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

neither enforced nor forbidden. The emotional intensity with which they supported their
opinions increased strongly when they discussed their abhorrence of the French-style
secularism that had forbidden them from wearing their hijabs in the past. Their support of
“Islamism” in its current iteration in Tunisia seems to stem as much from a reaction
against laïcité as a preference for a government that actively acknowledges Islam and its
influences (SAIS Group Meeting, 27 January 2012).
The Pessimists
The spectre of an Islamic state has inspired many skeptics and proponents of a strict
separation of church and state to make their voices heard. Khadija Arfaoui, a human
rights activist, spoke about the importance of a truly strict separation between the
authorities of religious institutions and the authority of the state. She noted her fears
about the future of social issues such as the stigma of single motherhood in Islam and
related rumors of a law that would make it harder for single mothers to adopt children. In
addition, she fears that Ennahdha’s moderates may fall victim to the internal struggle
within Ennahdha between extremists and moderates, thus bringing the whole country
with them. According to Arfaoui, religion is personal, private, and cannot be imposed.
She urges Ennahdha to clearly define its goals, and exercise its legal authority over the
salafist extremists in order to assuage the fears of those in her political community (SAIS
Group Meeting, 23 January 2012).
Latifa Lakhdar, of the former Haute instance pour la réalization des objectifs de la
révolution et de la transition démocratique, acknowledges that adapting Islam to
modernism is not impossible, even from a theological standpoint; however, she expresses
a deep distrust in Ghannouchi and Ennahdha. She sees Ennahdha’s politics as
overfriendly to the salafists and imprisoned by its “réferentiel religieux,” and she argues
against the idea that the shari’a could be the source of all Tunisian law. She is suspicious
of the lack of legislation against the niqab, noting that perhaps this lack of official
condemnation leaves room for its future legitimization in the constitution. Her distrust of
Ghannouchi stems from his discourse regarding polygamy, adoption, and single mothers,
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