We must put an end to tyranny and humiliation. Tunisian taxpayers’ money is being spent to maintain the status quo of the oppression machine. Real progress is dramatically slowed down due to the waste and mismanagement of our money.
Tunisia does fit to stand next to the civilized and free nations. We have room to grow, to be a responsible contributor in this world!
Time will not freeze! Reforms will have to be imposed promptly. The margin of progress is very tight…
You may be asking: “What could we possibly do?”
Well, people should be informed of their potential. Ignorance automatically leads to oppression and oppression is currently leading to mosques…and that’s very risky!
Don’t vote on October 25th!
Speak up your mind and keep it up!
A humble message to the free world: if you want to protect your freedom you have to pledge the freedom of others!
Centrist
2009 – Nawaat.org
*Le montage des propos de M Khaled Hosni se tenaient hors de tout contexte politique.
[…] Tunisia: A country under siege “فعلى الدنيا السلام” [video] : Nawaat http://www.nawaat.org/portail/2009/09/28/tunisia-a-country-under-siege – view page – cached Nawaat 2.0 Hub (Beta version) – Code and design by Nawaat.org Important — From the page […]
Hello Centrist,
The right to vote is sacred. It is a right and a duty that can be used to express our discontent in a different way. I am personally not in favour of the passive discontent of the silent majority, instead my whole family, friends, and those who share our opinion (we are nearly 2’000) will cast a white bulletin. Neither ZABA nor the “opposition” is fit for our ambitions and dreams for our beloved country.
Alyssa
C’est une honte qu’Ezzine ose encore à se présenter comme candidat pour la cinquième fois à la présidence de la Tunisie. En tant que citoyen Tunisien (vivant à L’étranger) ceci me fait vomir et me rends malheureux.
Rappelles toi Monsieur Ezzine : le jour où tu as pris le pouvoir en 1987, tu nous as promis d’abolir la présidence à vie et nous donner le choix d’élire démocratiquement le chef de l’état. Mais malheureusement aujourd’hui cela fait 22 ans et tu es encore le dirigeant suprême du pays et ça continue…
Et c’est toujours la même histoire qui se manifeste dans le reste du monde arabe et dans le continent Africain, par exemple: Omar Bongo du Gabon depuis (1967 – 2009), Paul Biya du Cameroun (1982), Esaia Forkes de L’Erythrée (1991), Melles De l’Ethiopie (1991). Bref la liste est très longue…
Après une longue réflexion je suis arrivé à la conclusion suivante. C’est qu’il y’a quelque chose de négative dans la mentalité ou le psychique de l’arabe et l’africain ; l’amour affamée du pouvoir, la jouissance de la domination et la subjugation des autres…
L’exilé
Bonjour Alyssa,
I totally agree with you. The 2 points of view were previously debated and both are valid.
When it comes to our country specifically, and In terms of effectiveness, I’m personally in favor of not going to cast your vote because I believe it’s more damaging to the regime seeing the impact will be perceptible. Whereas a high voter turnout will be considered a success and obviously the regime will be cashing in on it, especially when your vote is technically worthless!
Centrist
Hello Centrist,
The issue that we need to address here is awareness. As long as my vote is meaningful to me. What the regime does with my vote is a second issue. When the folks are aware that they have the power to make a change, then change will happen, because when the regime ignores the message, such folks will go down the street on a huge mob ready to defend their right, no matter the cost. Why do we say in words that we cherish freedom and democracy and are idle to defend it strongly?
Moreover I believe in the efficiency of symbols, and a massive white bulletin is peaceful message that cannot be ignored. . Tunisians have been complaining over the past, say, 15 years, if we give ZABA a first 5 years grace period. That time is over. Get up stand up for your rights.
Alyssa
Bonjour Alyssa,
How could you raise awareness when you won’t know the impact of your vote? How could you possibly carry out your action when you have no clue of how many fellow Tunisian would have followed the same path? None! In other words you can’t weight the outcome of blank votes, and the same feeling of “Strong and sophisticated oppression machine vs. unpowerful civilian” will persist on the long run.
People in Tunisia are currently in need to witness visual action to gain confidence, and build on it. Your blank vote will be buried in av H. Bourguiba without any deliberation.
Let me put it this way: A blank vote is like a bunch of numbers, a lot of numbers, and you can’t see the up and down of it unless you have the expertise. Not showing up during the election is like charting those numbers so anyone can easily see and interpret the fluctuation. That’s exactly how the perception of both acts will be.
And let me add, ordinary Tunisian as well as those who don’t really care about freedom are feeling safe with Ben Ali, and I mean it. The change in Tunisia won’t happen tomorrow. A lot of concrete, materialized, physical, visible works need to be done by those who are arguing dictatorship in order to build a public support, and eventually democratize our country.
What Tunisians need today is to build self-confidence not isolated rebellion acts.
Centrist
Hello Centrist,
I should like to comment on your quote :”And let me add, ordinary Tunisian as well as those who don’t really care about freedom are feeling safe with Ben Ali, and I mean it”.
If I consider things from your perspective, are the “rebels” non ordinary people? Then they must be a handfull not worth a headache…
If democracy is the rule of the majority of “ordinary people” who feel safe, no matter at what expense, then what are we fighting for? Do you mean minorities should stay as such, even if their cause is just? And how can you build self-confidence if can’t efford rebelion? Self confident in resignation?
I believe in positive action and I favour my rebellion to passivity and I strongly invite the handfull “abnormal people” to express their abnormality!
Alyssa
Ya Ayssa ,est ce que tu peux te donner de la peine d ecrire en Francais, si moi je commence a ecrire en Allemand, qui va me comprendre, tu t adresses a qui a des anglais, nous on parle l anglais a Tunis,ou bien ce sont les Anglais qui vont faire la revolution a notre place. bitte bitte sein einfach vernuftig, und nicht eingebildet
liebe Malek,
Est tut mir vierklich leid, dass du kein Englisch verstehst. Si je peux me permettre une remarque un peu bête, le choix de la langue a été un réflexe en réponse au post de Centrist qui est bien en Anglais. Si tu ne comprends pas cette langue, nous avons échangé nos points de vue entre l’opportunité de boycotter les élections présidentielles (position de Centrist) et glisser un bulletin blanc (la mienne). Tes commentaires sont les bienvenus.
Alyssa
Je parle courament 4 langues; et je suis universitaire de Geneve , j ai bien compris, seulement nous devons nous adresser a un peuple tunisien dont les masses populaires ont de la peine a parler en Arabe correctement alors en Francais n en parlons pas,d ailleurs , tu as bien remarque le crime qui a ete commis contre nous et comment le Tunisien qui enseignait le Francais avant n est plus capable de dire deux mots juste, tu aurais du peut etre a mon avis traduire en Francais ta reponse. les elections auront lieu le 17 octobre, la compagne electorale aura lieu quand le 16?a la tele et du jamais vu ,on danse jour et nuit, il est ou le debat . ,la confrontation,les programmes electoraux,aux USA, la compagne a commence une annee avant le jour de vote,virklich s ecrit wirklich,et en haut lieber Malek,non te la prende,communque,sei brava,c est quoi cette histoire que Mekki aurait ete victime d un accident? est ce vrai, ? en tout cas c est bizarre que l on entend plus parler de lui,il ne donne plus signe de vie surtout en cette periode de “fetes electorales”a part cela tu es Tunisienne ? ou bien Francaise, et tu es membre d une association?organisation non gouvernoumentale?ou simplement militante , et comment tu as su que je vis en Deutschland ?
Alyssa, you’re missing the point:
– Rebellion acts doesn’t necessarily makes you a rebel, drinking a cup of wine doesn’t makes you alcoholic.
– Ordinary Tunisians are those who are disconnected from politics, and yes they represent the majority in Tunisia. As matter of fact, they represent the majority anywhere around the globe whether they live in democratic countries or not.
– You’re fighting to get the majority on your side for the just cause, or, for your free will in your own country. That’s up to you how you deal with these.
Now I let you have a second look at my previous comment.
Melek, anglais, français, chinois…ce n’est plus un problème aujourd’hui. Un copier coller dans les “Outils linguistiques” de Google et le tour est fait!
Centrist
Caro Melek,
Communque, anche tu sei, direi… bravissimo :)
mais laissons de côté le problème de plurilinguisme, Centrist a très justement suggéré de se faire traduire les passages. En outre, nous n’écrivons pas que pour les Tunisiens, mais exprimons nos opinions sur un media accessible au monde entier. Etant donné que Nawaat est censuré en Tunisie, et comme la plupart des expatriés maitrisent au moins 4 langues, comme toi, je croyais ne pas avoir loupé le coche. Néanmoins, pour rester dans le vif du sujet, j’aurais souhaité avoir ton opinion et celle des autres Tunisiens qui visitent Nawaat sur le boycot ou pas.
Concernant Mekki qui aurait eu un accident, pardonne moi mais je ne sais de qui ni de quoi tu parles… Quant à pour ma citoyenneté, je suis bien Tunisienne.
Alyssa
Dear Centrist,
As you said previously, the two options are defendable, but as a matter of fact, there has been no open discussion, neither between Nawaat members, nor amongst opposition “leaders”, and hence, no agreed strategy. I would fully support a strategy that is meant to move things ahead, even if I may have some divergent views, but that’s precisely the point: no strategy of boycott, and therefore, I will express my own opinion and vote according to what I believe is right. I do not decline my duty to vote but I will give my vote to nobody as long as we do not have the basics of a fair democratic election from the Regime side, and a political program of the “opposition”.
That is what I call a sense of personally responsibility.
Alyssa
Well, I’m excited to see a divergent opinion, but the most important is that we’re all in the same boat at the end of the day.
Centrist
Je puis vous assurer que le fait d’aller voter ou non importe peu pour ce régime qui comme vous le savez tous s’en moque completement de ce que peuvent penser ces concitoyens.
البارح نسمع في غناية حلوة برشة تقول عن الوطن
هل أراك سالما منعما و غانما مكرما
و كي فكرت شوية نلقى الغناية هذي مهمة برشة بالنسبة لي و أظن لكثير من التونسيين. تصوروا أنه هناك عدد كبير من التونسيين لن يروا أبدا بلادهم و أولادهم في العز و بخير.
c est vraiment deprimant.
أما الموضوع متاع الإنتخابات لن أخوض فيه. فهو كلام فارغ. وراهو تشارك أو ما تشاركش كيف كيف. و تغير نسبة مشاركة من 9% إلى 90% و تزويرها موش حاجة صعيبة على الدولة. حبيت فقط نلفت الإنتباه إلى درجة إستيلاه الشعب. البارح واحد طلع في التلفزة ما نتذكرش من أي حزب. عادة يفسر علاش هو يرشح في بن علي. قلك ساهلة برشة. بن علي صاحب البيان متاع السابع من نوفمبر. وواحد آخر قلك لازم ننتخبوا بن علي هذه السنة على خاطر عندو برنامج جديد و غول. التجديد يتمثل في أنه نقطة الإصلاح و الإنفراج السياسي كانت النقطة رقم 20 في انتخابات عام الجراد و في 2009 أصبحت النقطة رقم 1. تي بالله ويني المعارضة؟ ما تنجموش تكتبوا بيان محرقص باهي كيفما متاع السابع من نوفمبر خلي العباد تنتخبكم؟ و تنجموش هكة تبدلوا في البروغرام متاعكم النقطة الولى تردوها الثانية و الخامسة هي الأولى و هكذا خلي تولي عندكم مصداقية. و المرة الجاية كي واحد يسألكم علاش تحبوا تترشحوا للإنتخابات سيب عليكم من هاك الكلام الفارغ متاع تونس و الوطن و الحرية. إلي يسألك قلو البارح الشمس كانت ساطعة أو يعطيكم الصحة المسلسل يعمل الكيف أو جاوب أن عشاك البارح كان كسكسي بالعلوش. هذه هي الحجج المقنعة و البرنامج إلي يمشي في تونس راهو. و ربي يفرج علينا و عليكم
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