printemps n'en sera que plus beau » (1978) * « Le Fleuve détourné » (1982) * « Une peine à vivre » (1983) * « Tombéza » (1984) * « L'Honneur de la tribu » (1989) * « La ceinture de l'ogresse » (1990) * « Une paix à vivre » (1991) * « De la barbarie en général et de l'intégrisme en particulier » (1992) * « La Malédiction » (1993) * « Chroniques de Tanger » (1995) * « Une peine à vivre »(1983)

Literary Awards

* Prix de l'Amitié Franco-Arabe (Fraco-Arab Friendship Award) for « L'honneur de la tribu » (1990) * Prix de la critique littéraire : Ruban de la francophonie (Literary Critics Award, best Francophone novel) for « L'honneur de la tribu » (1990) * Prix de littérature-cinéma du festival international du film à Cannes (Cannes Film Festival Film-Literature Award) for « L'honneur de la tribu » (1990) * Prix de l'Académie française (Académie française Award) for « La ceinture de l'ogresse » (1991) * Prix Hassan II des Quatre Jurys (Hassan II Four Juries Award ) for his complete works (1992) * Prix Albert Camus (Albert Camus Award) for « Une peine à vivre et De la barbarie en général et de l’intégrisme en particulier » (1993) * Prix du Levant (Levant Award) for « La malédiction » (1993) * Prix Liberté Littéraire (Literary Freedom Award) for « La malédiction » (1994) * Prix spécial Grand Atlas (Special Grand Atlas Award) for his complete works (1995)

References

1945 births People from Boudouaou District People from Boumerdès Province Kabyle people 1995 deaths Algerian writers Deaths from hepatitis People from Boudouaou University of Algiers alumni Amnesty International people {{Algeria-writer-stub