Tunisia searches for balance and stability.
The Tunisian government has decided to extend the current state of emergency in the country until the end of April, according to an official statement released on Saturday evening by a Presidential spokesperson.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Tunisia-searche...
The spokesperson announced that Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki has authorized the one month extension after consultation with the head of the National Constituent Assembly Mustapha Ben Jaafar and Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali.
The announcement cited various threats that may cause disturbances to the overall security situation in Tunisia as the primary reason for the extension of the state of emergency. The official communication also stated that the state of emergency does not necessarily restrict public and individual freedoms. It points to social tensions which include recent salafist agression but also arms smuggling across the Libyan Tunisian border,tribal clashes and attacks on mosques.The tourism industry, which the government is trying to revive also needs stability to encourage tourists to return.
In another move Tunisia's religious affairs minister, Nourredine al-Khademi, said on Saturday the country will take stock of the hundreds of mosques now in the hands of salafist extremists, reports AFP.
"This is a priority area for my administration," said the minister, who estimated that about 400 of Tunisia's more than 5,000 mosques had fallen under the sway of ultraconservative Salafists.However he said there were "Serious problems concern about 50 mosques, no more," referring to cases where the original imams and worshippers had been forced out.
In an interview on the Tunisian paradox in Jeune Afrique Tunisian journalist Samy Ghorbal reflects on how Tunisia must reconcile modernity and tradition now that the islamist party has won the election. He notes that following the fall of Ben Ali who repressed islamic activists, Tunisia is "no longer immune to Salafist contagion ".
He argues in his book Bourgiba's Orphans and Inheritors of the Prophet that Zine el- Abdine Ben Ali would never have been able to establish his repressive regime to the extent that he did if it had not been for the policies of Habib Bourgiba, particularly the modernisation drive. The first article of the constitution states that Tunisia is a free and independent Arab speaking state whose religion is islam and its regime is republican. Ben Ali when he took power from an aging Bourgiba in November 1987 was able to institute "the Change" which resulted in the blurring of the boundaries between politics and islam and islam was made to conform to Ben Ali's state security as was al of Tunisian society.
The classic aim of the dictator was to keep himself in power. Article 1 of the consitution for Samy Ghorbal combines the modernity of Habib Bourgiba with the traditional islamic perspective to form the Tunisian paradox.
Ennhada he says, is by no means entirely responsible for the tensions in today's Tunsia. Infact all Tunisians carry with them in their complex national identity the clash between islamist approach whichis seen by sope Tunisians as negative even backward and a European influenced secularist view which is ergarded as modern and
porgessive . He argues that the majority of Tunisians have been successful in fusing this dual traditional and modernis identity which is open to the universal philosophy of human rights and tolerance.
The announcement cited various threats that may cause disturbances to the overall security situation in Tunisia as the primary reason for the extension of the state of emergency. The official communication also stated that the state of emergency does not necessarily restrict public and individual freedoms. It points to social tensions which include recent salafist agression but also arms smuggling across the Libyan Tunisian border,tribal clashes and attacks on mosques.The tourism industry, which the government is trying to revive also needs stability to encourage tourists to return.
In another move Tunisia's religious affairs minister, Nourredine al-Khademi, said on Saturday the country will take stock of the hundreds of mosques now in the hands of salafist extremists, reports AFP.
"This is a priority area for my administration," said the minister, who estimated that about 400 of Tunisia's more than 5,000 mosques had fallen under the sway of ultraconservative Salafists.However he said there were "Serious problems concern about 50 mosques, no more," referring to cases where the original imams and worshippers had been forced out.
In an interview on the Tunisian paradox in Jeune Afrique Tunisian journalist Samy Ghorbal reflects on how Tunisia must reconcile modernity and tradition now that the islamist party has won the election. He notes that following the fall of Ben Ali who repressed islamic activists, Tunisia is "no longer immune to Salafist contagion ".
He argues in his book Bourgiba's Orphans and Inheritors of the Prophet that Zine el- Abdine Ben Ali would never have been able to establish his repressive regime to the extent that he did if it had not been for the policies of Habib Bourgiba, particularly the modernisation drive. The first article of the constitution states that Tunisia is a free and independent Arab speaking state whose religion is islam and its regime is republican. Ben Ali when he took power from an aging Bourgiba in November 1987 was able to institute "the Change" which resulted in the blurring of the boundaries between politics and islam and islam was made to conform to Ben Ali's state security as was al of Tunisian society.
The classic aim of the dictator was to keep himself in power. Article 1 of the consitution for Samy Ghorbal combines the modernity of Habib Bourgiba with the traditional islamic perspective to form the Tunisian paradox.
Ennhada he says, is by no means entirely responsible for the tensions in today's Tunsia. Infact all Tunisians carry with them in their complex national identity the clash between islamist approach whichis seen by sope Tunisians as negative even backward and a European influenced secularist view which is ergarded as modern and
porgessive . He argues that the majority of Tunisians have been successful in fusing this dual traditional and modernis identity which is open to the universal philosophy of human rights and tolerance.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Tunisia-searche...