Stereotyping an d bias in the depiction of Algerian religious life under Ottoman rule

Abstract EN

The reflection on the cultural virtues of others is generally ingrained in the superiority / inferiority binary, given the instinct of difference of human beings, and its ultimate by-products as stereotypes and biases.

in that vein, western writers, above all the category of travelers, religious men, and administrators developed negative stands and judgments as to the African and Asian peoples they encountered.

this is glaringly epitomized by the western chroniclers who dwelt on the religious aspect of the Algerian society under the ottoman rule, depicting the religious men as fanatical persons who stood as a bar in front of progress.

most notable among them were : R.

P.

Jean-Baptist Labat (a French reverend), Laugier De Tassy (a Dutch marine officer), Depont.Octave, Coppolani, Xavier and Douté Edmond.

the premise of the present paper is to shed light on the writings of those chroniclers, with a view to pinpointing the negative images developed with regard to the religious life of the Algerians, scrutinizing the rate of their exactitude, and deciphering the reasons behind.

to pursue that, the study tackles first an elucidation of the concept of racial difference and its psychological corollary.

secondly, the study hinges on the exploration of those black-painted pictures.

finally, the paper assesses the western allegations on the light of rational historical investigation.

the findings indicate that such writers did not necessarily refer to all the truth as they were impressed by the force of racial difference, and the lack of cultural empathy.