Secret Berber Jews

The only defeat that Mohammad’s army suffered in their very successful campaigns in the 7th century CE was at the hands of a Jewish Berber queen named La Kahina, who is still revered in Tunisia to this day. Ibn Khaldun, the great Arab historian of the 15th century, wrote that at the time of the Arab invasion many Berber tribes were Jewish; “this was true of the Jarawa in the Aures mountains, the tribe of the Kahina.” Khaldun says that it was the Arab General Hassan Ibn Numan who wiped out the Jewish tribes in the Maghreb i.e., most of the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. The only defeat General Hassan Ibn Numan suffered was at the hands of La Kahina. When he came back with enormous reinforcements and she realized that the end was near, La Kahina allowed her sons to go over to the enemy – since they worshipped the one God – but, for herself, she chose to die in battle.

According to legend, her son Tarif conquered Spain on behalf of the Muslim armies. Gibraltar – Jabel el Tarif – is named after him.

Until the 1950’s, there were many Berber tribes practicing Judaism openly in Morocco. Many Moroccan Jews in Israel have Berber origins. But because the whole story doesn’t fit anyone’s stereotype, Berber Judaism has fallen off the historical radar. Clearly, with the rise of extreme Islam, it is getting more and more difficult for Berbers to come out of the Jewish closet. And yet, I encountered “marano” i.e., secret, Jewish Berbers in Tunisia as recently as 16 years ago.

It’s unfortunate that the world Jewish community in general, and Israel in particular, haven’t realized the enormous ideological power that Judaism still has in North Africa. If someone will reach out to them, the Jews/Israelites of North Africa will rally to the flag.