Mohamed Cherak (Arabic: محمد شراق; 14 August 1977 – 17 November 2018) was an Algerian journalist and editor-in-chief.[1]

Mohamed Cherak
Native name
محمد شراق
Born(1977-08-14)14 August 1977
Hammadi, Algeria
Died17 November 2018(2018-11-17) (aged 41)
Djasr Kasentina, Algeria
Resting placeHammadi, Algeria
Pen name
  • Rezki رزقي
  • Abdul Quddus عبد القدوس
Occupation
  • Journalist
  • Editor-in-chief
LanguageArabic, Berber, French
NationalityAlgerian
EducationJournalism
Alma materAlgiers 3 University
Years active1998–2018
Notable works
  • El Fadjr (2000–2002)
  • El Ahdath (2002–2003)
  • El Khabar (2003–2018)

Early life

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Cherak was born in 1977 in the town of Hammadi, in the lower Kabylia region of Algeria, west of the Khachna Massif and south-west of the town of Boumerdès.[2]

After primary and intermediate studies in Hammadi and Khemis El Khechna, Cherak continued his studies in journalism, information science and communication studies at the Algiers 3 University where he obtained his bachelor's degree in 1998.[3]

Cherak began his professional journalism career with the daily El Fadjr in 2000 while a student at the École Nationale Supérieure de Journalisme et des Sciences de l'Information (ITFC) in Algiers.[4][5]

He proved himself professionally at the daily El Ahdath in 2002, and was promoted as its editor-in-chief. He wrote articles there under the pseudonym Mohamed Abdul Quddus (Arabic: محمد عبد القدوس).[4][6]

El Khabar

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Cherak joined the editorial team of the Arabic-language daily El Khabar in 2004.[7][8] He then joined the paper's political coverage team for seven years before being named section chief in 2015.[9][10]

In 2016, Cherak found himself confronting Hamid Grine, then the Minister of Communication, who declared a dirty war against the El Khabar, which was critical of the power of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and his younger brother Saïd.[11]

To put Bouteflika's fifth term project on a wheelchair, the presidential clan launched a retribution against El Khabar and the headlines of the Algerian independent press in a mock political battle under legal cover, because of El Khabar's editorial line that Cherak orchestrated with Bouteflika's opponents despite difficult circumstances and blackmail attempts.[12]

Disease

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Cherak fell ill in June 2018 after heart failure problems, for which he was hospitalized for many months in Algiers.[4][13][14] Cardiovascular disease led to his transfer to a French hospital in September 2018 for treatment.[15][16] Cherak then was transferred for two months of care in a specialized French health service before returning to Algeria in November 2018, where he received care in the military hospital of Aïn Naadja.[17][18]

The Secretary-General of the Workers' Party, Louisa Hanoune, was among the prominent political figures who provided support for Cherak, visiting him frequently while he was in the Algerian hospital, and personally supervised his transfer to the Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou in Paris for follow-up treatment.[19][20][21]

Death

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Cherak died in the morning of Saturday, 17 November 2018 at age 41 after several days in a coma in intensive care at the Djasr Kasentina Hospital in Algiers.[22][23] Cherak left a widow and three children.[24][25][26]

Cherak was buried in Sidi Khaled Cemetery in Hammadi, his hometown, after Asr prayer before a large crowd of friends, newspaper directors, ministers, and senior Algerian state officials.[27][28][29]

Tributes

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The then-Minister of Communication, Djamel Kaouane offered his condolences to Cherak's family the next day The two public dailies El Moudjahid and Horizons reported Kaouane's message of condolence in their pages.[30][31][32] The then-Minister of the Interior and Local Communities, Noureddine Bedoui, also offered condolences to the family and the press community while imploring God (Allah) Almighty to offer Cherak mercy.[33][34][35]

El Khabar newspaper organized Cherak's funeral on 18 November at its headquarters in Hydra, where Cherak's friends and colleagues, including media professionals, government officials, politicians and trade unionists, offered their condolences to the newspaper's family.[36][37]

Journalist Othman Lahiani wrote a lamentation poem dedicated to his friend Cherak on 20 November.[38][39]

After Cherak's death, the La Radieuse association 23 November 2018 paid him a moving tribute in his family home in Hammadi.[40][41] The association's president, Kada Chafi, accompanied by Algerian football stars Lakhdar Belloumi, Mohamed Hansal, Mohamed Chaïb, Mohamed Kaci-Saïd, Fodil Megharia and Mustapha Kouici, gave two plane tickets to Cherak's parents so that they could perform an omra, their son's wish.[42][43] The tribute took place in the presence of the entire Cherak family, friends of the late journalist, neighbors and residents of the Hammadi municipality.[44][45] Cherak's colleagues and friends organized a 24 November commemorative assembly in the Tahar Djaout press house in Algiers, where journalists from several press titles, trade union activists and some loyal readers of the deceased's articles met.[46][47]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Le journaliste d'El Khabar Mohamed Cherak n'est plus ! – Algerie360". www.algerie360.com. 17 November 2018.
  2. ^ "الصحفي محمد شراق في ذمة الله". جزايرس.
  3. ^ "محمد شراق.. عاش جميلا ومات جميلا". جزايرس.
  4. ^ a b c "Presse : décès du journaliste Mohamed Cherak". 17 November 2018.
  5. ^ "الصحفي محمد شراق في ذمة الله". جزايرس.
  6. ^ "صحفي "الخبر" محمد شراق في ذمة الله". جزايرس.
  7. ^ "Bio". www.aps.dz. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  8. ^ "الصحفي محمد شراق في ذمة الله". جزايرس.
  9. ^ "Cri des hommes libres pour défendre l'Algérie des libertés". Djazairess.
  10. ^ "On leur a dit adieu... | El Watan". www.elwatan.com.
  11. ^ "Cri des hommes libres pour défendre l'Algérie des Libertés". Djazairess.
  12. ^ "Djazairess : Cri des hommes libres pour défendre l'Algérie des Libertés".
  13. ^ "عن عمر‮ ‬يناهز ال43‮ ‬سنة". جزايرس.
  14. ^ "الاعلامي الخلوق و القدير"محمد شراق"في ذمة الله..وداعا محمد". جزايرس.
  15. ^ "On leur a dit adieu…". Djazairess.
  16. ^ ""أيها الصحفي الطيب.. شكرا لك"". جزايرس.
  17. ^ "Décès du journaliste Mohamed Cherrak". 17 November 2018.
  18. ^ "Actualité : Décès du journaliste d'El Khabar Mohamed Cherak". www.dknews-dz.com/.
  19. ^ "صحفيون ورجال سياسة يرثون الفقيد محمد شراق". جزايرس.
  20. ^ "الراحل محمد شراق يحقق الإجماع". جزايرس.
  21. ^ "وفاة الصحافي في جريدة الخبر محمد شراق". جزايرس.
  22. ^ "Disparition de Mohamed Cherak, du quotidien El Khabar : Un journaliste affable et professionnel s'en va | El Watan". www.elwatan.com.
  23. ^ "Décès du journaliste d'El Khabar Mohamed Cherak". 17 November 2018.
  24. ^ "Le journaliste d'El Khabar Mohamed Cherak n'est plus | Radio Algérienne". www.radioalgerie.dz.
  25. ^ "Décès du journaliste d'El Khabar Mohamed Cherak". 17 November 2018.
  26. ^ "Décès du journaliste Mohamed Cherak". Le Jeune Indépendant. 17 November 2018.
  27. ^ Rayane, Meriem (17 November 2018). "Presse: Décès du journaliste d'El Khabar Mohamed Cherak".
  28. ^ "Décès du journaliste d' "El Khabar" Mohamed Cherak". 17 November 2018.
  29. ^ Sellam, Safaa (27 November 2018). "Décédé la semaine dernière la presse rend hommage à Mohamed Cherak".
  30. ^ ""الخبر" تقيم مجلس عزاء للفقيد محمد شراق". جزايرس.
  31. ^ "Revue de la presse nationale du 18 novembre 2018 | Ministère de la communication". ministerecommunication.gov.dz.
  32. ^ "كعوان: الصحافة فقدت واحدا من ابرز اقلامها". جزايرس.
  33. ^ cabinet, Cellule com. "Le Ministre de l'intérieur présente ses condoléances à la famille du journaliste Mohamed Cherrak". Ministère de l'Intérieur et de Collectivités locales.
  34. ^ "بدوي‮ ‬يعزي‮ ‬عائلة شراق". جزايرس.
  35. ^ "بدوي ينعي فقيد "الخبر"". جزايرس.
  36. ^ "الخبر تقيم مجلس عزاء لفقيدها محمد شراق". جزايرس.
  37. ^ "روح "محمد شراق" تعطر أجواء "جائزة أورتيلان"". جزايرس.
  38. ^ "عثمان لحياني يرثي الزميل محمد شراق بقصيدة مؤثرة". جزايرس.
  39. ^ صياد, مولود (21 November 2018). "عثمان لحياني يرثي الزميل محمد شراق بقصيدة مؤثرة".
  40. ^ "AS Radieuse : Hommage aux défunts Cherrak et Mabed". Djazairess.
  41. ^ ""راديوز" تحقق أمنية الصحفي الراحل شراق محمد". جزايرس.
  42. ^ "شافي، بلومي، قاسي سعيد، مغارية، كويسي، بن شيحة، حنصال، شعيب يواسون العائلة". جزايرس.
  43. ^ "AS Radieuse : Hommage aux défunts Cherrak et Mabed | El Watan". www.elwatan.com.
  44. ^ "AS Radieuse : Hommage aux défunts Cherrak et Mabed". Djazairess.
  45. ^ "Déces : Le journaliste d'El Khabar Mohamed Cherak n'est plus". Djazairess.
  46. ^ "وقفة ترحم ووفاء لمحمد شراق". جزايرس.
  47. ^ "وقفة "الوفاء" لروح الزميل محمد شراق بدار الصحافة". جزايرس.
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