Growing opposition to Muslim Brotherhood inside Tunisia

Nahla Abdelmonem

There is growing opposition inside Tunisia to the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Ennahda Movement.

The Tunisian parliament voted recently against a request by some of the North African country’s parties to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a “terrorist” movement.

The Free Destourian Party organized a protest on July 4 in defense of secularism in Tunisia and against violence

Dozens of political activists gathered on Avenue Habib Bourguiba to protest against what they described as an attempt by some political forces to hijack the Tunisian state and turn it into a religious state.

They called for preserving the secular nature of this state.

Party Chairwoman Abir Moussi accused the Tunisian parliament of violating its law by turning down a request for holding a session on designating the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist movement.

She renewed her call for putting this Islamist movement in a list of extremist movements.

“The Tunisian national security is in extreme danger, now that the Muslim Brotherhood controls the parliament,” Moussi said.

She added that the Muslim Brotherhood violates the Tunisian constitution which underscores secularism in Tunisia.

“Tunisia will not become a Muslim Brotherhood state,” Moussi said.

She added that the policies of this Islamist movement are dictated from other countries, only to serve the interests of both Turkey and Qatar.

Moussi noted that the Tunisian people would not fall silent while all this keeps happening.

Qatari, Turkish financing

Meanwhile, there are growing debates in Tunisia on the funding of the nation’s political parties and foreign interference in the policies of these parties.

Chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Authority Shawqi al-Tayeb criticized some political parties for staging wars on behalf of some regional powers.

He warned against the lack of transparency on the funding of some of the political parties.