Ferhat Mehenni
Kabyle political activist (born 1951)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ferhat Mehenni also known as Ferhat Imazighen Imula (Kabyle: Ferḥat Mhenni or Ferḥat Imaziɣen Imula; born March 5, 1951) is a Kabyle politician in exile, writer, protest singer, musician and songwriter, founder and first President of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia. He has been President of the Kabyle Provisional Government since June 1, 2010.
- Lhacène Ziani
- Zidane Lafdal
- Hanafi Ferhouh
Mas Ferhat Mehenni | |
|---|---|
Ferḥat Mhenni | |
 Photo taken at the gathering of September 4, 2011, on the Plaza of Human Rights in Paris. | |
| 1st President of the Anavad | |
| Assumed office June 4, 2010 | |
| Prime Minister | See list
|
| 1st & 5th President of the MAK | |
| Assumed office November 17, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Bouaziz Ait Chebib |
| In office August 24, 2001 – December 9, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Mohand-Larbi Tayeb |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 5, 1951 |
| Citizenship | Kabyle |
| Party | MCB RCD (1989–1997) MAK (2001–present) |
| University of Algiers | |
| Profession | Politician |
| Signature |  |
Career and Politics
Early life
Mehenni was born on March 5, 1951, in Illoula Oumalou, Tizi Ouzou Province, Algeria. He graduated from the University of Algiers with a degree in political science.[citation needed] Soon after, he began his career as a protest singer and political activist.[1]
Activism
Due to his struggle for human right, and his fight for the Amazigh and indigenous cultural right, Mehenni was arrested 13 times, imprisoned for 3 years, and tortured repeatedly by Algerian military regime.[2]
In response to the Black Spring massacre in Kabylia, Mehenni established the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylia. The MAK was later reformed into the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia.[3]
Mehenni's eldest son, Améziane Mehenni, was assassinated in 2004.[1]
Pro-Israel
Mehenni has long been an outspoken supporter of Israel, drawing comparisons between his own cause and the Zionist cause.[4] He made a visit to Israel in 2012, meeting Likud hardliners such as Danny Danon, and took part in a pro-Israel demonstration in Paris in October 2023 amid the Gaza war. The relation has been described as consistent with Israel's periphery doctrine.[5]
Discography
- Chants révolutionnaires de Kabylie (1979)
- Chants berbères de lutte et d'espoir (1981)
- L'Algérie a 20 ans (1983)
- Chants d'acier...d'amour et de liberté (1994)
- Chants de feu et de l'eau (1996)
- Hymne à la Kabylie (2002)
- Requiem et Espoir (2008)
- Liberté pour la Kabylie (2015)
Publications
- Mehenni, Ferhat (2004). Algérie : la question kabyle. Paris: Éditions Michalon. p. 187. ISBN 978-2-84186-226-9.
- Mehenni, Ferhat (2010). Le siècle identitaire [la fin des États post-coloniaux] (in French). Paris: Éditions Michalon. p. 192. ISBN 978-2-84186-544-4.
- Mehenni, Ferhat (2013). Afrique : le casse-tête français [La France va-t-elle perdre l'Afrique ?] (in French). Paris: Les éditions de Passy. p. 112. ISBN 978-2-35146-054-2.
- Mehenni, Ferhat (2015). Noël en otage (in French). Paris: Éditions Michalon. p. 192. ISBN 978-2-84186-814-8.
- Mehenni, Ferhat (2017). Kabylie [Mémorandum pour l'indépendance] (in French). Paris: Éditions Fauves. p. 286. ISBN 979-10-302-007-75.
- Mehenni, Ferhat (2021). Réflexions dans le feu de l'action [Histoire de la renaissance du peuple kabyle] (in French). Paris: Éditions Fauves. p. 374. ISBN 979-10-302-0392-9.