Page:Algeria from Within.pdf/151

This page needs to be proofread.

ABD-EL-KADER

against a trained army, and beating them in the open over an area as large as France, while AbdelKrim, supported by all kinds of European adventurers, merely held at bay the armies of two European nations where the conformation ofthe ground made his task comparatively easy. Abdel-Kader will always remain a great figure, not only in the history of North Africa but also in that of Islam, as one who defended the Faith against the invasion of the infidel and who died a friend of

his former enemies. This work is not a history nor a political treatise, but merely a handbook for tourists and students of the country, and the name of Abd-el-Kader has only been used to clear up any misunderstanding which may arise when the name is raised: the one Abd-elKader, saint and reformer; the other warrior and defender of Islam.

127

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.