Tunisia Satu Lagi Negara Arab Islam Yang Bergolak (Sekali Lagi) - Just 20 Years For Ikhwan Muslimin To Destroy An Islamic Country

 The Soufan Center,  Monday, April 24, 2023

TURMOIL IN TUNISIA: MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER ARRESTED AS CRACKDOWN ON DISSENT ESCALATES

Bottom Line Up Front:

* Tunisia’s main opposition leader, Rached Ghannouchi arrested last week 

Ghannouchi warned excluding political Islam, “a project for civil war”. 

This statement used as justification for his arrest and detention. 

latest in a wave of arrests by Tunisian President Kais Saeid.

* decree prohibiting opposition  from holding meetings

* Tunisia’s role as transit for African migrants gives significant leverage with Europe

* controlling migrants confer legitimacy (and financial assistance) to president Saeid 

Ghannouchi's party Ennahda (Muslim Brotherhood) dominated politics in Tunisia for years in the aftermath of the 2011 Jasmine Revolution, which triggered the Arab Spring 

Ennahda (Muslim Brotherhood) became deeply unpopular for its Islamist views, its failure to deliver economic prosperity, and its unwillingness to punish corrupt former officials. 

President Saeid actively targeted union activists, journalists, lawyers, judges, business community, political figures

arrested dozens of leading opposition figures, labeling them “terrorists.” 

Tunisia’s return to the politics of fear, epitomized by lack of organized protests 

repressive days have returned. “All freedoms collapsing, arbitrariness reigns,” 

president Saeid's “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, where he claimed irregular migration from other parts of Africa was part of an international criminal plot to change Tunisia’s demographic makeup. 

remarks led to sharp backlash against sub-Saharan African migrants in Tunisia, including arbitrary arrests, detentions, evictions, job dismissals, xenophobic attacks, mob violence against sub-Saharan African migrants. 

Suddenly finding themselves without shelter, migrants encamped in front of UNHCR 

migrants refused to leave, culminating in chaos and violent clashes. Police attacked migrants with tear gas and batons 

Tunisia has become a key departure point for those fleeing poverty and violence in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. 

Coast Guard prevented 14,000 people from crossing Mediterranean first 3 months of 2023 

increasing role as transit for migrants gives it  significant leverage with Europe 

EU relies heavily on Tunisia to stem migration from Africa

giving Saied powerful influence in Europe 

15,340 migrants  arrived in Italy from Tunisia this year

economic collapse threatens to create further instability in Tunisia

possibility of migrant numbers increasing 

Tunisia’s bold rejection of  US$1.9b bailout loan from IMF has panicked Europe 

specter of a migrant surge leverage in potential aid negotiations

concerned about migration EU may be willing to overlook abuses 

My Comments : Tunisia is another one of those pretty screwed up Arab Muslim countries. Economic growth is kept recorded in the museums, religious intolerance is always just around the corner, a confused society gives birth to one tyrant after another.

After being under the thumb of the dictator Ben Ali Ezzine for 24 years (in 2011 he ran away to guess where? Saudi Arabia of course. Idi Amin also ran off to Saudi Arabia) Tunisia came under the thumb of the Ikhwan Muslimin or Muslim Brotherhood whose vehicle the Ennahda Party was led by Rachid Ghannouchi - the same guy who has now been arrested.

However the Muslim Brotherhood did not know jack sh_t about how to manage and run a modern economy. They are still stuck in the 11th century Abbasid Caliphate (which was NOT even an Arabic caliphate, it was Persian). Long story cut short they could not pull Tunisia out of its sh_t hole. Things became worse.

Around  2014 the Ennahda announced publicly to "give up" their Muslim Brotherhood's "islamist project" (nauuzubillah). I think this was just another one of their 'dont change what you are doing but just say something else' strategy. Also known by some as taqiya. 

Because beginning 2016 'Ennahda has been struggling to find the appropriate place for Islam in its political project'  !!  I say what ? Back to square one. 

Hence Rashid Ghannouchi's latest statement in March 2023 : Ghannouchi warned excluding political Islam, is “a project for civil war” which has got him arrested. What it means is that Ghannouchi wants his version of political Islam back in the play. The same political Islam that has failed so miserably everywhere.

But now Tunisia has a new autocrat Kais Saied, who was a professor of law, a jurist (who knew civil law as well as sharia) who became president in 2019.

So what? Tunisia is still collapsing. And Kais Saied, professor of law, is becoming just another tin-pot Arab tyrant. And so are the sub-Saharan African countries around Tunisia. So thousands of African migrants are making their way to the Mediterranean shores of Tunisia hoping to jump on a boat and sail the 330 kilometres to the Italian island of Lampedusa the nearest European outcrop in the Mediterranean. 

I really dont know what is wrong with these weird people, from Tunisia to Egypt to Pakistan to Malaysia and on and on. There are so many success stories of Third World countries making fast and rapid progress in double quick time like Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, now Vietnam and the collosus China yet they cannot seem to copy any of these countries and implement their successes in their own societies. Plus Tunisia is just 330 km from Europe, still the leader of the developed world and home to numerous advanced and succesful societies. Why cant they just follow their closest neighbours to success? Why still live like chickens scratching around in the sand?

Oh and dont forget, they still want to be the example for the entire world. What arrogant kebabs. Pi dah mabuk. Go eat sh_t and die.  

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT