Cultural Controversy Erupts as Algerians Claim Moroccan Caftan as Their Own

While Algerian Internet users claim the paternity of the caftan and the djellaba, the Algerian journalist Oualid Kebir, in a video posted on YouTube, stated that the djellaba and the caftan are traditional Moroccan outfits that Algerian women living in the West of their country have adopted over the past decades. "In addition to wearing a traditional outfit and Hayek before the opening of the borders, some women in western Algeria also wore caftan and djellaba. After the opening of the borders in 1988, however, the Moroccan djellaba and caftan began to dominate the local dress."

"This caftan is Moroccan, and Algerian women began to wear it much more after the opening of the borders in 1988," he stressed.

"While several Moroccan customs and traditions began to spread in western Algeria after the opening of the borders in 1988, many Algerians have wrongly claimed these customs as their own," the Algerian journalist further stressed. According to him, this attitude is due to the fact that, by acquiring a unique culture that they did not have before, Algerians wanted to appropriate it.

Wedding celebrations and Amariya (when the newlyweds are lifted and presented to their guests) are among the other Moroccan traditions practiced in the western regions of Algeria. Oualid Kebir also believes that the ruling regime in Algeria fears the massive effect that Moroccan traditions could have on the Algerian people. "This is one of the reasons why Algeria now refuses to open its borders with Morocco," he argued, concluding that if the land borders had not remained closed since 1994, Moroccan culture would already have influenced the lives of many Algerians.