by Chas Danner
Isobel Coleman details the continuing conflict between the religious and the secular within Tunisia's burgeoning democracy:
In Tunisia, arguably the most secular and progressive of the transitioning countries, worryingly violent protests have marked the deep tensions that exist between religious and secular elements in society. Unsurprisingly, these tensions are playing out not only in the streets, but also in cultural spaces like art galleries, in the media, and in the courts. Last fall, protests erupted after a Tunisian television station showed the acclaimed movie Persepolis–a coming-of-age story set in Iran that depicts God in a human form, something that Islam forbids. The head of the station's home was ransacked by demonstrators in the ensuing demonstrations. What really alarms secularists is that the court fined the executive $1,600 for "disturbing public order" and "threatening public morals."
And one of the areas of biggest concern is in regards to women's rights:
New language in the draft constitution, and negative reactions to it, also highlight Tunisians' conflicting views about the role of women. The language describes a woman as a "complement with the man in the family and an associate to the man in the development of the country." Out of the 20-person committee overseeing the drafting of this language, twelve members voted for it, nine of them from Ennahda. Yesterday, thousands of Tunisians protested against the language, some of them demanding that the language from the 1956 constitution be used instead, as it holds men and women equal (among other progressive measures).
The Dish 