Le regard colonial: Islam, genre et identités dans la fabrication de l'Algérie Française, 1830-1962

This essay argues that the social construction of french Algeria was grounded upon representations of moslem women, and that the discourse of moslem sexuality constituted a critical force in the cultural politics of french Algeria throughout the XIXth century and the first half of the XXth century. The author shows how, by the eve of the Great War, colonized women had been transformed into objects of political and ideological contention. The arab woman functioned as a symbol of the inferiority of the Other, especially in matters of sexuality and marriage, confirming their distinct cultural identity and, reinforcing thereby, the political authority of european settlers. Special attention is paid to the writings of the french feminist Hubertine Auclert.