News Update

It’s difficult to know where to begin, so many small incidents have happened, however, last Wednesday a red line was crossed and this requires a commentary. 

First, I’ll back track and begin with some good news. Recent polls show that the Nida Tunis ("The Call of Tunisia") Party has pulled ahead of the ruling religious party and would win if elections should be held. In addition, the Republican Party and the Massar' Party have signed an agreement with Nida Tunis to work together, making this group the major opposition to the ruling religious party. This is reassuring as the group around Nida Tunis is made up of the top intellectuals and minds of the country.

However, as could be seen in last week’s post about the beach town of Hammamet, Tunisia’s economy is on the skids. Unemployment keeps rising and to make matters worse, the vocal extreme right has been vandalizing and burning marabout mausoleums, of which they do not approve. A marabout is a sort of holy person, a bit like a saint, and certain traditions have developed around their mausoleums that could be considered more cultural than religious. Additionally, the extreme right and the ruling religious party have made it clear that culture and the arts are not on their agenda. Artists have been threatened and attacked verbally, even physically.

Freedom of expression and freedom of the press remain fragile. Journalists face law suits (and consequently prison) for reporting on government secrets and scandals, which are numerous and poorly hidden. The owner of the TV station Tounsiya remains in prison after the court acquitted him of charges (filed by the government) and ordered his release. The head of Businessnews.com.tn was condemned to four months of prison without his knowledge of it (!). And of course, no serious investigations have been undertaken by the government concerning journalists’ allegations, or concerning criminal activities by the extreme right or by the ruling party’s militia, called "Committees for the Protection of the Revolution."

The possibility of political assassinations of opposition leaders and journalists has become a reality. In October, Lotfi Nageth, the head of the Nida Tunis Party in Tataouine (a town in southern Tunisia), was beaten to death by a crowd of extreme right thugs. The government maintains it was a street brawl, however, Nida Tunis members convincingly argue that the ruling religious party was behind this death, making it the first political assassination. Last Wednesday (Feb. 6), Chokri Belaïd, an activist lawyer under the dictatorship and head of the Democratic Socialist Party, was shot in front of his home. Four bullets: to the head, throat, heart, and right shoulder. The precision would indicate a professional. 

The use of a gun is unprecedented. Nobody in Tunisia may own a firearm, except hunters with special permits. The government's inability to control the sale of illegal arms from Libya appears suspicious. Rumors suggest that the ruling religious party is stockpiling them as well as extreme right groups.

A red line has been crossed. Under the dictatorial regime Tunisians suffered arrest, beatings, and torture, however, cold-blooded assassination has never been a part of this culture. On Wednesday, two million angry people took to the streets to protest across Tunisia. Wednesday evening, the Prime Minister, Hamadi Jeballi, declared that he would form a temporary government of technocrats until elections could be held, which opposition political parties have demanded since last October when the government's mandate ran out. On Thursday, the ruling religious party declared that they did not approve of the Prime Minister's proposal and they are maneuvering to oust him. Obviously, all those incompetent ministers don't want to lose their well-paid jobs.

Today, Friday Feb. 8th, was Chokri Belaïd's funeral, which was declared a national day of mourning by all the political parties except the ruling religious party. A general strike was called for all of Tunisia as well. 

And so, my sketchbook page turns to political assassination because one must not remain silent. I chose a child-like style and bright, clear colors because Chokri Belaïd had no bodyguards and walked out of his home innocently.

The triangles represent a shattering--the shattering of a life, of a family, of civil society.

Maybe there will be a larger piece...my mind is boiling, Tunisia is boiling