By

alansimons

Opinion

TUNISIA. From 'moderate Islam' to a 'Caliphate' in three weeks

November 17, 2011 12:55
1 min read

"The Sixth Righteous Caliphate or Nor naronim farlozn zikh oyf nisim."

NOVEMBER 17, 2011 - Rachid Ghannouchi, who has been quoted as "embracing humanist Islam," is the co-founder of the Ennahda Movement, the largest political party in Tunisia. Three weeks ago he praised the Tunisian people for having rebelled. He urged them to continue what he called "this blessed revolution and to preserve it and to peruse equality, democracy and justice." It was reported at the time that Ghannouchi presented himself as the defender of individual freedom and worker's and women's rights.

Five days ago, Ennahda's general secretary, Hamadi Jebali, named as the party’s candidate for prime minister and reported in Western media as a "man of compromise and the moderate face of Tunisia’s Ennahda Islamist party," invited Hamas representative, Houda Naim to join him at a rally in the Tunisian resort city of Sousse for a "divine moment in a new state and in, hopefully, a 6th caliphate."

Issam Chelbi, representing the secular PDP party called the speech "very dangerous." "This is what we feared," he said.

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