“In Tunisia, the youth have lost hope and prospects. The movement of Gafsa is a matter of the whole society.” […]
Opposition 44
Borhane Bsaies ou L’avocat du diable
Ecrit et publié sur Nawaat par Hannibal LeCarthaginois : Les critiques de Bsaies ne visent que défendre Ben Ali. S’imposant comme l’avocat du diable cet ex militant étudiant converti en mercenaire dévoile, ou plutôt prétend dévoiler, « l’autre dimension » de la délégation. N’ayant point d’argument pour défendre son président, il préfère contre-attaquer et soustraire toute légitimité […]
The Democratic Challenge in Ben Ali’s ‘last’ Presidential Term
The significance of the 5th Congress (30 July-2 August 2008) of Tunisia’s ruling Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) lies not in Bin Ali’s nomination for the October 2009 presidential elections, but rather in the set of challenges that could render his fifth and supposedly ‘last’ term a time of transition to a more open political system in 2014. The Congress, held
موجة جديدة من المحاكمات والملاحقات والمضايقات في تونس
يتداخل في المشهد التونسي في الآونة الأخيرة تدخل أجهزة الأمن بكل تفاصيل الحياة اليومية للناس. فبعد أن حاولت السلطة السياسية تقسيم الطبقة السياسية التونسية بين مؤيد مستفيد ومعارض مضطهد، وتمزيق أوصال الأشكال المستقلة للمقاومة المدنية، ها هي اليوم تتعامل مع المجتمع التونسي كمجموعة بشرية غير مطمئنة.
Who Pays the Price? [Qui paye le prix de la propagande mensongère]
The Arabic Network documented 25 advertisements published over eight newspapers and magazines, including state-run and national, a number of parties’ newspapers and independent newspapers. These advertisements took place between 2006 and 2007 in: 1. State-run and national newspapers and magazines: Alahram, Akhbar, Aljomhoria, Rosa Alyosef 2. Independen […].
Tunisian Prison Map
The map consists of a mashup work (a technique of mixing composite applications and services exposed on the web to form a new service). This map displays: An approximate listing of Tunisian prisons indicated on a Google Maps API + GMapEZ. In order to elaborate the list, I have pulled data from Human Rights NGOs report as well as a temporary list of Tunis […].
Letter to President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali on Ali Ramzi Bettibi
We are concerned also because the case against Mr. Bettibi stems from his having copied and re-posted online material in a discussion forum. As such, his prosecution sends the message to Tunisians that they risk prison if they view and exchange information from the Internet that the government deems to be extremist, even in the absence of compelling eviden […].
Tunisia : independent but not free
Tunisia celebrates the 50th anniversary of independence this month, but hopes raised by the end of French rule and early reforms have long evaporated. The country is governed and owned by General Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. But opposition groups have begun to suppress their divisions and make an attempt at collective resistance. […].
(2) Islamist Movements And The Democratic Process In The Arab World :
Regional and international developments after September 11, 2001, have helped consolidate liberal trends in the Islamist spectrum, both because the movements themselves are not immune to the new discourse about democracy permeating the Arab world and because most authoritarian governments in the region have felt pressure to introduce a modicum of reforms, […].
(3) Islamist Movements And The Democratic Process In The Arab World :
In discussions with skeptical liberals probing their commitment to democracy and human rights, mainstream Islamist movements often assert that the differences between their ideas and those of their interlocutors are minor, hinging at most on a few points. But these few points, the gray zones where the thinking of Islamists is ambiguous, are crucial ; depen […].
(4) Islamist Movements And The Democratic Process In The Arab World :
Uncertainty is a fact of life in politics. It is a defining feature of democratic politics. Evidence from the research leading to this analysis suggests that the reformist currents in the Islamist movement are real, that they are becoming much more sophisticated and flexible in their thinking, and that recent political success in some countries is increasi […].
(1) Islamist Movements And The Democratic Process In The Arab World :
During the last decade, Islamist movements have established themselves as major political players in the Middle East. Together with the governments, Islamist movements, moderate as well as radical, will determine how the politics of the region unfold in the foreseeable future. They have shown the ability not only to craft messages with widespread popular a […].
Political Islam
The contrasts between different varieties of Islam, and Islamism, are not trivial—either in their teachings or the behaviour they inspire. The western world needs to know about them, if only to know which outcomes and shifts of policy are conceivable, and which are not. But woe betide any western strategist who thinks the problems of the Muslim world can b […].
Islam and Power
There is a tension in the Islamic world between the desire for democracy and a respect for liberty. (It is a tension that once raged in the West and still exists in pockets today.) This is most apparent in the ongoing fury over the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a small Danish newspaper. The cartoons were offensive and needlessly provoc […].
The Key To Arab Reform: Moderate Islamists
Before any significant political reform can take place in the Arab world, the United States and Europe need to begin engaging moderate Islamists, an action less thorny than it might seem because Islamists have embraced democratic procedures and have shown a strong commitment to the rule of law. For a long time Arab regimes have frightened the United States […].
Use the information summit to pressure the Tunisian authorities
The choice of Tunisia to host the November 16-18 second World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) has provoked much controversy. The idea behind the summit is to bridge the gap between rich and poor countries in a field that has proven to be one of the focal points of present and future progress. Tunisia, however, excels neither in informatics and rel […].
The West and Moderate Islam
Amr Hamzawy looks at Western democracy promotion efforts in the Arab world. He argues that the U.S. and Europe need to engage not only liberal Arabs, but also moderate Islamists to appeal to their popular constituencies. […].
Conceptualizing Islamic Activism
Since the late 1990s, a number of Islamic movement specialists have begun to bridge the gap between the study of Islamic activism and social science theories of collective action. The underlying premise is that Islamic activism is not sui generis. Since the late 1990s, a number of Islamic movement specialists have begun to bridge the gap between the stud […].
