Tunisian President Zine al-Abidin Bin Ali has fled the country before the advancing crowds pouring in to the capital’s center. A French eye-witness said of the masses thronging Bourguiba Avenue that “it was black with people.” The
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Friday, January 14, 2011
The First Middle Eastern Revolution since 1979
Juan Cole-Informed comment
Tunisian President Zine al-Abidin Bin Ali has fled the country before the advancing crowds pouring in to the capital’s center. A French eye-witness said of the masses thronging Bourguiba Avenue that “it was black with people.” TheSpeaker of Parliament [first minister] is caretaker leader of the country, though Aljazeera is reporting that there are already demonstrations in the southern town of Qabis rejecting him, as well. The dramatic events in Tunisia yesterday and today may shake the Middle East, as my colleague Marc Lynch suggested. As usual, the important news from the region is being ignored by US television news. (Here is an English-language eyewitness blog from one corner of the country).
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Tunisian President Zine al-Abidin Bin Ali has fled the country before the advancing crowds pouring in to the capital’s center. A French eye-witness said of the masses thronging Bourguiba Avenue that “it was black with people.” The
Read more
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I've been trying to get a sense of the role religion is playing in this revolution. Is it possible that the secular community has caught up with the religious community in terms of confronting corruption and tyranny? In this revolution, do you think religion is considered a private matter?
ReplyDeleteJoe
ReplyDeleteI'm interacting with many Tunisians on Facebook and just this morning I learned that Tunisian Islamists strongly disapproved and condemned the action of Mohhamed Bouazizi who set himself alight as "unislamic" and they called for refusal to pray on his body(soul)!. I doubt this type of insane beliefs is going to cut it with the Tunisian perople who justly regard him as a hero of our times..The Tunisians are far more secular than any other Arab coutry in North Africa. They're educated.