In Algeria, on Friday evening, social networks in Algeria animated a video clip showing the moment a young man destroyed the famous statue of “Ain al-Fouara” in the city of Setif, in the east of the country, before some citizens intervened to stop it and prevent it from continuing to vandalize.
And appears in the video clip, an unknown young man who erases the features of the statue, which is a woman stripped of her marble clothes, while breaking parts of her left hand and left breast, using an iron bar, before some citizens intervened and l ‘they stopped by preventing it from completely shattering.
And local media reported that the young man, arrested by the police, was unconscious and was in a state of intoxication.
It is not the first time that the statue of “Ain al-Fouara” in the center of the city of Setif has been destroyed and shattered, as it had previously been subjected to two sabotage attempts in the year 2018 by extremists, under the pretext that it is indecent and violates public morals, because it is only a fetish for a naked woman, before the Ministry of Culture restores and repairs it.
The statue of “Ain al-Fouara”, which stands above a fountain built in 1898 by the French sculptor Francis de Saint Vidal, is considered one of Algeria’s most important monuments, attracting thousands of visitors every day.
But since its placement until today, this statue is still the subject of controversy in Algeria, where some are calling for it to be removed from the public space of the city center and moved to a museum because it is an indecent fetish displaying the amulets of a naked woman, for reasons of preservation of public morals, but others see it. A historical, cultural and tourist landmark and a masterpiece under which the joys of the city are made, as well as being a source of attraction for tourists.
