Rare video record of Abdelhamid Ben Badiss to be released soon

The Algerian television and other print media have to beat the bushes to find a photo or two of the Algerian thinker and literary man Abdelhamid Ben Badiss as part of the celebrations of “Youm Al Ilm” (Knowledge Day), which coincides with April16, though the French archives hold in their possession a lengthy documentary on the activities of the man in different corners of the country and his unique voyage to France.

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• The dean of the University of Constantine, Eastern Algeria, Doctor Abdellah Boukhelkhel has acquired a rare four minute video tape of Abdelhamid Ben Badiss which goes back to the year 1937.
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• This record, which Echourouk will try to post it on its website soon, contains several rarities including a ceremony that took place in Telemcen, western Algeria, showing the literary man forwarding the keys of “Dar Al Hadith” to the late Bechir Al Ibrahimi amid a cheerful crowd.
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• The video shows the thinker addressing the crowd in addition to his attendance to a music concert; the event could spark controversy concerning Ben Badiss’ stand about music.
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• The doctor has revealed to Echourok that the French archives are full of videos on the thinker, especially the French Intelligence Services who were tracking his activities and recording his allocutions during the last years where he was travelling in the eastern, western and the Kabylia regions.
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• He has indicated that several photographs and rare documents were collected by an Algerian searcher called Nadjib Achour, living in France who is about to prepare a thesis on the abdelhamid Ben Badiss .