Algeria On the Brink of Democracy
Løchstøer, Cathrine: Algerie ved demokratiets grenseAn hour away from the European Mediterranean Coast by plane lies Algeria, ravaged by terrorists attempting to establish an Islamic state. Who are these terrorists? Why is it that Algeria, an oil producing country with ambitions to become a model for third world development, has instead become a victim of the conflict between Islamic and Western values?
Barely a generation after the war of independence against France, differing values and cultures are dividing the population. Supporters of an Islamic state are set against those working for a democratic, secular state. Terrorism and anti-terrorism are set against one another as Algeria heads for civil war whilst a handful of politicians on both sides battle to prove that Islam can coexist with democracy, and that the opposing factions are not irreconcilable.
The dramatic situation in Algeria illustrates the struggle between two important cultures that are forced to live side by side, even if they do not want to mix. The author argues that the history of Algeria provides a fertile backdrop for highlighting the current problems in the relationship between Islam and the West, and further, that the conflict in Algeria concerns Europe - directly and indirectly.
The stated intent of the author is to clarify these and other related problems in order to elucidate the situation in Algeria. The book is for the most part ordered chronologically with an essentially political focus; it provides an informative and accessible method for increasing awareness of the current problems in Algeria, and as such, it is an important contribution towards gaining an understanding of the relationship between Islam and the West.
About the author: Cathrine Løchstøer lectures at the University of Oslo. She has a degree in philosophy and French language and civilization, and has worked as a foreign correspondent for the largest Norwegian newspaper, Aftenposten, and for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).
Publisher: H. Aschehoug & Co. 1995
ISBN: 82-03-26092-6
283 pages, paperback
