Tunisia celebrates the 56th Anniversary of Independence.

In a statement  on Sunday President Moncef Marzouki deplored the recent acts of desecration of mosques and the Koran in Tunis and Ben Guerdane but he also criticised the agressive actions of Salafists against women and secular society citing the events at Manouba university in particular which has seen an attempt to ban women wearing the veil and salafistrs trying to enforce it with aggressive actions  including the removal of the national flag and its replacement by an islamic banner. President Marzouki had followed with "consternation" and concern "the repeated violations of the sacred and of symbols of unity and national identity", the statement from his spokesman said. "These acts aim at dividing and opposing the people on questions such as identity, the sanctity of the national flag and the untouchable character of sacred symbols," the presidential statement said.

 He noted the threats to the unity of the Tunisian people who could easily fall vicitim to destabalistaion efforts by the enemies of the revolution as tension increased between islamic extremists and secular opinion in the country.On Thursday, eggs were thrown at the walls of mosques at Ben Guerdane, which lies near the border with Libya. Inside the mosques, copies of the Quran were found torn up.  In Tunis, vandals drew stars of David, a Jewish symbol, on the walls of the Al Fath mosque, AFP reported.

The moderate Ennhada led government is under pressure from radical Islamists who are offended by secular openess and equally affronted  secular bodies who have rejected Salafist aggression. It is a difficult position for the interim government which has some 18 months to serve and is in the process of creating a new consitution. Several thousand demonstrators demanded the inclusion of Sharia law.

Prime Minister Jebali acknowledged the tension during a visit to Germany last week. "The Tunisian revolution is now at a crossroads," he said,  "Tunisia's biggest danger is the conflict between reactionaries and modernists," he added. "The worst is to believe that freedom and democracy are not compatible with Islam," he said. All this and the government is struggling to get the country back to work and a stable economic situation.

Tunisia is not alone in this predicament, as Egypt and Libya are also experiencing confrontations between Salafists and secular opponents. This has immense significance for the whole of the region but the law has to be maintained to protect citizen's from criminal acts. The murders in France of soldiers and people outside a Jewish school shows how toxic xenophobia and religious hatred can be. Everyone wishes Tunisia continuing success in creating its new democracy on its Independence Day.