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= Racism in Algeria =

Overview
This article aims to look at two prevalent cultural aspects, religion and sports, and how they affect racism in Algeria. Post independence Algeria defined itself through religion as the vast majority of its citizens are muslim. This homogeneity has informed the way the society handles race related issues and how citizens interact with one another. Sports are a magnifying glass of the problems faced in the society, and racism is no different.

Religious Effects on Racism
Racism in Algeria functions slightly differently from Racism in the United States. In Algeria much of the empathy different identity groups feel for others is based upon religion. This emphasis on religion has created an environment in which major discrimination is based not only upon race, such as it is in the United States, but also upon religion. Algeria is predominantly muslim, with about 97% of the population identifying with that religion. This doubles the possibility for stigmatization and discrimination within the country, as it can be based both upon skin tone and religion. While Algerian news outlets and media often talk about how Europe treats its Black population horribly, Algeria has seen its own fair amount of racism. In Algeria western racism is seen as abusive and worthy of denunciation, however the media is much more quiet about its own own wrongdoings. Much of the racism in the country stems from immigration and xenophobic sentiments. There have also been many clashes between Algerians and Sub-Saharan Africans. In Algeria the black population faces similar discrimination as in other places, however in Algeria being muslim can grant a black person a certain sense of humanity they might not have received had they been of any other religion. This is so common there that beggars on the street will quote phrases from the Quran so as to appeal to this religious empathy. This shared religion affords those who might otherwise be ostracized from society to seek refuge in the spiritual hearts of the majority.

Racism in Sports
The national soccer team has been a point of contention in the debate about systemic racism recently as the Algerian Football Federation announced in November of 2017 that dual citizenship players would have to prove their loyalty to Algeria and be technically superior to players with single Algerian citizenship. Dual nationality players have been blamed in recent years for the poor performance of the football team and many are calling out the systemic racism apparent in the federation. While the racism here has to do with citizenship and loyalty instead of skin color it still proposes the question of who is Algerian and how to quantify that, whether it has to do with "pure" Algerian bloodlines or skin color or religion.

New York Times Article

Middle East Eye