WI: Forced Berberization instead of forced Arabization in the Maghreb

[TheLobby]

After decolonization, North Africa defined its identity only as Arab and imposed assimilation on Berber populations. Let's suppose the opposite were to happen with, for example, a communist takeover of the region (Maghreb communism was largely dominated by the Kabyles in the 50s) and the foundation of a great Berber Union, comprising Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. What would have happened? Could the Arab identity have been expunged to return to a 100% Berber identity as before the 7th century, or would the Maghreb have collapsed in civil war?

 

[Droman]

Civil War, undoubtedly. Arabization had been taking place since the 700s. Any government policies to that effect post-decolonization are just an extension of a reality of over a millennia of change. It would be like saying Yugoslavia should have returned to Roman Latinization despite having been effectively Slavicized for just as long.

 

[Lalli]

Whole Maghreb regions has been strongly arabised centuries ago. It would be stupidity and asking quick and violent coup if you try enforce berberisation and wipe Arabism off. And in all of these countries Berbers are minorities. In Morocco Berber population is relatively large compared to other Northern African nations but even there they are mostly arabised and have not chances to take power and enforce berberisation.

 

[TheLobby]

Whole Maghreb regions has been strongly arabised centuries ago. It would be stupidity and asking quick and violent coup if you try enforce berberisation and wipe Arabism off. And in all of these countries Berbers are minorities. In Morocco Berber population is relatively large compared to other Northern African nations but even there they are mostly arabised and have not chances to take power and enforce berberisation.

When I speak of "Berberization", this doesn't necessarily mean that the populations of the cities have to adopt the same customs as the Berber tribes of the hinterland, just that all Maghrebians feel completely "Berber" in their identity and that the Arabic language is spoken as little as possible.

 

[Lalli]

When I speak of "Berberization", this doesn't necessarily mean that the populations of the cities have to adopt the same customs as the Berber tribes of the hinterland, just that all Maghrebians feel completely "Berber" in their identity and that the Arabic language is spoken as little as possible.

Even that is not going to work. Arab elite is too strong to accept such idea and there would be strong opposition. At best you can get equal rights for both groups but not some semi-Apartheid system.

 

[TheLobby]

A few thoughts:

Avoid or alleviate French colonization in Algeria because, in OTL, colonization accelerated the process of Arabization (education for the natives was exclusively in French and Arabic, colonial development of the cities and land expropriation provoked a massive rural exodus of Berbers who then lost their identity).

Make the Ottoman Empire survive, one way or another, until the present day, so that Arabism is much less prestigious.

 

[ramones1986]

A few thoughts:

Avoid or alleviate French colonization in Algeria because, in OTL, colonization accelerated the process of Arabization (education for the natives was exclusively in French and Arabic, colonial development of the cities and land expropriation provoked a massive rural exodus of Berbers who then lost their identity).

In that case, then what would be variant of Amazigh that would be used in the country (PS: Kabyle could be possible, but the possible resentment of other Amazigh speakers is relatively understandable).

 

[TheLobby]

I don't know if the Berber dialects of Algeria are close enough to the dialects of Morocco to make one big standardized Amazigh language.

Also, in OTL, there were 33% Arabic speakers in Morocco, 50% in Algeria and +90% in Tunisia at the end of the 19th / beginning of the 20th century. This Berber nation would therefore have to be bilingual in Arabic and Amazigh, in the hope that the Arabic-speaking people would agree to learn also Amazigh, or even that Amazigh monolingualism be imposed on them (so that Arabic is only used in the mosque).

 

[Carl Schwamberger]

My version of this had a PoD far back in the European dark ages or the Medival or Rennisance at the latest. The Reconquista spreads directly or indirectly to the Magreb & NW Africa in general. Either Spain confines its crusading to this region for a direct conquest. Or it gives effective support to the Berbers.

 

[Lalli]

My version of this had a PoD far back in the European dark ages or the Medival or Rennisance at the latest. The Reconquista spreads directly or indirectly to the Magreb & NW Africa in general. Either Spain confines its crusading to this region for a direct conquest. Or it gives effective support to the Berbers.

Not need go that far back. Just let French create some Berber protectorate at some point.

Or then just no Islam at all and eventually there rises Berber Kingdom. But that would be too easy.