A few days ago protests in Tunisia reflected concern at the wording of the new constitution. Tunisia has enjoyed a pretty good record on women’s rights, but the rhetoric of the new clause doesn’t bode well for the future:
The proposed constitution guaranteed “the protection of women’s rights … under the principle of complementarity to man within the family and as an associate of man in the development of the country.”
In a further disturbing development, extremists have been attacking ‘Unislamic’ culture:
TUNIS — Tunisian Salafists are stoking fears of a rising Islamist tide after the hardliners disrupted a string of cultural events they deemed un-Islamic, culminating in an attack that left five people wounded.
Artists and opposition media accuse the Islamist-led government of failing to do more to rein in the Salafists, who attacked the Bizerte music and theatre festival on Thursday evening armed with swords and sticks.
The interior ministry said that five people were wounded in the attack, and that police dispersed the assailants with tear gas, arresting four of them.
But some complained that police waited an hour before intervening.
This short article is well worth reading in full.
Alan A adds:
This is an account of one of the events attacked. As you can see, it was an event entitled “Supporting Al Aqsa”. The guest of honour was Samir Kuntar, a Druze terrorist who smashed the head of a four year old child against some rocks. However, I doubt it was this, that resulted in the assault upon him:
At the end of an emergency security meeting held, on Friday in the headquarters of the governorate of Bizerte, a decision was made to conduct an investigation into the acts of violence made by Salafists last night during the closing ceremony of festival “Supporting Al Aqsa” at the Bizerte Youth Centre.
The attack took place following the invitation of Samir Kuntar, Lebanese longest-serving prisoners in the Israeli jails, to attend this event. The information office of the governorate told TAP news agency regional correspondent that warrants and committal orders were issued against the persons involved in the violent attack.
Kuntar was smuggled out of the back door.
Hat Tip: BenSix on Twitter