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

Ghannouchi defines his mission, is a facet of a broader debate occurring across the
Muslim world, the success or failure of this project in Tunisia could have wide-ranging
impacts on both Tunisia and its neighbors: the process by which Tunisia embarks on this
project, and the constitutional structures in which it eventually enshrines the religionrelated
desires of is constituencies, will provide lessons for other societies attempting the
same project. Furthermore, this debate continues to be a source of strife among Tunisians
and encumbers social cohesion and progress in meeting the pressing economic and social
crises of post-revolution Tunisia. The new national government cannot afford to ignore
the spectrum of opinions on the place of Islam in Tunisia’s developing democratic
structures; doing so would squander an opportunity to enhance their credibility and
legitimacy as well as open the public space to further influence from extremists.
The fall of Ben Ali created both a political vacuum and enormous potential
political capital among his repressed citizens. The women and men who now can practice
religion freely in public are eager to have these freedoms legally enshrined, while those
who fear the encroachment of religious extremism want to see legal protections enforced.
The debate is further complicated by the unique nature of the religious-secular divide in
Tunisia, which is partly a legacy of its colonial history.
History of French Colonialism and Islam in Tunisia
When the French colonized Tunisia, they introduced their system of laïcité into Tunisian
political culture. After Tunisia gained independence in 1956, Habib Bourguiba continued
this tradition of strict secularism, insisting on modernization and establishing the
“Personal Status Code,” which legally enshrines women’s rights. He also suppressed his
opponents, particularly Islamist groups including the political precursor to Ennahdha.
When Ben Ali came to power and evolved into a dictator, his repression of his opponents
sent the early Ennahdha party underground. Ultimately, life under Ben Ali involved a
complete lack of freedom, an ubiquitous cult of personality, and the omnipresence of the
secret police to the extent that one young woman recounted that before the revolution,
she would not even consider discussing her views on Ben Ali with her parents. Another
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