*Scholars Introduction When the Association of Algerian Muslim Ulemas (Jam‘iyyat al-‘Ulama al-Muslimin al-Jazā’iriyyīn) was founded on May 5, 1931, Algeria had been under French colonial rule for more than a century. Most Algerians were denied access to their own language, religion, and identity. French educational policies prioritized assimilation, while many traditional institutions were dismantled or brought under colonial control. In this environment, a group of reformist