Tunisian president visits Cairo: Unkown future for Islamists in Maghreb

Sarah Rashad

Day after day, Tunisian President Kais Saied confirms his bias towards the civil state, both in his domestic stances, in which he has repeatedly declared his rejection of the expansion of extremist ideology, and his foreign stances, such as his recent visit to Cairo, where he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and confirmed his cooperation with the Arab neighbor in fighting terrorism.

The visit bore much significance, as Saied sent various messages, including his support for Egypt in its counterterrorism policies and his visit to the tomb of late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who had adopted restrictive policies against the Brotherhood. Saied also wandered in the company of Egyptian Minister of Antiquities and Tourism Khaled al-Anani on a trip through Cairo’s ancient streets.

Saied used to go to the Tunisian street and walk among the pedestrians to inspect their conditions, as he did on numerous times when Tunisians raised slogans calling for an increase in the standard of living and the overthrow of the government and parliament.

Although Tunisia’s domestic crises were not addressed during the visit, which ended Sunday, April 11, nor did Saied refer at all to the Brotherhood’s Ennahda Movement, which controls the Tunisian parliament, the visit was primarily concerned with the movement, which has found Tunisia to be easy prey since 2011.

In contrast to the wings of the Brotherhood in the Arab East being curtailed and overthrown, the terrorist organization’s wings in the Maghreb, and Tunisia in particular, have been able to practice politics and even reach the helm of power.

The Kingdom of Morocco and the administration of its government by the Brotherhood-affiliated Justice and Development Party (PJD) reinforced the Brotherhood’s presence in the Maghreb. Rather, the group has been dealing with this region as the only place where no one competes with it, providing opportunity to prove the success of its power.

However, the line adopted by the Tunisian president and his bias towards Egypt means that the group’s experience in the Maghreb is undergoing a threat, indicating the possibility of Tunisia leaving the group’s control, which will affect the Brotherhood’s experience in general in the Maghreb.

Since the beginning of this year, Tunisia’s civil political forces have been trying to repeat the successful Egyptian public experience in overthrowing the Brotherhood through the June 30 Revolution in 2013, as Tunisians have tried more than once to take to the streets and demand the overthrow of the regime, but they have only succeeded in disturbing the group, not completely overthrowing it.