About Mahfoud Nahnah
Mahfoud Nahnah, 61, Algerian politician, leukemia.
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Full Biography
|Mahfoud Nahnah (Arabic: محفوظ نحناح; 27 January 1942 – 19 June 2003) was an Algerian politician who served as the leader of the Islamist political party Movement of Society for Peace (commonly referred to as Hams) in Algeria.
Nahnah was born in Blida and later studied literature at the University of Algiers. He became a teacher of Arabic after Algeria achieved independence in 1962. Influenced by Egyptian professors, he joined the Muslim Brotherhood.
In 1976, Nahnah was sentenced to 15 years in prison for cutting telephone wires in an act of opposition to the National Charter of that year. After being freed four years later, he helped found the El Islah Oual Irchad (Reform and Guidance) charitable association with Mohammed Bouslimani, as well as the Islamic Preaching League with Ahmed Sahnoun, uniting major figures of the Algerian Islamist movement such as Abbassi Madani and Mohammed Said. However, he decided not to join the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) because he was opposed to its founding principles.
On 6 December 1990, after the FIS was successful in local elections, Nahnah established his own party and called it Hamas (later renamed Movement of Society for Peace, or MSP). Seeing FIS as overambitious to the point of hubris, he emphasized the importance of gradual, step-by-step change and reform from within. He felt that the military and the West were not ready to allow Algeria even to become a full democracy at that time, much less an Islamic state.
Because of Nahnah's cautious practices, his party remained legal after the military coup of 1992, and in November 1995 he ran for president (with FIS banned) and finished second to General Liamine Zeroual with about 25% of the vote. He attempted to run again in 1999, but was disqualified by the courts for not having fought in the Algerian War of Independence, despite being born before July 1942 (which was an allowed exemption according to the Algerian Constitution, article 73).
Nahnah died of leukemia on 19 June 2003 at 61 years of age. He was succeeded as head of the MSP by Bouguerra Soltani. He was buried at the El Alia Cemetery.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahfoud_Nahnah
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Mahfoud Nahnah's archived record and the sources above.
1.How old was Mahfoud Nahnah at the time of his death?
- A.63
- B.61correct
- C.58
- D.65
Mahfoud Nahnah passed away on 19 June 2003 at 61 years of age.
Source: death details
2.Who succeeded Mahfoud Nahnah as the head of the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP)?
- A.Bouguerra Soltanicorrect
- B.Ahmed Sahnoun
- C.Liamine Zeroual
- D.Mohammed Bouslimani
Bouguerra Soltani succeeded Mahfoud Nahnah as the head of the MSP.
Source: legacy
3.Where was Mahfoud Nahnah buried?
- A.The University of Algiers grounds
- B.El Alia Cemeterycorrect
- C.Blida National Cemetery
- D.Algiers Martyr's Square
Mahfoud Nahnah was buried at the El Alia Cemetery.
Source: death details
4.Which organization did Mahfoud Nahnah co-found alongside Ahmed Sahnoun?
- A.Movement of Society for Peace
- B.Islamic Salvation Front
- C.National Charter Committee
- D.Islamic Preaching Leaguecorrect
Mahfoud Nahnah helped found the Islamic Preaching League along with Ahmed Sahnoun.
Source: political associations
5.In what city was Mahfoud Nahnah born?
- A.Constantine
- B.Algiers
- C.Blidacorrect
- D.Oran
Mahfoud Nahnah was born in the city of Blida.
Source: biographical introduction
6.What subject did Mahfoud Nahnah study at the University of Algiers?
- A.Political Science
- B.History
- C.Literaturecorrect
- D.Islamic Law
Mahfoud Nahnah studied literature while attending the University of Algiers.
Source: early life and education
7.What was Mahfoud Nahnah's profession after Algeria gained independence in 1962?
- A.Arabic teachercorrect
- B.Journalist
- C.Military officer
- D.Lawyer
After Algeria achieved independence in 1962, Mahfoud Nahnah became a teacher of Arabic.
Source: early career
8.For what action was Mahfoud Nahnah sentenced to 15 years in prison in 1976?
- A.Writing anti-government pamphlets
- B.Cutting telephone wirescorrect
- C.Inciting a riot in Algiers
- D.Organizing an illegal protest
In 1976, Mahfoud Nahnah was sentenced to 15 years in prison for cutting telephone wires in opposition to the National Charter.
Source: political imprisonment
9.Who was one of the individuals Mahfoud Nahnah worked with to found the El Islah Oual Irchad charitable association?
- A.Liamane Madani
- B.Liamine Zeroual
- C.Mohammed Bouslimanicorrect
- D.Bouguerra Soltani
Mahfoud Nahnah helped found the El Islah Oual Irchad charitable association with Mohammed Bouslimani.
Source: charitable work
10.Why did Mahfoud Nahnah choose not to join the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS)?
- A.He disagreed with its founding principlescorrect
- B.He was focused on his career as a teacher
- C.He wanted to establish his own party immediately
- D.He was denied membership by the leadership
Mahfoud Nahnah decided not to join the Islamic Salvation Front because he was opposed to its founding principles.
Source: political associations
11.On what date did Mahfoud Nahnah establish his own political party?
- A.27 January 1942
- B.19 June 1976
- C.6 December 1990correct
- D.1 November 1995
Mahfoud Nahnah established his own political party on 6 December 1990.
Source: political career
12.What was the original name given to the party founded by Mahfoud Nahnah?
- A.Hams
- B.Hamascorrect
- C.Al-Nahda
- D.El Islah
After the FIS was successful in local elections, Mahfoud Nahnah established his own party and called it Hamas.
Source: political party formation
13.Against which candidate did Mahfoud Nahnah finish second in the 1995 presidential election?
- A.Bouguerra Soltani
- B.Abbassi Madani
- C.Mohammed Said
- D.Liamine Zeroualcorrect
In November 1995, Mahfoud Nahnah finished second to General Liamine Zeroual in the presidential election.
Source: 1995 presidential bid
14.Why was Mahfoud Nahnah disqualified from running in the 1999 presidential election?
- A.He had not fought in the Algerian War of Independencecorrect
- B.He had previously served time in prison
- C.He did not meet the age requirement
- D.He was a dual citizen
The courts disqualified Mahfoud Nahnah from the 1999 election for not having fought in the Algerian War of Independence.
Source: 1999 presidential bid
15.What was the cause of Mahfoud Nahnah's death?
- A.Leukemiacorrect
- B.Heart failure
- C.Pneumonia
- D.Stroke
Mahfoud Nahnah died of leukemia on 19 June 2003.
Source: death details
People who died on June 19
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