Algeria The introduction of Freemasonry into Algeria, a former French colony, goes back to 1831 with the creation of the French military lodge “Cirrus” followed by lodge “B’lisaire” and lodge “Isma’l” in 1833. All three were erected under the Grand Orient of France. A major step towards the acceptance of non-Europeans in colonial Algeria was achieved with the initiation in 1864 of Emir Abd-el-Kader, who had led the war against the French conquest from 1832 to 1847. However, this breakthrough was short-lived and few Muslims subsequently joined Freemasonry in Algeria, evidently because they could generally not share the anti-religious views of the Grand Orient of France Masons. In 1939, just before WWII, Algeria possessed eleven lodges under the Grand Lodge of France and twenty-one lodges under the Grand Orient of France, plus a couple of lodges under Le Droit Humain and a lodge of Memphis-Misra’m. After 1945 Freemasonry did not regain its former importance and with the independence of Algeria in 1963 it disappeared altogether, following the repatriation of most French nationals back to France. Freemasonry is today prohibited .
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 05:16:16 +0000
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