Witch hunt in Algeria: In Blida, a Franco-Algerian woman and her daughter were attacked by an angry crowd because she had written notes in French language in a Koran. ‘They took off her niqab’

An article published on the TSA Algeria website reports on an incident in Blida, Algeria, in which a French-Algerian woman was attacked by neighbours who accused her of practising witchcraft. According to witnesses, the attack occurred after the woman was suspected of casting a spell, which led to a violent confrontation. A video of the incident, which went viral on social media, shows the crying victim lamenting the attack against her. The event sparked fierce responses online, with internet users expressing outrage at the violence and superstitious accusations. The article also points to the tense situation surrounding the belief in witchcraft in Algeria, where such accusations can sometimes lead to violence. The local authorities have not yet officially commented on the incident.

Chasses aux sorcières en Algérie: à Blida, une Franco-Algérienne et sa fille ont été attaquées par une foule en délire pour des annotations en français dans un Coran “Ils lui ont enlevé son niqab” – Fdesouche

According to witness statements reported by the Echorouk newspaper on Monday June 2, the woman had started reading the Koran while waiting for her daughter. As she did not speak Arabic very well, she had translated terms from the holy book on sheets of paper to better understand the verses.
As she was wearing a niqab, she aroused the suspicion of some of the people present at the scene, who approached her to find out what she was doing. And when they saw the Koran and the notes written in French on the leaves, they accused her directly of witchcraft and exorcism.

And that’s where things came to a head. While they were filming the scene, the group of men began to insult the young woman, calling her all kinds of names. Some even took off her niqab and tried to physically attack her.

One of them said: “These are all magical charms”. The crowd grew visibly larger and insults were shouted everywhere, while the unfortunate young woman begged her attackers to give her back her niqab and tried to hide her face from the mobile phones that were filming her.

The video of this disgraceful assault quickly spread across social networks in Algeria. ‘She was almost lynched in public and her only offence was reading the Koran,’ one internet user expressed his outrage on Facebook.

« Elle lisait le Coran » : lynchage évité de justesse pour une Franco-Algérienne à Sétif