Tunisia

UNDERSTANDING THE “ISLAMIST WAVE” IN TUNISIA

By Anna Mahjar-Barducci April 27, 2012

800px-Tunisian_Constituent_Assembly_-_Ennahda_group

On October 23, 2011, Tunisia held the first free and democratic elections in the country’s history. Tunisian voters were called upon to elect 217 members of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), whose task was to appoint an interim government and to draft a new constitution within one year, and to prepare the country for general elections. The Islamist party Ennahda was then declared the winner of the election, obtaining 89 seats. The main problem with these elections, however, was the … [Read more...]

Tunisia: Bruce Maddy-Weitzman’s Analysis

By Barry Rubin June 29, 2011

By Barry RubinIf you are interested in what's happening with Tunisia and why that country has a chance of making it democratically, read Bruce Maddy-Weitzman's article in Middle East Forum. He suggests four key reasons for optimism on Tunisia:1.a compact, well-defined national entity with a particular history as an open Mediterranean trading country, and thus a strong collective sense of self;2.a modernization process that produced a substantial, educated middle class, the highest rate of female … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tunisia

Here In One Sentence is What Obama Doesn’t Understand About the Middle East

By Barry Rubin May 29, 2011

This article is published on PajamasMedia.By Barry RubinHere's the sentence:The changes in the region are producing more extremism, not more moderation.That applies to attitudes toward America and Israel as well as on internal social issues.Rachi Ghanouchi, head of Tunisia's Islamist movement--a man long portrayed as a moderate in the West--just publicly came out and called for Israel's destruction. And what does Voice of America tell us and the Arabs? That Ghanouchi is a moderate who … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Islamism, Media Coverage of Middle East, Tunisia

Israel-Maghreb Relations: Realities and Possibilities

By Bruce Maddy-Weitzman September 2, 2009

Israel’s relations with the three core Maghreb states--Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia--have been shaped by a combination of factors: the region’s French colonial legacy and distance from the historical cross-currents of Arab nationalism and from the Arab-Israeli conflict, geopolitical exigencies, the state-building enterprises within the three Maghreb entities and the competition between them, and the particular status of their respective Jewish communities. The Madrid-Oslo years were … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Algeria, Israel, MERIA Journal Volume 13, Number 03 (Sep 2009), Morocco, North Africa, Tunisia

Moving From Salafi to Rationalist Education

By March 3, 2005

Moving From Salafi to Rationalist Education H1 { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-ALIGN: center } SPAN.MsoEndnoteReference { VERTICAL-ALIGN: super; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman' } SPAN.t13 { } H6 { FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } Published by the GLORIA Center, Interdisciplinary … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Egypt, Gulf, MERIA Journal Volume 09, Number 01 (Mar 2005), North Africa, Radical Movements, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia

State and Islamism in the Maghreb

By March 6, 2003

STATE AND ISLAMISM IN THE MAGHREB Volume 7, No. 1 - March 2003 State and Islamism in THE Maghreb By Aziz Enhaili and Oumelkheir Adda Read this article in French Each of the three Maghreb states--Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco--dealt differently with internal Islamist movements. This study explains how these differences are derived from three factors: each state�?¯�?¿�?½s distinctive political framework, historical context of formation, and development level of their own … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Algeria, MERIA Journal Volume 07, Number 01 (Mar 2003), Morocco, North Africa, Radical Movements, Tunisia

Israel and the Maghreb at the Height of the Arab-Israeli Conflict: 1950s-1970s

By June 7, 2000

Israel and the Maghreb states--Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia--have never technically been in a state of war, nor have they ever enjoyed a real peace. For decades, though, secret contacts between Israel and these states have led to greater understanding and limited cooperation against the backdrop of turbulent Arab-Israeli politics. Israeli ties with Tunisian, Algerian, and Moroccan nationalists originated in the 1950s at the initiative of Israeli government officials and diplomats, including … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Algeria, Israel, MERIA Journal Volume 04, Number 02 (Jun 2000), Morocco, North Africa, Tunisia