Zohra Drif. Jailed between 1957 and 1962. In 2012 a woman who was 5 years old at the Milk bar when a bomb put there by Zohra called her out and told her “You’re a war criminal. You killed children!” (For the record children were wounded but none actually died) Zohra replied “We were fighting a system that didn’t give us any other choice than death if we wanted to live in our own land” during the same event she also said “I’m not the one you should blame. Blame the French government who came to enslave my country and then left me no other choice to fight than the one we used. Of course on a personal and human level what you went through is horrific like what we went through. I could tell you about thousands of instances similar and worst than yours that happened to us too. But it wasn’t personal.” (She was referencing the fact that Algerians did try peaceful protests they used violence because they had no other choice).
Djamila Poupacha. Jailed between 1960 and 1962. She was violently tortured in the most horrific ways. Her lawyer (Gisele Halimi) actually had to ask for her to be transferred to France for her trial cause she was becoming a symbole because of all the torture she went through and her lawyer feared that if Djamila stayed in Algeria the French military (with the unofficial approval of the government) would execute her in secret to hide what they did to her.
Djamila Bouhired. Jailed between 1957 and 1962. Tortured in the most disgusting ways. She was condemned to death but it was switched to a life sentence in 1959 because of the pressure on the French government.
These women were all accused of terrorism by the French government. They got out of jail only because of the independence of Algeria.
Without them and the choices they made. Without countless other Mujahideen who were tortured in the most horrible ways. Without all the Shuhada who were executed (some after trials accusing them of terrorism but the majority without any trial) I wouldn’t have any of the rights I have today. Every single right I have I owe it to how they fought.
Note: The name Djamila actually got super popular in 1962 and the following years for baby girls because of these heroes.
