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Thousands of people rally against terrorism in Tunisia. Hamideddine Bouali/Demotix. All rights reserved.
When Mohammed
Bouazizi set himself alight on that fateful day in December 2010, he had no
inkling that his act of self-immolation would engulf an entire region in
sweeping protests. Yet four and half years on, as Seifeddine Rezgui calmly and meticulously
gunned down his victims on a Sousse beach, we can safely assume that the wider
consequences of his actions were not lost on him.
The attack on the
Sousse beach, in which 38 tourists tragically lost their lives, was not just an
attack on visiting westerners. It was an attack on the brave hotel workers and
their industry, who desperately tried to shield their guests from the raging
bullets of the murderous gunman. It was an attack on a hardworking builder, who
courageously launched missiles of bricks and tiles, succeeding in knocking the
gunman down to enable security forces to catch up to him. It was also an attack
on Tunisia as whole, orchestrated to wreak havoc on a country that has come so
far after overturning decades of dictatorship.
Since 2011,
Tunisia has emerged as the sole success story of the Arab Spring. We waited
with bated breath as Egypt flirted with democracy, before returning unrewarded to
the tradition of tough military rule. We watched as Libya succumbed to violent
struggles of power, the combination of weapons and a lack of authority proving
a deadly cocktail for a country once showing promise. And we witnessed as Syria
and Yemen slid deeper into the throes of civil war, providing a fertile ground
for extremist elements to thrive. Through this all, Tunisia has shone brightly
as the beacon of hope in the Arab world, principally guided beyond pitfalls by the
willingness of the Islamist Ennahdha party to pursue compromise and
conciliation across the political spectrum.
In January
2014, Tunisia earned praise for adopting a progressive constitution, enshrining
the rights that were fought for in the Jasmine revolution. The UN Secretary
General, Ban Ki-Moon, urged the people of Tunisia “to continue to inspire the
world as they did some three years ago, and serve as an example for dialogue
and compromise in resolving political disputes across the region and beyond”.
Tunisia has
proved to the world that there is no contradiction between Islam and democracy,
marking the successful transition from despotism through two free and fair
elections. Tunisians have placed their faith in the ballot box, despite
attempts to steer them down a path well-trodden on by its neighbours. They have
faced political assassinations, stagnating numbers of tourists and political
deadlocks. All have threatened to derail Tunisia’s democratic transition, but
none as much as this recent tragedy.
According to
the World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism contributed to 15.2 percent of
Tunisia’s GDP in 2014, directly supporting 230,500 jobs and employing 6.8 percent of the total workforce. This attack sought to destroy the Tunisian
economy, deliberately leaving it vulnerable to the tentacles of the extremists
who feed on those with nothing.
Tunisia is now
at a crossroads, facing the largest challenge to its democratic transition yet.
How should it respond to such an atrocity without undermining the rights and
freedoms that have been so resolutely fought for? Can Tunisia now negotiate the
thin fine line of liberty and security without resorting to methods that characterise
the old guard?
The horror that
we witnessed was not simply confined to a stretch of white sand in Sousse, but
it is a symptom of a growing terrorist threat that has gripped the world. It is
an international phenomenon that requires an international response, and that includes
supporting and reinforcing Tunisia’s security and stability.
Tunisia is
stuck in a tug of war between those who wish it well, and those who wish it hell. If we
in the west are truly the champions of freedom and liberty, then we must
support those who have demonstrated their willingness to journey down the path
of democracy. By murdering innocent tourists, Seifeddine Rezgui sought to
extinguish the flames of hope and optimism that were ignited over four years
ago. We must not allow this to happen.
This piece was first published on Al Huffington Post on 10th July 2015.