Qaradawi Union and Brotherhood of Tunisia: Task of creating parallel sectarian education

Doaa Emam

A number of politicians and academics in Tunisia signed a request to ban the activities of the local branch of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, one of the arms of the Brotherhood, after this entity’s incursion into the country and the announcement of its readiness to form and qualify a group of students and citizens under the pretext of studying Sharia sciences by those who hold the Brotherhood ideology.

The petition stated that the ideas and visions of the union contradict the traditions of Tunisian civil law and contradict the principles of the constitution. The union also attacked Tunisian presidency, hinting at the departure of power in Tunisia from the Sharia law, which highlights the tenacity of that institution.

The signatories inquired about the union’s sources of funding in Tunisia and the nature of its activities, especially since it offers lessons for a symbolic fee. The union is led by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual father of the Brotherhood, as a sectarian institution par excellence, given the advocacy positions it took against the Shiite sect. They also warned that the Tunis branch was a den to spread an extraneous sectarianism.

According to the petition, “It is proven that the leadership of the Brotherhood has been involved in encouraging Tunisians to wage jihad in Syria, bearing the responsibility to deceive them and throw them into hotbeds of violence, in addition to the fact that this union is prohibited in many Arab and non-Arab countries. Its activity in Tunisia is a great embarrassment for Tunisians and Tunisian diplomacy.” It also demanded the Ministry of Higher Education and MPs jealous of Tunisia’s interest to give this file the interest it deserves.

Ennahda facilities

There is renewed discussion of the facilities provided by the Ennahda movement to the aforementioned institution, in addition to the supervision of a number of the movement’s Shura Council members over its administration and the conduct of its agenda, which follows Turkey and Qatar, in clear violation of the Tunisian law that prohibits the combination of association and party activity.

With the help of the union, Ennahda seeks to employ and harness the religious sciences to build a parallel education, in an attempt to revive religious education and establish it as a legitimate stance towards the civil state’s interests.

The danger lies in the scientific and religious material that it broadcasts and publishes, as most of them do not believe in religious or sectarian pluralism, and they are silent about developing religious discourse to resolve issues of equality and individual freedoms.

International Brotherhood’s regional agenda

Tunisian analyst Nizar Maqni told the Reference that the Tunisian opposition accuses the Ennahda movement of receiving millions of dollars in funding from Qatar and Turkey in order to ensure that the movement resolves the election results in its favor and to buy votes.

Maqni added that Ennahda’s policies do not differ much from the international organization’s regional agenda.

It is noteworthy that the petition bore the signature of Sherif Ferjani, a university professor residing in France; Hisham Skeik, a professor at the University of Tunis; Zeinab Ben Said, professor of philosophy at the University of Tunis; political activist Junaidi Abdel-Gawad; historian Adel Latifi; Dr. Rachida Qafsi Munir Charfi, a professor at the University of Tunis; and writers Nayla El-Selini and Raja Ben Salama.