EGYPT: Things are getting weird in Egypt

An odd alliance between pro-democracy activists and Mubarak loyalists is raising eyebrows. Who is playing who?

La Tunisie sera-t-elle un second Iran ?

Il y a de troublantes analogies entre les révolutions iranienne et tunisienne : révoltes de la liberté et de la dignité, fuite des dictateurs, retour d’exil d’un guide religieux et dérive vers une nouvelle dictature théocratique.

Par Moez Ben Salem

 

The Emergence of Salafism in Tunisia

Political Islam did not really play a prominent role in the success of the Tunisian revolution. Islamists were notably absent from the protests and the revolutionary slogans were about freedom, dignity, and jobs rather than Sharia law or the creation of an Islamic state. This made it reasonably easy for Europeans and Americans to support the Tunisian uprising, as it looked surprisingly non-threatening to the West. In fact, the Tunisian protesters seemed to have much in common with their European and American counterparts involved in demanding more accountability from their own political elites. 

 

Tunisia: Curbing Freedom in the Name of God

Two arrested men are pictured in a police vehicle after they took part with 300 Tunisian Salafists in an attack on the headquarters of a private TV station that aired a French-Iranian film and organized a debate on religious extremism on 9 October 2011 in Tunis. (Photo: AFP – Fethi Belaid)

By: Noureddine Baltayeb