This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2016)
Secularism in Tunisia is an ideological and political movement aiming at defining the relationship between religion and state and the place of religion in society during an ongoing modernization. The Tunisian Constitution of 2014 affirmed Tunisia as a civil state founded on citizenship. It also declared Islam as Tunisia's religion.[1] The following religious festivals are recognized as national holidays: the Islamic New Year, the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha.[2]
In 1956, Tunisia achieved formal independence from France. In 1956–1987, under the leadership of Habib Bourguiba, the first President of the Republic of Tunisia, Tunisia's post independence government pursued a program of secularization.[3] Bourguiba, "who has been one of the most avowedly secularist political strategists in the Arab world",[4] modified laws regarding religious endowments (habus), secularized education and unified the legal system so that all Tunisians, regardless of religion, were subject to the state courts. He restricted the influence of the religious University of Ez-Zitouna and replaced it with a faculty of theology integrated into the University of Tunis, banned the headscarf for women, made members of the religious hierarchy state employees and ordered that the expenses for the upkeep of mosques and the salaries of preachers to be regulated.[5]
Moreover, his best known legal innovation was the ‘Code du Statut Personel’ (CSP), the laws governing issues related to the family: marriage, guardianship of children, inheritance and most importantly the abolishing of polygamy and making divorce subject to judicial review.[6]
Bourguiba clearly wanted to undercut the religious establishment's ability to prevent his secularization program, and although he was careful to locate these changes within the framework of a modernist reading of Islam and presented them as the product of ijtihad (independent interpretation) and not a break with Islam, he became well known for his secularism.
Following increasing economic problems, Islamist movements came about in 1970 with the revival of religious teaching in Ez-Zitouna University and the influence which came from Arab religious leaders from Syrian and Egyptian Muslim Brotherhoods.[7] There was also influence by Hizb ut-Tahrir, whose members issued a magazine in Tunis named Azeytouna.[8]
Government-induced secularization triggered the formation of the Islamic Tendency Movement; the movement and its leader Rached Ghannouchi turned into a rallying point for government opponents.[9] In the aftermath, the struggle of Bourguiba and then Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who succeeded him, with political Islamists went out of control, and in order to suppress the opposition the Islamist leaders were harassed, tortured, and exiled.[10]
Post-Arab Spring developments
The Arab Spring changed government in Tunisia and resulted in adoption of the Tunisian Constitution of 2014 following a considerable debate between Islamic and secular political groups and movements.[11] On 1 March 2011, after the secularist dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali collapsed in the wake of the 2011 Tunisian revolution, Tunisia's interim government granted the Ennahda, a moderate Islamist movement in Tunisia, permission to form a political party.[12][13][14][15] Since then, the Ennahda Islamic Party has become the biggest and most well-organized party in Tunisia, so far outdistancing its more secular competitors. In the Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, 2011, the first free election in the country's history with a turn out of 51.1% of all eligible voters, the party won 37.04% of the popular vote and 89 (41%) of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party.[16][17][18][19][20] In 2016, Ennahda rebranded itself as the post-Islamist political party of Muslim Democrats drawing a line between religion and politics.[21][22][23][24]
In July 2017, the Tunisian parliament passed the Law on Eliminating Violence Against Women, before there had been no specific law on domestic violence. The new law also includes provisions on harassment in public spaces and economic discrimination. It also abolished “marry-your-rapist law”.[25]
Since September 2017, Tunisian Muslim women are allowed to marry non-Muslim men. The ban has been in place since 1973. Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi argued that the ban “violated Tunisia's constitution”, and that he wants to create "total, actual equality between men and women citizens in a progressive way".[26] Under Islamic law, as per Quran, a Muslim woman is not allowed to marry outside the Islamic faith (a non-Muslim).[27]
In addition to the afromentioned, Tunisian parliament is working on changing inheritance rights to make them equal for men and women. In addition to codifying equal inheritance, the Parliament advocates abolishing the death penalty, decriminalizing homosexuality and annulling dowries. Such rapid changes provoked a backlash from Islamists, conservatives and even some moderates who view it as “an unwelcome departure from Islamic values.”[28]
Civil state
A compromising notion of a Civil state that merges concepts of a Secular state and an Islamic state was suggested by Rached Ghannouchi.[29] Interviewed in Turkey in 2011, he said, "We need democracy and development in Tunisia and we strongly believe in the compatibility between Islam and democracy, between Islam and modernity. So we do not need secularism in Tunisia."[30]
^George Sadek, Senior Legal Information Analyst. The Role of Islamic Law in Tunisia’s Constitution and Legislation Post-Arab Spring, The Law Library of Congress, May 2013.
^"Tunisia legalises Islamist group Ennahda". BBC News Online. 1 March 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
^"Tunisian leader returns from exile". Al Jazeera English. 20 January 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
^Kaminski, Matthew (26 October 2011). "On the Campaign Trail With Islamist Democrats". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
^ISIE, High and Independent Instance for the Elections. (2011), Decree of 23 Nov. 2011 about the Final Results of the National Constituent Assembly Elections (in Arabic)
^Feldman, Noah (2011-10-30). "Islamists' Victory in Tunisia a Win for Democracy: Noah Feldman". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
^Bay, Austin. "Tunisia and its Islamists: The Revolution, Phase Two". Retrieved 2012-03-22.
^Totten, Michael. . Archived from the original on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2012-03-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^Monica Marks. How big were the changes Tunisia’s Ennahda party just made at its national congress?, The Washington Post, May 25, 2016
^Hussein Ibish. ‘Islamism Is Dead!’ Long Live Muslim Democrats, The New York Times, June 2, 2016.
^Sharan Grewa. From Islamists to Muslim Democrats: How Living in Secular Democracies Shaped Tunisia’s Ennahda, Department of Politics, Princeton University, July 8, 2017.
^Neba Saleh. Tunisia’s Nahda party ditches Islamist tag, Financial Times, May 22, 2016.
^"Tunisia: Landmark Step to Shield Women from Violence". 27 July 2017.
^"Tunisian women are now free to marry non-Muslims". Independent.co.uk. 16 September 2017.
^"Tunisia's next political battle: Equal inheritance rights - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East".
^Nader Hashemi. Islam, Secularism, and Liberal Democracy. Toward a Democratic Theory for Muslim Societies. Oxford University Press, 2009. ISBN9780195321241
^İpek Yezdani. No need for secularism in Tunisia: Ghannouchi, Hürriyet Daily News, December 24, 2011.
External links
Islamism and secularism in Tunisia, openDemocracy
January 31, 2023
secularism, tunisia, this, article, needs, updated, please, help, update, this, article, reflect, recent, events, newly, available, information, 2016, ideological, political, movement, aiming, defining, relationship, between, religion, state, place, religion, . This article needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information May 2016 Secularism in Tunisia is an ideological and political movement aiming at defining the relationship between religion and state and the place of religion in society during an ongoing modernization The Tunisian Constitution of 2014 affirmed Tunisia as a civil state founded on citizenship It also declared Islam as Tunisia s religion 1 The following religious festivals are recognized as national holidays the Islamic New Year the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad Eid al Fitr and Eid al Adha 2 Contents 1 History 2 Post Arab Spring developments 2 1 Women s rights 3 Civil state 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory EditIn 1956 Tunisia achieved formal independence from France In 1956 1987 under the leadership of Habib Bourguiba the first President of the Republic of Tunisia Tunisia s post independence government pursued a program of secularization 3 Bourguiba who has been one of the most avowedly secularist political strategists in the Arab world 4 modified laws regarding religious endowments habus secularized education and unified the legal system so that all Tunisians regardless of religion were subject to the state courts He restricted the influence of the religious University of Ez Zitouna and replaced it with a faculty of theology integrated into the University of Tunis banned the headscarf for women made members of the religious hierarchy state employees and ordered that the expenses for the upkeep of mosques and the salaries of preachers to be regulated 5 Moreover his best known legal innovation was the Code du Statut Personel CSP the laws governing issues related to the family marriage guardianship of children inheritance and most importantly the abolishing of polygamy and making divorce subject to judicial review 6 Bourguiba clearly wanted to undercut the religious establishment s ability to prevent his secularization program and although he was careful to locate these changes within the framework of a modernist reading of Islam and presented them as the product of ijtihad independent interpretation and not a break with Islam he became well known for his secularism Following increasing economic problems Islamist movements came about in 1970 with the revival of religious teaching in Ez Zitouna University and the influence which came from Arab religious leaders from Syrian and Egyptian Muslim Brotherhoods 7 There was also influence by Hizb ut Tahrir whose members issued a magazine in Tunis named Azeytouna 8 Government induced secularization triggered the formation of the Islamic Tendency Movement the movement and its leader Rached Ghannouchi turned into a rallying point for government opponents 9 In the aftermath the struggle of Bourguiba and then Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who succeeded him with political Islamists went out of control and in order to suppress the opposition the Islamist leaders were harassed tortured and exiled 10 Post Arab Spring developments EditThe Arab Spring changed government in Tunisia and resulted in adoption of the Tunisian Constitution of 2014 following a considerable debate between Islamic and secular political groups and movements 11 On 1 March 2011 after the secularist dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali collapsed in the wake of the 2011 Tunisian revolution Tunisia s interim government granted the Ennahda a moderate Islamist movement in Tunisia permission to form a political party 12 13 14 15 Since then the Ennahda Islamic Party has become the biggest and most well organized party in Tunisia so far outdistancing its more secular competitors In the Tunisian Constituent Assembly election 2011 the first free election in the country s history with a turn out of 51 1 of all eligible voters the party won 37 04 of the popular vote and 89 41 of the 217 assembly seats far more than any other party 16 17 18 19 20 In 2016 Ennahda rebranded itself as the post Islamist political party of Muslim Democrats drawing a line between religion and politics 21 22 23 24 Women s rights Edit Main article Women in Tunisia In July 2017 the Tunisian parliament passed the Law on Eliminating Violence Against Women before there had been no specific law on domestic violence The new law also includes provisions on harassment in public spaces and economic discrimination It also abolished marry your rapist law 25 Since September 2017 Tunisian Muslim women are allowed to marry non Muslim men The ban has been in place since 1973 Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi argued that the ban violated Tunisia s constitution and that he wants to create total actual equality between men and women citizens in a progressive way 26 Under Islamic law as per Quran a Muslim woman is not allowed to marry outside the Islamic faith a non Muslim 27 In addition to the afromentioned Tunisian parliament is working on changing inheritance rights to make them equal for men and women In addition to codifying equal inheritance the Parliament advocates abolishing the death penalty decriminalizing homosexuality and annulling dowries Such rapid changes provoked a backlash from Islamists conservatives and even some moderates who view it as an unwelcome departure from Islamic values 28 Civil state EditA compromising notion of a Civil state that merges concepts of a Secular state and an Islamic state was suggested by Rached Ghannouchi 29 Interviewed in Turkey in 2011 he said We need democracy and development in Tunisia and we strongly believe in the compatibility between Islam and democracy between Islam and modernity So we do not need secularism in Tunisia 30 See also EditSecularity Secular state Islam and secularism Separation of church and stateReferences Edit 2014 Constitution of Tunisia adopted on 26 January 2014 Country profile Tunisia The United States Department of State September 2012 Elizabeth Shakman Hurd Secularism and Democracy in the Middle East Center for the Study of Islam amp Democracy CSID May 16 2003 Nazih N Ayubi Political Islam Religion and Politics in the Arab World Routledge 1991 ISBN 9780415054423 Nazih N Ayubi p 113 Laurie A Brand Women the State and Political Liberalization Middle East and North Africa Experiences p 178 Nazih N Ayubi p 114 Azeytouna Magazine An Introduction to International Relations ed by Richard Devetak Jim George and Sarah Percy Cambridge University Press p 365 John L Esposito p 167 George Sadek Senior Legal Information Analyst The Role of Islamic Law in Tunisia s Constitution and Legislation Post Arab Spring The Law Library of Congress May 2013 Tunisia legalises Islamist group Ennahda BBC News Online 1 March 2011 Retrieved 24 June 2011 Khalaf Roula 27 Apr 2011 Tunisian Islamists seek poll majority Financial Times FT com Retrieved 24 June 2011 Tunisian leader returns from exile Al Jazeera English 20 January 2011 Retrieved 24 June 2011 Kaminski Matthew 26 October 2011 On the Campaign Trail With Islamist Democrats The Wall Street Journal Retrieved 26 October 2011 ISIE High and Independent Instance for the Elections 2011 Decree of 23 Nov 2011 about the Final Results of the National Constituent Assembly Elections in Arabic Feldman Noah 2011 10 30 Islamists Victory in Tunisia a Win for Democracy Noah Feldman Bloomberg Retrieved 2011 10 31 Tunisia s New al Nahda Marc Lynch 29 June 2011 Bay Austin Tunisia and its Islamists The Revolution Phase Two Retrieved 2012 03 22 Totten Michael No to America and No to Radical Islam Archived from the original on 2012 03 24 Retrieved 2012 03 22 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Monica Marks How big were the changes Tunisia s Ennahda party just made at its national congress The Washington Post May 25 2016 Hussein Ibish Islamism Is Dead Long Live Muslim Democrats The New York Times June 2 2016 Sharan Grewa From Islamists to Muslim Democrats How Living in Secular Democracies Shaped Tunisia s Ennahda Department of Politics Princeton University July 8 2017 Neba Saleh Tunisia s Nahda party ditches Islamist tag Financial Times May 22 2016 Tunisia Landmark Step to Shield Women from Violence 27 July 2017 Tunisian women are now free to marry non Muslims Independent co uk 16 September 2017 Quran 2 221 60 10 Tunisia s next political battle Equal inheritance rights Al Monitor The Pulse of the Middle East Nader Hashemi Islam Secularism and Liberal Democracy Toward a Democratic Theory for Muslim Societies Oxford University Press 2009 ISBN 9780195321241 Ipek Yezdani No need for secularism in Tunisia Ghannouchi Hurriyet Daily News December 24 2011 External links EditIslamism and secularism in Tunisia openDemocracy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Secularism in Tunisia amp oldid 1095928053, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
