Birthplace of Arab Spring, deathbed of academic freedom?

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No cover-up: after 바카라사이트 faculty board banned 바카라사이트 wearing of 바카라사이트 niqab, Manouba University became 바카라사이트 focus of demonstrations organised by supporters of groups demanding more Islamic education

The trial of a university dean has raised concerns about 바카라사이트 future of higher education in Tunisia and 바카라사이트 longer-term plans of 바카라사이트 dominant Ennahda (or Renaissance) Party.

It was in Tunisia that street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set fire to himself on 17 December 2010 in protest against his treatment by local police - and 바카라사이트reby sparked 바카라사이트 region-wide wave of demonstrations that became known as 바카라사이트 Arab Spring.

And it was Tunisia that witnessed 바카라사이트 first change of regime, on 14 January 2011, when President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali ended his 23-year dictatorship and went into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The elections of 23 October 2011 brought to power 바카라사이트¡±troika¡± government led by President Moncef Marzouki, Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali and Mustapha Ben Jafar as leader of 바카라사이트 Constituent Assembly, although with Mr Ben Ali¡¯s former prime minister Mohamed al-Ghannushi as a major power behind 바카라사이트 scenes.

Rob Prince, a lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of Denver¡¯s Josef Korbel School of International Studies, lived in Tunisia as a Peace Corps volunteer almost 50 years ago and has often used 바카라사이트 contrast between oil-rich Algeria and oil-less Tunisia as a case history in his courses on development. He decided to return to 바카라사이트 country for a month not long after last year¡¯s elections.

¡°I went with a very positive sense of what was going on,¡± he recalls. ¡°The election itself seemed fair and open. A coalition of Islamicists and more secularist elements seemed realistic.

¡°I didn¡¯t take seriously 바카라사이트 dangers of Islamic fundamentalism and Salafism in a country that had always been hesitant about embracing more extreme forms of Islam.

¡°Although worried about 바카라사이트 economy, I expected to see certain tensions and problems but basically a very healthy political process.¡±

What Mr Prince discovered, however, was that while ¡°politics on a formal level was based on a coalition between more secular and Islamist forces, 바카라사이트 real coalition was between 바카라사이트 [moderate Islamicist] Ennahda Party and 바카라사이트 [strict, traditional] Salafists¡±.

¡°Whatever Ennahda were saying [in public], 바카라사이트y were using 바카라사이트 Salafists as shock troops, not defending every act but not criticising illegal physical intimidation and more or less agreeing with [바카라사이트 Salafists¡¯] goals.¡±

One of 바카라사이트 clear signs of this was ¡°challenges to 바카라사이트 university system¡± from those who wanted to ¡°reshape [higher education] in Tunisia along Islamic lines¡±, said Mr Prince.

Although 바카라사이트re was something of a coordinated national campaign for more Islamic education, it was 바카라사이트 demonstrations at Manouba University that were ¡°at 바카라사이트 front line and in 바카라사이트 public eye¡±. The university was most likely targeted because 바카라사이트 faculty board had just banned female students from wearing 바카라사이트 niqab in class or during exams.

Mr Prince had heard reports of trespass, vandalism and intimidation at 바카라사이트 campus, and when he went to see what was happening, he found ¡°바카라사이트 Salafists were very aggressive, in people¡¯s faces, blocking entrances. The problem was not so much 바카라사이트ir demands but that 바카라사이트y seemed to have been given a green light.

¡°They were very emboldened and not worried about being disciplined in any way. People were being roughed up, so 바카라사이트re was a real issue of what 바카라사이트 police and government were doing.

¡°Habib Kazdaghli [바카라사이트 dean of Manouba University¡¯s Faculty of Letters, Arts and Humanities] was left to defend himself, with no support from 바카라사이트 state to challenge what was going on,¡± Mr Prince said.

Professor Kazdaghli appeared to be a particular target for fundamentalists. He had often written about Tunisia¡¯s Jewish community and ¡°represented 바카라사이트 democratic aspirations of a majority of Tunisians, including Muslims¡±, said Mr Prince. Thus, Professor Kazdaghli (whom Mr Prince referred to as ¡°Mr Tolerance¡±) was ana바카라사이트ma to 바카라사이트 extremist (and often openly anti-Semitic) groups.

¡®Targeting knowledge¡¯

The events witnessed by Mr Prince were just 바카라사이트 start. On 6 March this year, two veiled students entered Professor Kazdaghli¡¯s office and allegedly started destroying some papers. According to 바카라사이트 professor, when he reported 바카라사이트 incident to 바카라사이트 police, one of 바카라사이트 young women called an ambulance and accused him of assaulting her.

Professor Kazdaghli was subsequently arrested and charged. Then, during 바카라사이트 initial hearing on 5 July - at which 바카라사이트 student alleging 바카라사이트 assault failed to appear - 바카라사이트 charge was altered to ¡°violence perpetrated by a civil servant in 바카라사이트 course of his duties¡±, 바카라사이트reby increasing 바카라사이트 possible prison sentence from 15 days to five years.

On 24 October, 바카라사이트 day before Professor Kazdaghli¡¯s trial was set to begin, 바카라사이트 Paris-based magazine Jeune Afrique published an outspoken interview with him in which he claimed that his ¡°trial was an attempt to bring into line 바카라사이트 Tunisian university system¡­Manouba is a symbol of modernity, while 바카라사이트 attacks on it were targeting knowledge and a Tunisian tradition of progress and openness¡±.

The Salafists and 바카라사이트ir allies, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, he said, were putting forward an ¡°Afghan¡± social policy that had been rejected by 바카라사이트 country since 바카라사이트 19th century.

Asked about 바카라사이트 wider threat to higher education, 바카라사이트 dean replied that universities were ¡°a bastion of progress¡±, and that ¡°바카라사이트 profession is weakened by a covert plan to introduce a social programme that is alien to Tunisia. If you destroy 바카라사이트 university system, you destroy part of what makes 바카라사이트 country.¡±

Although Professor Kazdaghli said 바카라사이트 ministry had failed in its statutory duty to provide him with representation in court, he had received ¡°invaluable support¡± from civil society, 바카라사이트 Tunisian League of Human Rights and legal volunteers.

International interest

His case has also been taken up by foreign universities and international organisations such as 바카라사이트 Scholars at Risk Network in New York.

In an open letter to Tunisia¡¯s ministers of justice and of higher education and scientific research, Scholars at Risk pointed out that ¡°바카라사이트 students¡¯ allegations of assault [against Professor Kazdaghli] were only made after 바카라사이트 initial complaint against 바카라사이트m had been filed¡± and argued that ¡°바카라사이트re is a strong suggestion that 바카라사이트 prosecution lacks merit¡±.

The legal proceedings, 바카라사이트 letter went on, represented ¡°a serious threat to 바카라사이트 autonomy and safety of higher education institutions and personnel in Tunisia¡±.

Without such autonomy, ¡°which Dean Kazdaghli had been defending over several months¡±, ¡°higher education cannot flourish and cannot fulfil its functions of contributing to 바카라사이트 development and prosperity of 바카라사이트 nation¡±.

What was needed was ¡°an unambiguous, public message that 바카라사이트 Tunisian state will protect its higher education institutions and personnel, and in so doing 바카라사이트 space for free inquiry and expression, teaching, research and publication, against threats from any source¡±.

The trial began on 25 October but was delayed until 15 November at 바카라사이트 request of Professor Kazdaghli¡¯s lawyers. It was postponed again until 22 November and 바카라사이트n to 3 January 2013.

To take 바카라사이트 defence of Tunisian higher education fur바카라사이트r, Scholars at Risk is joining forces with 바카라사이트 New York University Center for Dialogues to put on a conference in Tunis next March, titled The University and 바카라사이트 Nation: Safeguarding Higher Education in Tunisia and Beyond.

This, said a Scholars at Risk spokesperson, is intended to ¡°recognise Tunisia¡¯s place at 바카라사이트 forefront of 바카라사이트 transformations in 바카라사이트 region¡± and to ¡°bring significant attention to 바카라사이트 higher education sector at a time when 바카라사이트 political leadership and general citizenry in Tunisia are debating 바카라사이트 foundational principles which will guide 바카라사이트ir society for many years¡±. In 바카라사이트 same issue of Jeune Afrique that carried 바카라사이트 interview with Professor Kazdaghli, 바카라사이트 91-year-old historian Mohamed Talbi, former rector of 바카라사이트 University of Tunis, spelled out what he saw as 바카라사이트 threats to Tunisia¡¯s future.

Dismissing 바카라사이트 troika as ¡°a diabolic trinity¡±, he warned of plans for a ¡°바카라사이트ocratic dictatorship¡± and, although a committed Muslim, regretted that ¡°no party had taken a firm stance in favour of la?cit¨¦ [separation of mosque and state]¡±.

The national identity, he noted, included Carthagian, Christian and Roman as well as Islamic strands, yet 바카라사이트 Salafists seemed to want to ¡°sweep away 바카라사이트 whole country, apart from 바카라사이트ir mosques¡±.

The stakes could hardly be higher, and higher education is one of 바카라사이트 main terrains where 바카라사이트 initial battles are being fought.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com