The Religious Question in the Discourse of Al-Manar Newspaper and Its National Dimensions in Algeria: A Study of Its Position on the Separation of Islam from the French State and Its Attention to Religious Occasions (1951–1954)

Abstract

This study examines the religious question in the discourse of the Algerian newspaper Al-Manar during the period from 1951 to 1954 by analysing its position on the separation of Islam from the French state and its attention to religious seasons and occasions, particularly the Mawlid al-Nabawi (the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday). It seeks to uncover the national dimensions underlying this discourse. The study demonstrates that Al-Manar did not treat religion as a purely spiritual domain; rather, it linked the freedom to practise religious rites to the independence of religious institutions. The newspaper’s treatment of the separation of Islam from the French administration also reveals the political nature of the religious question, as clearly illustrated by the articles discussing what became known as the “Case with No Judge.” As for the newspaper’s interest in the Mawlid al-Nabawi and other religious occasions, it went beyond their celebratory dimension to evoke religious and historical values and connect them to the concepts of reform and expression. The study concludes that the religious discourse in Al-Manar helped transform the religious question into an arena of cultural and national resistance. Through this discourse, the newspaper sought to counter colonial interference in religious affairs and defend the Arab-Islamic identity of Algerian society.