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“To explain what was happening in Algeria in the “dark decade” of the 90s, Mahfoud Bennoune wrote this three-part series: “How Fundamentalism Produced a Terrorism Without Precedent,” which remains a useful tool for comprehending the seemingly incomprehensible actions of jihadist movements (like Nigeria’s Boko Haram) and formulating strategy for combating them. It was first published in the leading Algerian newspaper El Watan in 1994. At the time the author had been forced from his home by fundamentalist death threats and El Watan’s publisher Omar Belhouchet had the year before survived a jihadist attempt on his life. Yet, both were willing to take further risks to publish this study which tries to interpret the jihadist onslaught their country was facing.”


From “What Does it Mean to be a Third World Anthropologist?” (1985)

Open Democracy prints excerpt of the Letter to Anouar Haddam in honor of what would have been Mahfoud's 80th birthday

Open Letter to Mr. Anouar Haddam

How Fundamentalism Produced a Terrorism Without Precedent

Algeria and Nigeria: sharing the deadweight of human mindlessness

De l’intellectuel maquisard à l’anthropologue engagé

Esquisse d’une anthropologie de l’Algerie politique Book (PDF)

Le Matin “Mahfoud Bennoune, chez les d’El Akbia” (PDF)

The Maghribin Migrant Workers in France (PDF)

What-Does it Mean to be a Third World Anthropologist (PDF)

“Mahfoud Bennoune (1936-2004) : un témoignage” par Hugh Roberts (PDF)

“Lettre ouverte à monsieur Annouar Haddam - 1” (PDF)

“Lettre ouverte à monsieur Annouar Haddam - 2” (PDF)