News from the Region

Morocco and Tunisia will be led by Islamic leaders

Monday, 05 December 2011 16:23

Even though the situations in the two countries are very different, in elections just one month apart, Tunisians and Moroccans have both voted overwhelmingly for openly Islamic parties.

In Morocco's early parliamentary elections (November 25) the "Justice and Development Party" (PJD) won more than a quarter of all parliamentary seats (107 of 395 as compared to 47 MPs elected from 325 in the previous parliament), and this with an increased voter turnout, around 45% of registered voters.

Under the new Constitution, accepted by the people in a referendum in July, King Mohammed VI shall appoint as Prime Minister the leader of the winning party in the elections.

Thus, for the first time, Moroccan Islamists are able to gain power, but a compromise must be found by their General Secretary Abdelilah Benkirane with the other major parties: "Istiqlal" (independence) of the current prime minister, with 60 elected MPs, and the "National Rally of Independents" (RNI) that won 52 seats.

The current dominant political party of the country, the PJD identifies itself as both "Islamic" and "monarchist", and seeks to reassure the West, although the explosive character of the Secretary General of the PJD is giving rise to criticism within the Moroccan political class. Abdelilah Benkirane wants to at least take power of the country's institutions: he has also reaffirmed his allegiance to King Abdullah.

In Tunisia, the number 2 of the Islamist party "Ennahda" Hamadi Jebali, will soon become the head of the country's government, following an agreement between the three main political parties.

With 29 representatives elected to the Constituent Assembly on October 23, the "Congress for the Republic" (CPR) will be given the presidency in the person of Marzouki, while the left-wing "Ettakatol" (20 seats) has seen its leader Mustapha Ben Jaafar elected president of the new Constituent Assembly.

The "Ennahda" party of the future Prime Minister has dominated its rivals by winning 89 representatives on October 23. This organisation claims to model itself on the openly secular Turkish model while also identifying itself as Islamic.

Uncertain days for Tunisia after the victory of the Islamist party ''Ennahda'' in the elections of October 23

Saturday, 29 October 2011 14:22

In Tunisia, the president of the higher independent body for the elections (ISIE), has announced the final election results of October 23, confirming the victory of the Islamist party "Ennahda," winning 90 seats.
The 7.5 million Tunisian voters were asked to elect 217 members of the Constituent Assembly. They chose from 1570 lists presented by the 110 recognized parties.

While the turnout was massive, "Ennahda" received over 41% of elected members, becoming the top political force in the country.

This victory was expected even before the election, but the Islamist party has not obtained an absolute majority. Policy makers must now engage in intensive negotiations to reach a majority in the new Constituent Assembly. "Ennahda" called for a meeting with the largest possible representation.

But negotiations are not looking easy for the party which openly claims to follow the Turkish model while at the same time declaring itself Islamic. This worries intellectuals like Moncef Marzouki, activist for Human Rights and leader of the "Congress for the Republic" (CPR) which came in second, with 30 seats.
For its part, the Social Democratic Party "Ettakatol" of Mustapha Ben Jaafar will hold 21 seats in the Constituent Assembly.

The announcement of the final results has led to clashes in the city of Sidi Bouzid, in the center of the country, cradle of the revolution in which a young Tunisian died setting himself on fire in December 2010.

Led by Rached Ghannouchi, who returned to Tunis in late January from exile in London, "Ennahda" which emerges from more than twenty years of hiding and repression, will have to make concessions because it needs to come to grips as quickly as possible with the running of public affairs : imprisoned or exiled, its leaders have in fact no experience of power.

In any case, the first democratic elections since the beginning of the "Arab Spring" were a success. According to international observers, the election was not tainted by fraud, it was hailed as "free" and "transparent", despite some "minor irregularities".

Algeria: the police force a Christian organization to cease operations in the region of Oran

Monday, 24 October 2011 13:03

The website of the French magazine "Christianity Today" reveals that in the Oran region of Algeria, local police ordered, Monday October 17, the organization "House of Hope" to cease all religious activity. "House of Hope" provides the facilities for a local church and houses the only Bible school established and active in Algeria.

The police require that "House of Hope" begin proceedings to obtain recognition by local authorities, in order to continue operations. "Such a procedure can last for weeks or months," said the head of the organization.

Libya is officially declared "liberated", three days after the death of Kadhafi

Monday, 24 October 2011 12:50

Three days after the death of Muammar Gaddafi, the new leaders of Libya officially proclaimed the "total liberation" of the country Sunday October 23.

An official ceremony was attended by tens of thousands of cheering Libyans, carrying a sea of green, red and black flags, in Benghazi, the second largest city and the starting point of the rebellion which began there in mid-February. According to the National Transition Council (CNT), the conflict has claimed more than 30,000 lives in eight months.

At a time when the civil war seemed like it would never end, the capture of Sirte, Gaddafi's last bastion, Friday Oct. 21, and the capture and death of former dictator precipitated events. The long-awaited release of Libya after 42 years of Colonel Gaddafi's dictatorship, however, is overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the circumstances of the death of the former leader, who was killed after being captured alive.

According to the number two in the CNT, Mahmoud Jibril, an autopsy performed on October 23 concluded that the former leader had been shot in the head during a gun fight on the way to the hospital. And an official of the CNT announced that the body would be handed over to relatives who would decide "in consultation with the CNT" the place of burial.

In Benghazi, the ceremony opened with the new national anthem, then the new leaders of the country mounted the podium one by one to tell their joy and pride to see Libya freed, punctuating their speech with "Allah Akbar" (God is greatest). The last to speak, the President of CNT, Moustapha Abdeljalil, reiterated that the country's legislation would be based on Islamic law, sharia.

At the same time, thousands of people, drunk with happiness, gathered on 'Martyrs Square' in Tripoli as well as in Misrata, where the remains of the former dictator had been transported to a cold room. Thousands of Libyans filed past the body as to ensure themselves that the page was really turned.

On the political front, talks are under way for the formation of a new interim government, a delicate process because of divisions between liberals and Islamists, between different tribes and different personalities, each with their stated ambitions, all this against a backdrop of the country's black gold ...

The new government will then have eight months to organize elections for a Constituent Assembly with a view to holding general elections within a maximum period of one year.

The official proclamation of the end of the Gaddafi era was unanimously hailed around the world, including by France and Britain who had spearheaded the international coalition which intervened in mid-March under the auspices of the NATO. Moreover, the British Prime Minister David Cameron and especially French President Nicolas Sarkozy had been warmly welcomed during their visit to Libya on September 15.

Tunisia: strong tension in the first country in the "Arab spring" as they elect their representatives

Tuesday, 18 October 2011 14:10

Sunday, October 23, Tunisians will be the first citizens of the "Arab spring" to go to the polls. They will appoint a Constituent Assembly.

As we approach the elections, the tension is rising in the country, especially as the Islamic fundamentalists have triumphed in the political debate. Religious violence has been caused by the ban on wearing the Islamic veil (niqab) at the University of Sousse and the projection of the French-Iranian film "Persepolis" on channel Nessma TV.

The most violent protesters are "Salafists" from the Hiz Ettahrir party - banned – yet campaigning for an Islamic republic. These events are not the business of the Islamist party Ennahda, more moderate and considered until now as the favorite of Sunday's elections. It reaffirms the need to respect freedom and democracy.
Given this wave of extremism the political world is not united: the Democratic Pole protested early against the violence with which Nessma TV was targeted, but the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and Ettakatol and Afek Tounes initially tried to please their rather conservative electorate before finally condemning the excesses of Friday, October 14, called "day of anger."

In this context, it is quite helpful to clarify the difference in approach between a Western-style democracy and a democracy based on Islam.
The Quran says in Sura 5: "To God belongs the dominion over the heavens and the earth, it is he who has power over all things." Thus, the real ruler of an Islamic state is none other than God himself. And so to think that the people – in general - or a particular individual, is sovereign is to commit the grave sin of association (associating partners to God). Therefore, some Muslims reject the concept of Western democracy because it is based on the idea that the people are sovereign.
They advocate Islamic democracy based not on the sovereignty of the people but on the concept of Caliphate: God is sovereign and the people are his representative, his caliph. Thus in Western democracy, the people who are elected legislate, but in Islamic democracy, the people - only Muslim - are governed by Sharia, Islamic law that God gave the prophet and which codifies the society.

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