Council for a Community of Democracies

Tunisia’s First Coalition Government Met with Conservative Islamist Group Unrest
February 3, 2012
By: Rebecca Aaberg

Following the October 2011 legislative election, the formation of Tunisia’s coalition government has brought together Islamists, secularists, and leftists. Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Ben Abdessalem praised the country for working with parties with vastly different ideologies for the first time, allowing the country to transition without the fear of one-party control. However, the transition to a coalition government has resulted in growing unrest from the ultraconservative Salafis, the Washington Post reported. According to the New York Times, social issues have polarized Tunisian society, particularly between Salafi ultraconservative Islamists and other groups. Abdelhalim Messaoudi, a journalist at Nessma TV, spoke out against Salafi conservativism: “They use the pretext of protecting their identity as a way to crush what we have achieved as a Tunisian society. They want to crush the pillars of civil society.” The New York Times identified Tunisian society’s search for a national identity as one of the greatest challenges for democracy in the country, among other problems such as “righting an ailing economy, drafting a new constitution, and recovering from decades of dictatorship that cauterized civil life.”

From November 2011 to January 2012, Salafis protested outside Manouba University against a policy forbidding female students from wearing veils during examinations. The protesters were evicted by security forces on January 24.Salafis also mobilized against Hamadi Redissi, a television director, who is on trial for broadcasting the French animated movie “Persepolis” in October 2011. The film, which follows the story of a young girl during the Iranian Revolution, is considered blasphemous because of its depiction of God, and Redissi has been charged with libeling religion, the New York Times reported. In a reaction to the film, a group of Salafis attacked station director Nabil Karoui’s house. Ennahda spokesman Samir Dilou did not condone the violence, though he called the film “a violation of the sacred.” The trial represents “a disturbing turn for the nascent Tunisian democracy,” Human Rights Watch stated. Redissi’s trial is currently scheduled for April 2012.

The Washington Post reported that while political Islam in the region is growing, not all Islamist parties are alike. Abdessalem expressed his support for parties like Ennahda: “A healthy and open atmosphere could provide a great opportunity to have a moderate Islamist. And a closed political system, despotic regime, most probably will provide the radical voices of Islam. If we have a democratic system, most probably we’ll have… moderate expressions of Islam.” However, not all members of the party agree. Ahmed Ounaïes, a former Tunisian diplomat, does not see Ennahda as moving the country forward: “I don’t see either action or reaction – where is the government? What is Ennahda’s concept of Tunisia of tomorrow? It hasn’t made that clear.”

According to Shadi Hamid, a research director at Brookings Doha Center in Qatar, is that Islamist parties are here to stay: “Even if we don’t like what Islamists stand for, it’s a reality on the ground, and they’re there whether we like it or not – Islamists are the future…and we should find a way to work with whoever is in power.”

For previous news on Tunisia, please see:
Tunisia Announces New Unity Government

Sources:
New York Times – Tunisia Faces a Balancing Act of Democracy and Religion

Washington Post – Security Forces Clear Out Salafi Protesters Preventing Exams at Tunisian University

Washington Post – Tunisia Says Its Coalition Government a Good Model for Other Arab Nations Moving to Democracy