Radical religious groups “represent a real threat “, one student says.
Tunisians are voicing concerns over the rise in religious extremism and associated violence.
In the latest incident, salafists on Thursday (April 11th) attacked a police station in Hergla, Sousse governorate, to free a detainee, Tunisia Numerique reported. A 23-year-old was killed in clashes with security services.
A day earlier, radical Islamists in Nabeul attempted to kill the headmaster of the Lycee Menzel Bouzelfa for refusing entry to a student wearing a niqab.
Salafists had been seen at the secondary school making “provocative speeches against the secularists”, TAP confirmed.
This was not the first time for religious extremists to attack an educational institution. In March, salafists prevented secondary school pupils from performing the “Harlem Shake” dance in El Kef.
According to a poll published this week, more than 70 per cent of Tunisians are concerned about the rise in religious extremism.
Young adults (65.1 per cent) are the most worried over religious extremism, and women were more worried than men, the Al Maghreb/Sigma survey found.
“Radicalism gets worse every day in Tunisian society,” secondary school student Wajdi Hamraoui said. “These people don’t believe in freedom and the right to differ. They’re a real threat.”
“This is a danger to the state, social peace, tourism and investments,” agreed teacher Mohsen Dlisi agreed. “We’re under continuous pressures and restrictions because they want to push the country to apply sharia.”
In addition to using violence, some radical groups try to spread their ideas through accusations of kufr, housewife Souad Oueslati said.
“We now fear them and worry for our future,” she said. “They are present everywhere and intervene in everything. They may commit worse acts if we don’t put an end to this.”
Mona Farhat, a student and job seeker, also voiced fears for her country’s future.
“Radical groups that use violence as a means to exclude those who have different opinions represent a threat, especially as the country is in a transition,” she told Magharebia.
According to professor Hayet Salem, countering religious extremism is the most important challenge facing Tunisians. Citizens see the growth of radical religious groups, their extreme discourse and involvement in several acts of violence, she said.
“All these reasons are enough to sow the seeds of fear in Tunisians and make them worry about their future,” she added.
But “extremism” goes both ways, according to Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki
“There are two types of extremism in Tunisia: religious and secular,” Marzouki told Deutsche Welle last month.
“[S]ecular extremists…get angry whenever they hear about the Islamists or even Islam,” he said.
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