MAK-North America (Philadelphia Section) & TIWIZI-USA Present, in observance of the 24th anniversary of the Death of Lounes Matoub:
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A conference titled  "La kabylie et la science" (Kabylia and Science)
by Dr. Madjid Boutemeur

& the US Premiere of “Matoub Lounes, Once Upon A Voice in Kabylia” a documentary film about the Kabyle/Amazigh icon Lounes Matoub, by Journalist and writer Aksil Azergui.

Date: July 16th, 22022

Time: 4-10 PM

Place: The Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center, 700 Cedar Rd, Jenkintown, PA 19046
https://maps.app.goo.gl/VUiTXkoVtThDztXB8

PLEASE JOIN US!

Philadelphia, June 7, 2021
Tiwizi USA strongly denounces the ongoing Algerian Government’s systematic repression and oppression of the Kabyle people and the region of Kabylia. Kabylia has lived under the Algerian government’s tyranny for a long time, but recently this hostile attitude has intensified. The Algerian authorities are acting like a colonial power in this region.

In its quest to crush the Hirak Movement and any opponents, the authorities cracked down on demonstrators, journalists and activists from all sides to ensure the upcoming scham elections ensure them the necessary democratic facade to continue business as usual. In Kabylia, they targetted largely the members of the MAK (movement for the self-determination of Kabylia). More recently, the Algerian government went as far as to label this peaceful and democratic movement as a terrorist organization in order to incite violence and scape-goat this rebelious region.
Stigmitization of Kabylia has been historical, but more recently threats and calls for violence against it escalated. For instance Said Bensdira, an Islamic extremist residing in England, has called on his YouTube channel for the killing of kabyles using chemicals. In the last few weeks, close to two dozens Kabyles, members of the MAK have been imprisoned without any warrants. At times they were snatched from the streets or abducted from their homes without anyone knowing. Their families are subjected to threats and humiliation. Held without bail, their trials are often delayed on purpose to punish them and then sentence them to time served, because the authorities have nothing against them. Many of them complained of mistreatments and torture during their custody.

As Kabyle-Americans, we call on the Algerian authorities to release all journalists and activists of both the Hirak and the MAK jailed for speaking their minds, gathering or demonstrating peacefully for their rights and dignity. We say to the authorties that MAK is a peaceful organization and so far violence has come only from this governement. The memories of Kabylia’s Black Spring 2001 are still vivid, and incitement to violence to justify the use of force, will lead to very dangerous consequences for the people of Kabylia and Algeria as a whole.
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We call on Human Rights organizations, and all people who value liberty and justice to stand for the rights of the Kabyle people and all of those fighting for democracy and freedom, and call on Algeria to change course and release all prisoners and abide by its own constitution. 

We stand with those who fight for freedom and against tyranny. We stand with the MAK movement and our Kabyle brothers and sisters and assure them of our indefectible solidarity. 

Tiwizi USA is a non profit organization based in Pennsylvania. Its goals are to help the Kabyle people, defend their human rights and encourage friendship with the American people.

The Board of Directors

Chabane Slimani was born in 1962 in Amechras, Kabylia. In 2007 he moved to At-Willul and very quickly fell in love with this country of which he naturally became a citizen. The war waged against Gaddafi in 2011 in which he actively participated strengthened his ties with Imazighen of At-Willul and Infusen as well as his sense of belonging to this country for which he had fought and was ready to give his life to. After the fall of the Khaddafi regime, Chabane continued to serve in the Amazigh military forces which control all of the Amazigh territory and ensure its security.
But on January 5, 2018, very early in the morning, Arab militias from Zentan belonging to the forces under the command of Osama Jouilli appointed by the government of Sarraj, based in Tripoli, for the control of the western part of Libya, attacked, cowardly, the village Boukemmache located about forty kilometers from the town of Zouara in At-Willul. Chabane was one of the troops that went to this village to push back the Zentan militias and it was there that he was killed.
With his act, Chaâbane sets us a monumental example of Amazighness. He will forever remain a symbol of the Amazigh fight for Freedom.

Excerpt from an Article first appeared on Tamazgha.fr on 01/08/2019

A memorial was erected to commemorate Chabane's ultimate sacrifice

The Tiwizi family is saddened by the loss of the Kabyle icon Idir. It sends its condolences to his family and friends and shares their grief. We feel their pain also as they struggle to mourn their loss in these trying times caused by the Corona Virus pandemic.

Idir has revolutionized the Kabyle song and contributed to the revival of the Kabyle culture and Tamazight in general. He has created timeless pieces of music and poetry that depict Kabyle life, culture and heritage. Through his work he shone a light on the people of Tamazgha and helped them construct their identity. He also built bridges among cultures and promoted peace.

We mourn your loss Idir. You have given us so much and you will always be in our hearts.

Fkan-t i waggur bu lmeryat
Ger yetran yerra-t
Garasen ad yedhu
La yreqq deg igenni nwala-t
Meskin yuggad a t-nettu

Itran uran isem-is di tegnawt
Aniwa ur yezmir ḥed a t-yemḥu
Ma twalam itri i wumi tzad tafat
Ẓret d netta i ɣ-d-yehdan asefru

Rest in peace brother. We will never forget you and your star will always shine and guide us.

Two days ago, in this sad April's spring, I heard that you passed away in silence in a hospital in France. While we were all hunkered down out of fear of COVID19, you decided to quietly leave this earth. I must say I was not prepared for such news. In my mind I never thought about a day when I would hear such a thing, although, this sort of thing occurred to me a few times, the first being after my mother died. Since then, once in a while when I think of a member of my family who is older than me, I think to myself, that one day they will not be around. They would be crossed out of my list of relatives and friends. I just never thought that I would cross you out of my shrinking list.

I also feel guilty because we did not keep in touch as well as we should have. I reached out once in a blue moon for some time, then our communications stopped. I also stopped travelling through France out of convenience and thus did not have those opportunities to come down and visit.

I will never forget that summer of 2008 when we spent about a week together at your house in Aveyron. We told many stories and debated many questions. We also ate a lot "pain de campagne" (country bread) and local cheeses. You even told us about those special cows that produced that cheese. One day, you took us to your friend's goat cheese farm and we came back with a box of amazing cheeses. We took walks in the  beautiful countryside and you showed my six year-old son how to collect wild berries and thread them on a thin stalk. 

When you left Kabylie, you chose this beautiful village in the mountains of the Aveyron. We think it reminded you of the mountain of At-Mendas. Incidentally, At-Mendas itself is only a shoutout from At-Buaddu, where I was born. They are both at the foot of the Djurdjura mountains. The rocky hillsides of Aveyron are so similar to those of Djurdjura, the limestone, the stone houses and the herds of sheep heading to pasture bleating and sounding their bells. All reminded me of Kabylie.  

You left so soon, we did not have time to say goodbye or thank you. An ocean separated us, we could not sit at your hospital bed. We did not even know how sick you were. You probably did not tell many people. You lived alone in those beautiful mountains of Lozere and did your things peacefully. Back when we were fighting hard for the rights of the Amazigh people, you often came down to Paris to organize and do what needed to be done. But even when you were up in your village, alone you managed a small group (ASIB: Association Solidarité Internationale Bérbère). You managed to keep in touch, inform, publish/write and give a helping hand to countless individuals and groups both in Tamazgha in in the diaspora.

You travelled Tamazgha and connected with Imazighen everywhere (Morocco, the Tuareg country, the Canary Islands) and when the World Amazigh Congress was founded, you were among its first architects. You fought hard and spoke your mind without restraint. Your frankness was only rivaled by your generosity. My friend, how it hurts to talk about you in  the past tense.

My friend, son of At-Mendas, Amazigh warrior, rest in peace now. Please know that you are appreciated. The gaping void you left in our hearts and in Tamazgha will not be easily filled. We will miss you but we will not forget.

Ḥsen At u-Amran

Tiwizi-USA will commemorate the Amazigh spring on April 27 at 2 PM at the Kabylian Coffee Shop in South Philly with guest speaker Masin Ferkal. Masin has been active in Amazigh circles since the 1980's. Masin was a founder of the Amazigh Congress. He managed the "Editions Berberes" in Paris for a decade or so while he served as president for the Tamazgha association of Paris he helped found. He teaches Tamazight at the INALCO (Paris). Masin will speak about Kabylia and the Algerian regime. Kabylia has always been a thorn in the foot of the successive governments of Algeria by being the vanguard of freedom and democracy in Algeria. The regime on the other hand has always found the most diabolical ways to neutralize the impact of the Kabyle actions. This will be an interesting presentation which will be followed undoubtedly by  a rich debate. So, please join us in this commemoration and patronize the Kabylian coffee shop.

​Philadelphia 09-05-2017 - Tiwizi is shocked by the violent attack against Rachid At Ali Uqasi and Reda Amrani during their travel in their native Kabylia to promote the Kabyle Television Project TQ5. On Monday, June 4, as Racid and Reda were making their way to a conference programmed in the village of Tifrit near Aqbu, their car was stopped in the middle of the road at which point their attackers immediately strated to beat them up. Pictures published on the Internet showed marks of stabbings on Rachid and Reda.
 
Tiwizi condemns this barbaric act , the responsability of which rests entirely on the anti-Kabyle racist government of Algiers and the local thugs it employs to foil any meaningful Kabyle initiative. We have seen time and again interventions by the military police (Gendarmerie), local police and its hired thugs to prevent conferences, meetings, book readings, and associations from holding peaceful and educational or social activities. Virtually any activity that is initiated by the Kabyl civil society is suspicious and must be prevented. To this end, every means is acceptable including intimidation, threats of loss of employment, illegal arrests, detentions, violence, etc.
 
For Tiwizi, things are very clear, the Algerian regime wants to supress anything that is Kabyl and prevent the Kabyl people from engineering their own emancipation.
 
We call on the Kabyle people to unite and oppose these genocidal policies. We are not calling on the Algerian regime to do anything because they are the source of the problem. It is to the Kabyl to find ways to keep Kabylia safe from such opression. Kabyls should be safe in their own land. Rachid and Reda are fighting for Kabylia, they should be protected by Kabyls.
 
We call on all Kabyls to pull together to support the TQ5 project. If successful, TQ5 will be the first truly Kabyl television station. It will be a station for Kabyls by Kabyls. It will be devoted to our culture and language, our values and all that matters for Kabyls. Above all it will be educational unlike what the Kabyls watch today. It will be a normal television, one that we can call ours as it will be sensitive to our issues. Finally, TQ5 will not be be a television with an agenda that is foreign to Kabylia.
 
We call on western governments to recognize the Algerian regime for what it is. Dictatorial, corrupt, pro-Arabo-Islamic, and of course Anti-Kabyl. We call on them to stop turning a blind eye for pecuniar gains.
 
Denounce the barbaric regime
Kabyls unite and support TQ5
 
 
Tiwizi-USA

​Deg Philadelphia wis-5 Ctamber 2017
 
Teɣli-d lefqaɛ ger iɛeggalen n tiddukla Tiwizi mi slan belli Racid At Ali Uqasi d Reda Amrani ttewten di terzeft nsen ɣer tmurt n Yeqbayliyen mi ddan ad semlen asenfaṛ n tiliẓri taqbyalit TQ5. As n 4 seg Ctamber, Racid d Reda llan deg yiwet n tkerrust i ten-yedmen ɣer yiwen usarag deg taddart Tifrit (tama n Weqbu) d-yettwaheggan dɣa ɣef usenfar agi n TQ5. Zegnen abrid mi sen-d-sqaṭṭaɛ yiwet n terbaɛt n ivayuten. Kemren-ten akken a d-rsen seg tkerrust dɣa din ɣlin degsen s tyita. Dɣa ula d tiytiwin s lmus tekkant.
 
Tiddukla Tiwizi tekkundani lbaṭel agi iɛeddan ɣef imeɣnasen Racid d Reda. Tiyita agi, tella-d ɣef ufus n udabu azzayri arasist mgal iqbayliyen. Ur yezmir ad iqbel a d-tekker kra n tigawt tadelsant neɣ tamettit seg weɣref aqbayli. Ur yeqbil ad tili tlelli di kra n tamaṭ ma yella mači d ayen ara d-yessers ɣef izugar n yeqbayliyen. Nwala amek ḥebbsen timliliyin tidelsanin, tiseklanin, inejmaɛen n tiddukliwin ama di tama n tegmi ama di tmetti. Ayen ara d-yekken si tmetti ilaq a t-ḥebsen. I wakken ad ḥebsen medden, ayen ufan a t-xedmen : asiwel ɣer commissariat, aḥbas n yemdanen, rregmat, asiggwed n yemdanen, tawakksa n uxeddim, tiyita, atg.
 
I terbaɛt n Twizi, taswiɛt tebrez akken ilaq. Adabu azzayri ibɣa ad imḥu kra yellan d aqbayli, u a d-iḥbes leqbayel di tikli nsen ɣer tlelli.
 
Ara nessutur deg leqbayel akken ad dduklen, u a d-kkren mgal tasertit agi iran ad ten-temḥu. Ur a nessutur ara deg udabu ad ixdem kra acku, aṭṭan segs i d-yekka. Iqbayliyen ilaq a d-afen ttawilat swayes ara d-kksen iman nsen si ddaw uzaglu d tmuḥqranit. Iqbayliyen tewwi-d ad izmiren ad ddren di tmurt nsen war tugdi. Ṛacid d Reda ttnaɣen ɣef teqbaylit, tewwi-d d iqbayliyen ara yḥarben fellasen.
 
Nessawal i yeqbayliyen akk akken ad dduklen ad fken afus i usenfaṛ n tiliẓri TQ5. TQ5 ad tegg d tiliẓri taqbaylit n tidet. D tiliẓri i iqbayliyen sɣur iɣbayliyen. A tili d tiliẓri i yedles d tutlayt nneɣ, azalen nneɣ d wayen ɛzizen fellaneɣ. Ad tili d afus n usegmi, mači am tiliẓriyin i ttwalin assagi. Ad tili d tiliẓri am tiyaḍ isɛan azal ɣer imawlan nsent. Ad tili d tiliẓri nneɣ acku tettḥulfu ayen nettḥulfu. Di tagara, TQ5 ur tettili ara d tiliẓri isɛan kra n yeswi yellan beṛṛa n tmetti nneɣ.
 
Di tagara, negger-ed tiɣri i inabaḍen n tmura tutrimin (occidentales) akken ad ɛeqlen d acu i d adabu azzayri. Adabu n tesnareft, tijɛal, tiɛrabt-tinneslemt, mgal taqbaylit, mgal afara. A la sen-neqqar i inabaḍen-a, ur teqqnet ara allen nwen ɣef ayen iḍerrun di teqbaylit ɣef yisem n tedrimt.
 
Feḍḥet-ed adabu aweḥci
Iqbayliyen dduklet, fket afus i TQ5
 
Tiwizi-USA

S teqbaylit

Philadelphia - 14 wambeṛ 2016
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Nekni s imaslaḍen n tiddukla Tiwizi, yenɣa-yaɣ wurrif mi nesla s tyita n Mas Buɛziz At Cebbi, aselway n umussu n wafraniman aqbayli. Akken ma nella nekundani lbaṭel d twakksa n serr i d-ɣeḍlen imesbaṭliyen ɣef iɛeggalen n MAK, amussu ixeddmen s lehna d tugdut seg was mi d-yekker.
 
Wid iṭṭfen deg usaɛreb d tinseslemt taberkant regment-ten u gullen degsen s lmut. Atmaten n tugdut yefkan afus xedɛen-ten, tibulisin d teɣdemt n Lezzayer ɣlin-d fellasen am wejṛad. Ihi tura igwra-d kan a ten-wwten s ifassen n Leqbayel n sserbis bac akken a ten-kumren i wakken ad ḍfren abrid n tekriḍt (violence).
 
Ihi nekni a d-nefḍeḥ adabu agi ibɣan ad icɛel times di tmurt n Leqbayel, u a d-neger tiɣri i leqbayel irkelli akken ad ɛassen f lḥarma nsen d lḥarma n Mas Buɛziz. Neqqar ala i tekriḍt, ih i laɛqel. Nessawal i kra isɛan taqbaylit deg ul a d-bedden akken ad fken afud i teqbaylit bac ur d-tḍerru ara twaɣit.
 
Tamurt n Leqbayel ɣures lḥeq ad tnadi tilelli ines d uzerf ad tebnu imal i tarwa-s anida takriḍt d tisebrekt ur ttilin, anida idles d izalen n yeqbayliyen ad ǧuǧgen.
 
Ihi nekni s iɛeggalen n Twizi-USA nbedd tama n MAK d iɛeggalen-is, d uselway Mas Buɛziz. Neqqarasen aqalɣ yidwen assa azekka.
 
Iɛeggalen n Twizi-USA

​Philadelphia - November 14, 2016
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We members of Tiwizi-USA association are shocked by the attack orchestrated against the MAK president Mas Buɛziz At-Cebbi. We condemn this attack and any attack on the physical or moral health of the MAK activists. The MAK has been since its creation a resolutely peaceful and democratic movement.
 
After having been demonized and received death threats by the supporters of Arabism and obscurantist Islam, then stabbed in the back by the so-called Democratic parties who were just eager to return the favor to their masters, after being harassed by the security and judicial apparatus, we now start to witness physical attacks organized by so-called "Kabyles de service*" with the goal of dragging this movement into violence.
 
We denounce this government and its local sub-contractors who want to light fire to Kabylia and call the Kabyls to be extremely vigilant. We say no to violence and yes to intelligence. We call all those who have Kabylia in their hearts to stand and be counted to help Kabylia, protect it and and avoid the worst.
 
Kabylia has the right to aspire to its freedom and build a prosperous future where violence and obscurantism are banned, and where Kabyl culture and values have the right to flourish.
 
To the members of MAK and its president, we reiterate our unwavering support.
 
Members of Tiwizi-USA

* A "Kabyle de service" is a Kabyle who works for the system and against his/her own people in exchange of favors and benefits.

Those from the US who would like to contribute to this fund-raising event can donate through TIWIZI. You can write contact us through this website and send your check directly to Tiwizi. Tiwizi will transfer the funds to Karim Akkouche who is coordinating this action. The funds raised will help pay lawyer's bills as well as his family who lost its bread winner. Please help defend someone's right to free speech and freedom!

Everyone arrested on the 7th was released by the end of the day we were told. On the night of July 13, 7 supporters of MAK from Tawrirt Muqran were summoned by the police for having displayed the Kabyle flag. No doubt other arrests and intimidations are in the works. MAK immediately issued a press release denouncing this harassment and repression against the movement. The authorities are working on all fronts to suppress every action by the MAK despite its peaceful nature. It remains the Kabyles' responsibilities to remain steadfast and most importantly peaceful. The goal of the the authorities is to crush the movement and its actions are provocations to incite to violence to justify all sorts of actions against the MAK..