Novelist Rachid Boudjedra: “I'm not an atheist. I'm a Sufi Muslim and I memorized the Koran twice”

Novelist Rachid Boudjedra retreated his statements, in which he confirmed “atheism”, and asserted in response to Echorouk question, on the sidelines of the Forum on the “Novel and movie” in Oran (western Algeria), that he deliberately responded to a question of Echorouk TV program “The Court”, and justified this by saying; “I was angry due to the same question, and I responded violently to the provocation. Everyone knows me and knows my positions have, and I never attacked Islam in my life.”

“What I said was just a slip of the tongue, and I wanted it in the context of humor, even if they are heavy. Islam is the religion of the people and not only the state’s religion. I’m the son of a Zawya, and I memorized Quran twice, I grew up in a religious family. I’m one of the early Arab novelists who revived the Arab Islamic civilization with its texts and sciences in the novel. I am a Sufi Muslim.”

“I have a Sufi vision such as Ibn al-Arabi or the Emir Abdelkader or al-Halladj. I like the Algerian Muslims, and can not attack Islam and the people. I am a communist. My political and ideological positions are known.”

Boudjedra was honored by the Governor of Oran Festival, on Friday evening, in Sheraton Hotel, and said about this; “I’m honored as a screenwriter, and you know that I’m the screenwriter of the “Embers’ Years”, which is directed by Lakhdar Hamina, and also the great work “Nahla”.

“I also wrote scenarios for a Belgian and French directors. I got a prize of screenwriters. Tomorrow I’m honored on the course of 50 years.”