Abstract
This chapter examines the historical background and political economy causal factors leading up to Tunisia’s 2011 revolution that removed from power the dictator Zain al-Abidine Ben Ali. Comparisons are presented between Tunisia’s case and those of Libya, Egypt, Yemen, and Syria, which also experienced their own “Arab Awakening” uprisings and revolutions. In 2011, pro-democracy movements erupted to the surface and ousted dictators and regimes from power. The protest movements of the Arab Awakening “weaponized” defiance with massive non-violent—albeit angry—street protests and demonstrations. All of these uprisings and revolutions have been inspired by Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution, which demanded freedoms, rights, and dignity. The impetus for Tunisia’s revolution was Mohamed Bouazizi, who set himself on fire on December 17, 2010. The rest, as they say, is history. Since then, Tunisia has remained committed to non-violent transitions through political dialogue, negotiations, and compromises in the spirit of preserving and protecting its nascent democracy.
Eppur si muove
(“Nonetheless, it moves”)
—Galileo
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Notes
- 1.
As of this writing, we are learning about the brutal murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of a Saudi death squad at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, October 2018. Countless journalists, bloggers, and dissidents throughout the MENA region remain in detention, and a number have met their tragic demise. Many still have fled into exile.
- 2.
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- 3.
“Tunisia Demographics Profile 2018,” Index Mundi, 2018: https://www.indexmundi.com/tunisia/demographics_profile.html
- 4.
“Tunisia: Youth Unemployment Rate from 2007 to 2017,” Statista, 2019: https://www.statista.com/statistics/813115/youth-unemployment-rate-in-tunisia/
- 5.
“The World Bank in Tunisia,” The World Bank, April 18, 2018: http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/tunisia/overview
- 6.
Tarek Osman, “Why Border Lines Drawn with a Ruler in WWI Still Rock the Middle East,” BBC News, December 14, 2013: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-25299553
- 7.
Bamber Gasciogne, “History of Tunisia,” HistoryWorld, from 2001 ongoing: http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac93
- 8.
Christopher Alexander, Tunisia: Stability and Reform in the Modern Maghreb (New York: Routledge, 2010), pp. 10–11.
- 9.
Ibid., p. 11.
- 10.
Ibid.
- 11.
Kenneth J. Perkins, A History of Modern Tunisia (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004), p. 147.
- 12.
“Habib Bourguiba: Father of Tunisia,” BBC News, April 6, 2000: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/obituaries/703907.stm
- 13.
Interview with Radwan Masmoudi, Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID), Tunis, February 29, 2012.
- 14.
“Habib Bourguiba: Father of Tunisia,” BBC News.
- 15.
Alexander, p. 1.
- 16.
Oxford Atlas of the World, 17th edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010), p. 62.
- 17.
Cecily Hilleary, “Return of Islamic Leader Worries Some Tunisian Women,” Voice of America (VOA), February 4, 2011: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/115291829.html
- 18.
“Habib Bourguiba: Father of Tunisia,” BBC News.
- 19.
Ibid.
- 20.
Ibid.
- 21.
“Profile: Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali,” BBC News, June 20, 2011: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12196679
- 22.
Perkins, p. 185.
- 23.
“Profile: Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali,” BBC News.
- 24.
Perkins, p. 212. Emphasis added.
- 25.
Interview with Radwan Masmoudi.
- 26.
“Profile: Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali,” BBC News.
- 27.
“Profile: Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali,” BBC News.
- 28.
“Freedom in the World 2002, 2007, and 2010: Tunisia,” Freedom House: http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2002/tunisia
- 29.
“Freedom in the World 2002, 2007, and 2010: Egypt,” Freedom House: http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2002/egypt
- 30.
“Freedom in the World 2002, 2007, and 2010: Libya,” Freedom House: http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2002/libya
- 31.
Rania Abouzei, “Bouazizi, the Man Who Set Himself and Tunisia on Fire,” Time Magazine, January 21, 2011: http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2044723,00.html
- 32.
Tim Worstall, “Paul Krugman on the Inevitable Decline of Apple and Microsoft,” Forbes, August 25, 2013: http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/08/25/paul-krugman-on-the-inevitable-decline-of-apple-and-microsoft/
- 33.
Interview with Radwan Masmoudi.
- 34.
“Tunisia Country Fact Sheet,” International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), 2011 Governing Council: http://www.ifad.org/events/gc/34/nen/factsheet/tunisia.pdf
- 35.
Ibid.
- 36.
Interview with Radwan Masmoudi.
- 37.
“Profile: Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali,” BBC News.
- 38.
“Profile: Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali,” BBC News.
- 39.
Interview with Radwan Masmoudi.
- 40.
“Biography of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali,” Africa Success, January 23, 2011: http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=964&lang=en
- 41.
Interview with Radwan Masmoudi.
- 42.
Ibid.
- 43.
Ibid.
- 44.
Ibid.
- 45.
Kim Willsher, “Leila Trabelsi: Tunisia’s Lady MacBeth: Tunisia’s First Lady was Said to be Manipulative and Ruthless,” The Guardian, January 18, 2011: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/18/leila-trabelsi-tunisia-lady-macbeth
- 46.
Ibid.
- 47.
Interview with Radwan Masmoudi.
- 48.
Ibid.
- 49.
Ibid.
- 50.
Interview with Radwan Masmoudi.
- 51.
“Tunisia Country Fact Sheet,” IFAD.
- 52.
Interview with Lotfi Hajji, Tunis, Tunisia, July 19, 2017.
- 53.
Ibid.
- 54.
Ibid.
- 55.
Interview with Souad Goussami Hajji, Tunis, Tunisia, July 17, 2017.
- 56.
“The 2011 Time 100: El Général, Tunisian Rapper,” Time Magazine, 2011: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_2066242,00.html
- 57.
“Rising Food and Energy Prices in Europe and Central Asia,” The World Bank, 2011: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2011/04/14/000333037_20110414015110/Rendered/PDF/610970WP0P1262171World1Bank1Combine.pdf, “Summary,” p. 1.
- 58.
Jaloul Ayed, quoted in Conference Report, “Tunisia’s and Egypt’s Revolutions and Transitions to Democracy: What is the Impact on the Arab World? What Lessons can We Learn?” Edited by Thomas W. Skladony, Peter Winston Fettner, and Alexandra Tohmé. Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) 12th Annual Conference, Washington, DC, April 15, 2011, p. 3.
- 59.
Ibid., p. 4.
- 60.
Ibid.
- 61.
Radwan Masmoudi, quoted in Conference Report, “Tunisia’s and Egypt’s Revolutions and Transitions to Democracy: What is the Impact on the Arab World? What Lessons can We Learn?” Edited by Thomas W. Skladony, Peter Winston Fettner, and Alexandra Tohmé. Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) 12th Annual Conference, Washington, DC, April 15, 2011, p. 5.
- 62.
Ibid.
- 63.
“An Assassination in Tunisia,” The New York Times, February 8, 2013: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/09/opinion/the-assassination-of-chokri-belaid-in-tunisia.html?_r=0
- 64.
Seumas Milne, “Tunisian Government has No Hidden Agendas, Says New Prime Minister,” The Guardian, April 2, 2013: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/02/tunisia-government-agenda-prime-minister
- 65.
Carlotta Gall, “Second Opposition Leader Assassinated in Tunisia,” The New York Times, July 25, 2013: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/26/world/middleeast/second-opposition-leader-killed-in-tunisia.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&
- 66.
Ibid.
- 67.
Ibid.
- 68.
Ibid.
- 69.
“Tunisia: Military Hunts Militants Near Algerian Border,” The New York Times, August 2, 2013: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/03/world/africa/tunisia-military-hunts-militants-near-algerian-border.html
- 70.
Osman, “Why Border Lines Drawn with a Ruler in WWI Still Rock the Middle East,” BBC News.
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Alvi, H. (2019). Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution Demands Dignity. In: The Political Economy and Islam of the Middle East. Political Economy of Islam. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17050-9_2
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