Tunisia: Understanding Conflict 2012 - Johns Hopkins School of ...

in early January of 2011, you would believe that the protestors were just vandals and
looters, and that the shining image of Ben Ali visiting the dying Bouazizi in the hospital
was genuine. In reality, citizens were more oppressed than ever. Two Tunisian men
from AFP and Reuters were able to capture this oppression in photos. They were candid,
spontaneous, and unlicensed, and as they circulated online people began to realize the
power of the images. A snowball effect was created. No one had thought to do counterpropaganda
before, but all of a sudden the images of protest and oppression were
everywhere—everywhere but the eerily quiet Tunisian news sources (SAIS Group
Meeting with Hatem Bourial, 25 January 2012).
A former minister under the Ben Ali regime believes that the other distinctive
factor which contributed to the success of the movement was the level of involvement by
citizens from a variety of demographics. Generally speaking, movements that lack the
support of the middle or higher classes do not succeed. Evidence of this can be found in
intellectual middle class support for the French Revolution or the Civil Rights movement
in the United States. The poor citizens of Sidi Bouzid, Kesserine and Gafsa in the
interior were protesting, but surprisingly, so were the middle class citizens (SAIS Group
Meeting 25 January 2012). Moncef Barouni adds that when all citizens feel the effects of
oppression and a decline in their purchasing power, this is the point at which society as a
whole unites in realization of their collective power. Within two days, Tunisia had
ousted three main state officials (SAIS Group Meeting, 24 January 2012).
Obstacles on Revolutionary Road
Tunisia, in the words of Dr. Radwan Masmoudi, is seeking to become “a genuine
democracy that combines dignity, human rights, justice, and Arabo-Islamic values.” 4
People like Latifa Lakhdar think this goal is definitely possible (SAIS Group Meeting, 26
January 2012). In the achievement of this outcome, the country must merge the needs
and narratives of all its citizens. I will now address the prospects for bridging their
desires into the national framework for a more unified and stable future in Tunisia.
4 Ghannouchi, Rachid, and Radwan Masmoudi (introduction). “Secularism and Relation between
Religion and the State from the Perspective of the Nahdha Party.” Center for the Study of Islam
and Democracy (CSID). 9 March 2012. Speech.
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