Sir,
Congratulations on your appointment in taking charge of Algeria. As you are about to start your important mission, its important to be aware of certain factors within your colony that can either help or hamper your performance. Algeria is an important economic and strategic colony, essential for France’s safety and security in the Mediterranean.
The first important component is to have an understanding of the local norms and culture of the region. Algeria was previously controlled by the Ottoman Empire, before our acquisition in the mid nineteenth century. The religion of the region is predominantly Muslim. Furthermore, Algiers was city planned to support its religion. One could easily find minarets and plenty of religious architecture that suggests an almost theocratic system. As we begin efforts to civilize Algeria in the name of France, there has to be an understanding that we work towards secularizing the region. These people need to be made aware of the clear separation between church and state. France’s policy follows the “Law on the Separation of the Church and State.” We partitioned the public secular sphere from a person’s private religious inclinations. Religion only belongs in the private domain. As we move to westernize Algeria, starting with the Marine Quarter, we need to carefully city-plan and rebuild a better Algiers.
Westernizing Algiers is as much a security concern as it is a social one. Algiers has a long history as the epicenter for historical Barbary piracy, as well as a strategic fortress for the Ottomans. When the French conquered Algiers, they had the mind to improve its defenses. Now, as we continue renovating Algiers, it’s important to keep in mind internal and external security for the Mediterranean region. In supporting security, Algiers can also be a tremendous economic asset.
From an economic perspective, demolition and remodeling will have a multitude of positive effects. As we construct luxury housing and develop new arteries, we can attract the higher income population. While there are concerns of local depopulation, from a development perspective, it’s not necessarily a bad proposition. With this redevelopment, Algiers can become the Paris of North Africa.
To summarize my advise for your first strong course of action, you need to remodel Algiers to mirror the West. The local population must be made aware of the French policy towards religion and the public. France and her colonies is secular Republic, period. From there, you can begin to rebuild and city plan a European Algiers.