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Algeria
The Islamist Factor
Islam in Algeria is part of the political tradition dating back
before independence, when the revolutionary rhetoric of the FLN
drew upon the unifying force of Islam to strengthen national cohesion
and opposition to colonial rule. In the postindependence period,
the government, recognizing the mobilizing potential of Islam
as a political force, tried to bring activist Islamist groups
under its control. Despite these efforts, an independent Islamist
movement eventually emerged that would form the basis for the
most significant opposition party to the government in the late
1980s and early 1990s.
Whereas more than fifty independent parties and more than one
Islamist organization emerged in the months following the legalization
of parties, the FIS emerged as the only national contender to
the hegemony of the FLN. Although not the only Islamic party,
the FIS could attract a large percentage of the electorate. The
FIS presented the only viable and comprehensive alternative program
to that of the existing regime and offered a social and religious
focus as well.
Data as of December 1993
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