"The protest in central Tunis was called by the opposition to demand the assembly's dissolution and the resignation of the government, and to mark the six-month anniversary of the assassination of prominent secular opposition leader Chokri Belaid. The powerful Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) called on its 600,000 members to join the rally. "The people want the fall of the regime," the crowds in Bardo Square shouted. The speaker of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC), Mustapha Ben Jaafar, said work on a new constitution and electoral law would resume once "dialogue commences". Mr Ben Jaafar, whose Ettakatol party is part of the cabinet, condemned the failure of politicians. in that perios to resolve the crisis. " BBC
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Tunisia is a small but significant country. It was a French protectorate for sixty odd years. In that period French education and french ways of thinking were firmly established and still permeate the country. Both Tunisia and Morocco were set free by France with little armed conflict. Both had been protectorates. Local government existed and this seems to have made "letting go" easier for the colonial power. In contrast, Algeria had been a direct possession of France since the 1830s and indeed was considered an integral part of the French Republic with much the same status as Corsica or Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.
Even the Islamists are deeply marked by French culture in Tunisia. Ghannouchi, the "patron saint" of political Islamism there shows the effect of Cartesian thought. It actually makes him more dangerous. He makes plans and executes his plans well and always has.
All political Islamist movements want the same things. They want to seize and secure absolute power and to retain it permanently and without interruption. The ultimate goal is always to establish a Sharia law state. All else is tactics.
It was inevitable that the secularized Muslim population of Tunisia would not "go quietly" into the dark night of a Sharia state. We see the result in the streets of Tunis. pl
America's press apparently hasn't discovered this protest as the NYT has some nice quaint story of a cafe in Tunis. 600,000 protesters? Nowhere to be seen.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/08/world/africa/a-cafe-where-the-spirit-of-the-arab-spring-lives-on.html?hp&_r=0
Posted by: Fred | 08 August 2013 at 12:48 PM
Fred,
All the Arabic speaking journos are embedded with the rebels in Syria ( I am being sarcastic about Anne Barnard et al.)
Posted by: The beaver | 08 August 2013 at 04:35 PM
Col Lang
I wonder if the new leadership in Qatar is still supporting the political Islamist in the various "Arab Spring' countries ? I remember reading I think on al Jeezera English in Tunisia the Enhadda Foundamentalist Party was being supported by both Qatar & Turkey .
Posted by: Alba Etie | 08 August 2013 at 06:11 PM
Gotta give her credit, she got a Pulitzer writing about Haitians without having to go to Haiti. Perhaps, after the rebels make a strategic regrouping to greener pastures she can win a Pulitzer doing a write up on the victors?
Posted by: Fred | 08 August 2013 at 10:13 PM
Fred
Don't know if you've seen this piece;
http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/12986/woman%E2%80%99s-work_the-twisted-reality-of-an-italian-fre
The French newspapers have talked about her this week but nothing on this side of the pond.
Posted by: The beaver | 09 August 2013 at 01:33 PM
No, thank you for the link. As Frencesca said "there is always money for a piece on Berlusconi’s girlfriends." She is certainly a different breed than that American who was in Bosnia, Samantha Power. Ms. Borri should write her next book about editors, spas and betrayals. She could even mention Berlusconi's girlfriends. The only risk she'd have to face then is losing her soul.
Posted by: Fred | 09 August 2013 at 09:01 PM