During 2012 it was reported that the alnahda party agreed that there is no need to insert a special provision declaring islam the main source of legislation because article 1 of the old constitution of 1959 already mentions that islam is the religion of tunisia. The constitution of tunisia provides for freedom of religion, belief and the freedom to practice the rites of ones religion unless they disturb the public order. This is especially true in tunisias southern region, where violent radical islamic groups are particularly active. The constitution declares the countrys determination to adhere to the teachings of islam and stipulates that islam is the official state religion and that the president. Click download or read online button to get political islam in tunisia book now.
Tunisia has seen periods with domination of other sects, and shii dynasty of the fatimids emerged from tunisia. In tunisia, religion served as a catalyst for democratization, ennahda, an offshoot of the muslim brotherhood was a central player in all aspects of tunisias transition. Article 2 the republic of tunisia is a part of the great arab maghreb, an entity which it endeavors to unify within the framework of mutual interests. According to pew, 58% of its adherents are sunni and 40% are nondenominational muslim. Consequently, children born to tunisian muslims, who make up an estimated 98% of the population, are designated muslim from birth. All eyes turned to the capital, tunis, when ben ali relinquished his power and fled the country, causing a ripple effect in the region. During the last two years, salafist activity has escalated in tunisia. Amine tais, georgetown university abstract this paper seeks to be a corrective to the common yet erroneous perception that after the jasmine revolution, tunisia is witnessing a battle between pro islam forces on one side and secular ones on the other. The significance of friday in the life of a believer. A leading political theorist on islam, pluralism, and democracy, he spent twentytwo years in exile before returning to tunisia in. Political islam in tunisia uncovers the secret history of tunisias main islamist movement, ennahda, from its origins in the 1960s to the present. Explaining ennahdas democratizing role in tunisias jasmine revolution by shawn patterson introduction.
The steady support for islam to play a role in politics indicate that the views regarding islam and politics are not necessarily tied to ennahda pew research center 2012. Islamic perspectives in postrevolutionary tunisia the work of olfa youssef m. Religious opponents of the secular regime in tunisia subscribed to political islam as a form of contention. Political islam in tunisia download ebook pdf, epub. Tunisia and the liberation of muslim women the muslim 500. Tunisia is a free, independent and sovereign state. From political islam to muslim democracy foreign affairs. Its religion is islam, its language is arabic and its type of government is the republic. Political islam in tunisia anne wolf oxford university. Banned until the popular uprisings of 201011 and the overthrow of ben alis dictatorship, ennahda has until now been impossible to investigate.
Islam and democracy in tunisia journal of democracy. Feb 27, 2020 almarsa, tunisia beach at almarsa, on the gulf of tunis, northeastern tunisia. Islam and democracy in tunisia rached ghannouchi rached ghannouchi is cofounder and president of the ennahdha party in tunisia. Islam islam has dominated tunisia ever since the very fast takeover by muslim lords beginning in the late 7th century. The limits of antiislamism in tunisia foreign policy. This scrutiny has been unfairly levelled while secular parties, such as their current coalition partners, nidaa tounes properly nida tunis. This firstrate book provides an objective study of the evolution of the islamist movement in tunisia and may serve as a model for approaching the study of political islam in the maghreb. The muslim holidays of eid aladha, eid alfitr, and mawlid are considered national holidays in tunisia. It contains a lot of brief, yet informative articles about different aspects of islam. Through the case of tunisia 201014 i examine how islam in particular is constitutive of tunisian national identity and how the postrevolutionary process of democratization has affected and been affected by this relationship.
The relationship between islam and state has always been controversial and contested in tunisia following its independence from france. The role of islamic law in tunisias constitution and legislation. Tunisian islamist party that led a coalition government from october 2011 to. These groups will target any christian, whether foreign of national, if the opportunity arises. Salafism in postarab spring tunisia and what are possible ex planatory factors of this. The history of early islamic tunisia opens with the arrival of the arabs who brought their language and the religion of islam, and its calendar. He also appeals for the inclusion of religion and religious actors and institutions in democratic efforts. In a simplified meaning, the term refers to islam that is used to a political end knudsen 2003. A case study of tunisia traces the emergence, rise, and recent eclipse of the modern tunisian islamic movement, alnahda, and provides a comprehensive analysis of its political, social, and intellectual discourse. General principles unamendable provisions article 1 tunisia is a free, independent, sovereign state. Pdf political islam in tunisia the history of ennahda. How one tunisian party is separating islam from politics.
Official or national languages official religion type of government. Most of tunisias population are sunni muslims belonging to the maliki school of islam, founded by malik ibn anas in the 8th century, but tunisias sunnis are far from a homogeneous community. Almarsa, tunisia beach at almarsa, on the gulf of tunis, northeastern tunisia. Ennahdas uneasy exit from political islam carnegie middle. Anne wolf delivers a largely historical work that is rich in empirical detail and builds on the existing body of important tunisian political history works by scholars such as clement henry, kenneth perkins, emma murphy, lisa anderson, azzam tamimi, and william zartman. How tunisias resilient sufis have withstood hardline. Rethinking islamism in the context of isis and the egyptian coup 1.
Islam and politics in post2011 tunisia baker institute. Ennahdas uneasy exit from political islam carnegie endowment. A country study garded all other muslims as heretics. Political islam in tunisia download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. Rice university, baker institute for public policy, 2018. The change of government in tunisia recently took everyone by surprise. Pdf on aug 31, 2018, katerina dalacoura and others published political islam in tunisia. Tunisia, islam in virtually all tunisians are sunni muslims of the maliki school of legal thought. Political islam in tunisia uncovers the secret history of tunisia s main islamist movement, ennahda, from its origins in the 1960s to the present.
There is a small indigenous maraboutic muslim community that belongs to spiritual brotherhoods known as turuq. The attack on the arab mo nopoly of the religious leadership of islam was explicit in kharid jite doctrine, and berbers across the maghrib rose in revolt in the. This forced ennahda to distance itself from such groups, thus confirming the partys nonviolent credentials. My political party, ennahdaone of the most influential in the arab world and a major force in tunisias emergence as a democracyrecently announced a historic transition, moving beyond its islamist origins and fully embracing a new identity as a party of muslim democrats. Although the sufi community is small, its tradition of mysticism permeates the practice of islam throughout the country. A leading political theorist on islam, pluralism, and democracy, he spent twentytwo years in exile before returning to tunisia in 2011 to take part in the countrys historic democratic elections. Tunisia overview the tunisian legal system is heavily influenced by french civil law but the law of personal status is based on islamic law and article 1 of the 1959 constitution declares that islam is the state religion. Regional tumult, however, has repeatedly reverberated in the country. In examining islam and nationalism in the postrevolutionary period, i describe a period in which debates over.
Islamic perspectives in postrevolutionary tunisia the work. This website is for people of various faiths who seek to understand islam and muslims. The arab conquest followed strategy designed by the umayyad caliphate regarding its longterm conflict with the byzantine empire. The book is an extremely useful contribution to the study of politics and religion in tunisia for multiple reasonsfirst, wolf offers a thoroughly researched, comprehensive history of both ennahda and political islam more generally. Islamic perspectives in postrevolutionary tunisia the.
Since its january 2011 revolution, tunisia has carved out a special status as the first albeit fragile genuine arab democracy. This work goes some way to allaying the exceptionalism discourse leveled against political islam. According to greek legend, dido, a princess of tyre, was the first outsider to settle among the native tribes of what is now tunisia when she founded the city of carthage in the 9th century bce. Islam totally dominates in tunisia, and it is also the state religion, involving everything from official participation in religious life to the requirement that the president must by muslim. Mar 07, 2018 yet in tunisia, a 1,000yearold tradition of mystic sufi orders has been under pressure by a campaign of threats, slander, and vandalism from hardline salafist groups seeking to take over. According to greek legend, dido, a princess of tyre, was the first outsider to settle among the native tribes of what is now tunisia when she founded the city of carthage in. Islamists on islamism today sayida ounissi, member of parliament ennahda, tunisia as an. This firstrate book provides an objective study of the evolution of the islamist movement in tunisia and may serve as a model for approaching the. The grand mufti, appointed by the president, is charged with declaring religious holidays, issuing certificates of conversion to islam, attending to citizens inquiries, representing the country at international religious conferences, providing opinions on. Oct 31, 2011 the limits of antiislamism in tunisia. During the french protectorate 1883 1956, sufi brotherhoods qadiri, rahmani, isawa, and tijani were popular, though politically impotent and declining in religious significancea continuing trend today. Feb 01, 2016 religious opponents of the secular regime in tunisia subscribed to political islam as a form of contention.
There are very small communities of christians and jews, and reports tell that atheism is present, in particular in the elite and among the higher educated. Incorporating elements of the faith and practice in islam to political decisionmaking is a goal and virtue of islamism. The movement was banned during the zine ben ali regime and its leader, alghannouchi, was exiled to london. An arab anomaly is an exciting work for those who want to understand the deep meaning of the political and social upheavals of the whole arab world, using tunisia as a lens. The role of islamic law in tunisias constitution and legislation postarab spring during 2012 it was reported that the alnahda party agreed that there is no need to insert a special provision declaring islam the main source of legislation because article 1 of the old. Ghannouchi makes a case for the full compatibility of islam and democracy, emphasizing islams lack of hierarchy, support for pluralism, and opposition to compulsion in religion. The dominant school of islamic jurisprudence in tunisia is maliki, with some input from the. Yet in tunisia, a 1,000yearold tradition of mystic sufi orders has been under pressure by a campaign of threats, slander, and vandalism from hardline salafist groups seeking to take over.
This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Ennahdas uneasy exit from political islam carnegie. Amine tais, georgetown university abstract this paper seeks to be a corrective to the common yet erroneous perception that after the jasmine revolution, tunisia is witnessing a battle between proislam forces on one side and secular ones on the other. How did the islamist party ennahda respond to the rise of salafism in postarab spring tunisia and what are possible explanatory factors of this reaction. Rethinking islamism in the context of isis and the egyptian coup 1 since its january 2011 revolution, tunisia has carved out a special status as the first albeit. The majority adhere to a moderate interpretation of islam, which stems from the countrys own islamic tradition. The role of islamic law in tunisias constitution and. In the late 1960s, a group of young men motivated to defend tunisias islamic. The arab spring wave in the beginning of 2011 that hit middle eastern countries, started from tunisia, egypt, libya, yemen, and syria, which still continue to this day, is a symbol of the fall of. Friday the best day of the week the religion of islam. How one tunisian party is separating islam from politics the ennahda movement has renounced political islam and fully embraced tunisias secular. Pdf six years after the jasmine revolution, tunisian political islam displays an enormous variation across its social base, power resources and. Clearly, religion and apparent respect for islam matters to many tunisians, and ennahda benefited from this, particularly in light of perceived attacks.
Aug 30, 2016 how one tunisian party is separating islam from politics the ennahda movement has renounced political islam and fully embraced tunisias secular order, seeking to work within it. The muslim brotherhood in tunisia currently operates through the alnahda party, the movements local branch. Yadh ben achour, professor at carthage university, former president of the high authority of the revolution tunisia, and member of the united nations human. After the jasmine revolution he returned to tunisia, where he won a great deal of power. Islamism or political islam refers to the idea that islam not only provides the guideline for social and personal life, but also for the political sphere.
Martin the middle east journal, volume 71, number 4, autumn 2017, pp. After months of debate and negotiations, on march 26, 2012, alnahda. Political islam in tunisia anne wolf oxford university press. After three years of economic depression, numerous demonstrations, and the formation of. This paper argues that the growth and legalization of political islamism, in the specific context of tunisia postarab spring, may take the place of the contemporary theoretical space that is occupied by violent extremists. The predominant madhhab in the country is the maliki school. Tunisias jasmine revolution is a counterpoint to decades of literature deriding the compatibility of islam and democracy. Tunisias constitution seems to have settled this question by declaring in article 1 about the country that islam is its religion alislam dinuha.
A critical and appreciative perspective 5 as ogboni, nyamkpe, owegbe, and ekine to serve as instruments for mobilising economic and political power in contemporary african society kalu 2010d. The constitution of tunisia states that the countrys religion is islam, the government is the guardian of religion, and requires that the president be muslim. This compilation is based on islam and politics in post2011 tunisia, a workshop held in tunis. Converts from islam to christianity have most to fear from their own family members and society.