THE FIGHT AGAINST
EXTREMISM
Tunisia is a country of great cultural diversity, having
welcomed to its soil many civilisations, which mutually
enriched one another, thus giving birth to a society that
is open and tolerant, one that rejects fanaticism and extremism
in any form whatsoever.
This is why Tunisians massively joined forces to fight
off the extremists, when in the mid-1980s small groups of
fanatics who said they were defending Islam tried instead
to hijack it. One main feature of the fight against extremism
in Tunisia is that it is not just the state but the whole
society that is carrying on this fight, so alien is the
obscurantist discourse and acts of violence perpetrated
by those who pretend to be Muslims perceived to be.
This specific feature of the fight against extremism
and its logical extension, terrorism, encompasses another.
For Tunisia, success in the fight against fundamentalist
fanaticism involves adopting a comprehensive, coherent strategy
that attacks both the causes and consequences of the evil.
This means acting early to dry up the springs that water
extremism, i.e. basically illiteracy, lack of culture, poverty
and exclusion, and then after the event, to take a strong
position towards politico-religious extremism.
Tunisia has thus engaged in the fight against extremism
and terrorism, with neither weakness nor excess, preferring
social and democratic prevention, particularly by using
economic and social policies that offer all citizens the
means to live decent, dignified lives. Education has been
stepped up, to train our citizens according to rational,
scientific criteria that will help them think for themselves
instead of letting themselves be indoctrinated by the wiles
of fake religious marabouts. In the early 1980s, Tunisian
schools were exploited by the extremists; now they have
become places where scientific knowledge and republican,
democratic human values are imbibed - the exact opposite
of the fundamentalist view of society, where, under the
guise of religion, democracy is to be replaced by theocracy.
Politically, the country has committed itself to a democratic
process that makes it possible for everyone to take part
in public life, by supporting the political party of his/her
choice. The Law on Parties reaffirms the twin principles
of the freedom to set up a party, and the separation of
politics and religion, thus making it illegal to attempt
to set up parties on a religious basis.
Economically and socially, the Government has implemented
a strategy of mutually supportive development that has boosted
development in every part of the land, and of fighting against
insecurity and marginalization. Thanks to the National Solidarity
Fund, the most outlying regions have been integrated, and
over one million people have been saved from insecurity.
The Government's social policy has enabled the middle class
to grow to encompass three-quarters of the population, and
helped dramatically reduce poverty. With free, compulsory
education and the many programmes of assistance to the vulnerable
and those with low incomes, Tunisia has today become a modern,
balanced society, where women play the part of beacons to
light others, enjoying a most advanced status in what is
one of the top Arab nations.
Islam is a religion that has been corrupted by extremists
but rehabilitated in Tunisia. People can worship freely,
without constraint. Islam in Tunisia is practiced in a serene,
progressive way, in line with the country's pure reformist
tradition that gives prominence to the interpretation (itjihad)
of the holy text.
Certain that politico-religious extremism is a complex
phenomenon, and that it is hard for the state to confront
it alone, Tunisia has regularly, from the early 1990s, called
for greater regional and international cooperation. Thus
President Ben Ali has launched many regional and international
initiatives to convene an international conference on these
terrible problems, to adopt codes of conduct or charters
to counter extremism and terrorism.
Also, Tunisia has thrown itself into the fight against
poverty around the world, and for the peaceful settlement
of disputes, particularly those concerning the Middle East,
which constitute fertile ground for 'Islamic' extremism.
The country inspired the international community to set
up a World Solidarity Fund to fight against poverty and
unequal development in the world. It also continues to support
every initiative for the peaceful, just settlement of the
Middle East conflicts, particularly the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, the deterioration of which feeds fanaticism and
international terrorism.
