Did You Know That There Are Famous Arabs in France?

posted on: Aug 14, 2020

By: Yasmina Hage/Arab America Contributing Writer

France is a country that welcomes many foreigners that come mainly from the African continent. Among these foreigners, many Arabs have been able to give a smile to France. An opportunity to make French people dream and show them the extent of their talents! For example, the entertainment world in France is full of Arab personalities who have become very famous. Some of them even have the chance to become icons in their field and enter the history books. In addition to the world of show business, there are other areas in which some Arabs have managed to make a name for themselves.
The Arabs who are famous in France are numerous. Because of this, it is unfortunately not possible to name all of them. Among the people chosen, all generations are confused. That is to say, there are young celebrities but also older ones.

Humorists and Actors

Gad Elmaleh

He is a humorist and actor of Moroccan origin. He is also multilingual, fluent in Arabic, French, English, and Hebrew. He has always been fascinated by the world of entertainment. Especially, he dreams of becoming a kind of “Michael Jackson.” He moved to France in 1992. Over the years, he has become an icon for France. Certainly, one of the most famous comedians. In fact, they call him “the French prince of laughter.” He managed to make himself unforgettable for his talent. His purpose, to make a lot of generations laugh. Example of his shows and films:

• Jamel Debbouze is also an actor and humorist of Moroccan origin who has strongly marked France. In Marocco and France, everyone calls him “a comic star.” Jamel Debbouz did not always have an easy childhood, as well as having to fight to get where he is today. In addition to being an actor and a humorist, he offers opportunities to children who like him. Children who would like to become humorists by creating the Jamel comedy club.  Example of his famous shows and movies:

Everyone in France knows these two actors.

Writers

Andrée Chedid

Born Andrée Saab, he was a French writer, a woman of letters, and poetess. Her origins are Syrian and Lebanese. Now deceased, she wrote short stories, plays, and novels. She is a very humanist and anti-war woman. As a result, she declares her anger for violence and war in her book “Le message. ” In France, in order to pay homage to her, they give her name to several schools, such as the Andrée Chedid library in Paris.

Kateb Yacine

A great Algerian writer who is now deceased, Kateb Yacine was a poet, novelist, journalist, and playwright. He denounced everything wrong. Not afraid to convey his opinion through his art, which was not always appreciated by everyone. Therefore, he was a rebel. For example, his most famous novel is “Nedjma.” This novel is imposing itself as a major work of French literature. In France, he received in 1987 the “Grand Prix National des Lettres.” (The national grand prize of letters.)

Athletes

Zinédine Zidane

She is an international football player of French and Algerian nationality. His nickname is Zizou. He won many titles in the French team and in the other clubs he played with. He is twice ranked best French player of all time by “France football.” Therefore, he represents an icon for a large part of the young French people who love this sport.

Alain Mimou

He is an athlete of Algerian origin. Now deceased, he went to France during the Second World War. In 1940, he engaged in many sports. In 1947, he started long-distance running in France. As a result, Minou won 32 French championship titles. He wore the French jersey 86 times in international competitions. These titles and tournaments make him the most successful French athlete in France.

Mathematicians 

Maurice Audin

Now deceased, he was a Tunisian mathematician. He studied at the University of Algiers. He had a thesis to present in Paris in 1958, but he got arrested. Fortunately for him, René de Possel exposes his results on: “Linear Equations in Vector Space” as part of a Ph.D. in Mathematics. In other words, ” Thanks to this, Maurice Andin received a doctorate in science, with honors. He was a member of the Algerian Communist Party and an Algerian independence activist.

Mohammed Moussaoui

He is a Moroccan and French mathematician. In 1986, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics in Rabat and graduated with honors. Eventually, he went to the University of Montpelier in France to get his Ph.D. in mathematics. After a teaching and lecturing position, he directed research. Also, he is the author of numerous articles on different mathematical themes.

Politician and Artist

Leila Shahid

He is a politician of Palestinian and Lebanese nationality. She started her career in politics after the 6-day war. In fact, she got overwhelmed by the defeat against the Israeli army. Therefore, she commits in social and political activity in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon. She was the General Delegate of the Palestinian Authority in France in 1994 and then, the ambassador of Palestine to the European Union, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

Leïla Menchari

She is a decorator of Tunisian origin who died recently because of COVID-19. When she was a teenager, she has the chance to be taken under the wing of an Anglo-American couple. Thanks to them, she was able to meet many artistic personalities. In 1943, she went to the School of Fine Arts in Paris. Afterward, she worked for the famous luxury house Hermès as artistic director for many years. The window decorations she created for Hermès were a fantastic universe where East and West intersect. Thus, Leïla Menchari made all the tourists and Parisians dream.

Sources

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gad_Elmaleh

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamel_Debbouze

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9e_Chedid

http://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20191028-trente-ans-disparition-kateb-yacine-algerie-litterature-nedjma-polygone-etoile 

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zin%C3%A9dine_Zidane  

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Mimoun

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Audin

fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Moussaoui

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le%C3%AFla_Shahid

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