Mayor even more exotic

Published: 28 May, 2010

• AS she says she has Berber roots the new Islington Mayor, Mouna Hamitouche, may have an even more exotic background than being the first Algerian mayor in the UK. Berbers are the indigenous and majority racial group in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia and are distinct from Arabs.

There are said to be 50 million Berbers in the North African countries other than Egypt, but Arab minorities dominate.  Very many now speak Arabic but that does not make them Arabs, any more than English-speaking Irish people are English.

Councillor Hamitouche’s former nationality was Algerian but perhaps she could tell us more about her Berber background? Perhaps there will be Berber food at receptions.

The online LookLex Encyclopedia says: “As with other indigenous peoples in the world, Berbers are now protesting against the undervaluation of their culture and identity.”

Famous Berbers range from St Augustine of Hippo to Zinedine Zidane, the footballer.
LEO CHAPMAN
Dufferin Street, EC1