Moufdi zakaria amazigh flag

Algerian poet

Cheikh Zakaria Ben Slimane Ben Yahia Ben Cheikh Slimane Ben Hadj Aïssa (12 June 1908 – 17 August 1977), commonly known as Moufdi Zakaria and also referred to by some sources as Zekri Cheikh, was an Algerian activist, nationalist, poet and writer.

He wrote the lyrics of Kassaman, the national anthem of Algeria, purportedly with his own blood while imprisoned by the French in 1955.

Biography

Zakaria was born on 12 June 1908. Of Mozabite origin,^[1] he spent the early years of his life in the M'zab region of Algeria.

Ibadi islam

The name Moufdi was given to him by a school friend.

He became associated with Algerian nationalism and served time in prison for his beliefs from 1937 to 1938. In 1955, he was imprisoned again in Serkadji prison by the French for his political views.

There, he wrote a poem called Kassaman or The Pledge.^[2] It was said that he wrote the poem on the walls of his cell using his own blood because he had