Written by Hacene Baleh for berberosaharan.com
Hey, I’m Hacene and currently live in Australia for a good decade already. On a number of occasions, people I usually meet genuinely ask about where I’m from. Obviously with pride and no hesitation I tell the truth about my origins, hoping that I can enlighten them about my Amazigh1 culture. The conversation usually goes like this:
John: Hey I’m John, What’s your name mate?
Me: I am Hacène
John: Ah, where is your name from?
Me: I am from Algeria.
John: From Nigeria?
Me: No, from AAAAAlgeria, with an ‘A’.
John: Algeria? Where is it?
Me: North Africa
John: Haha, you are kidding? How come you don’t look the same as the rest of the Africans?
The conversation goes on with some explanations and education about the ‘Imazighen2’, who are basically the native people and the owners of North Africa in few words.
The native inhabitants of North Africa are assumed by a big number of people around the world to look similar throughout the continent; however Imazighen2 are believed to be the distinct natives of that land from the rest of the continent for over 13000 years according to some archaeological findings in the area. Some believe that Imazighen originally came from Eastern Europe because of their look; others believe they were from Western Asiatic area, but the Imazighen believe that they blossomed from the ground on that land itself. The history cannot trace back with proofs of their origins. Given the fact that the African continent is the mother of all continents and the oldest of them all, and knowing that all races around the world could be evolved from the African’s, this then does not exclude the Imazighen belief. Tamazight3 was born in North Africa. Maybe the Europeans and the other white races around the world were descendents of the Amazigh blood.
Some readers may or may not agree with this publication, so I would personally encourage you to leave your comments for discussions.
Notes:
1. Amazigh: Known also by ‘Berber’ who are the native people of North Africa.
2. Imazighen: Plural of Amazigh
2. Imazighen: Plural of Amazigh
3. Tamazight: Language and culture the Imazighen people of North Africa
Some Typical faces of Imazighen people of North Africa (Algeria)
