Statement: Tunisia isn’t going to be a fascistic country as Qais Saied wants it
Following the statement issued by the President, after the meeting of the National Security Council on February 21, 2023 dedicated to “ taking urgent measurements to address the phenomenon of the arrival of large numbers of irregular migrants from Sub- Saharan Africa to Tunisia”.
This statement included an unprecedented racist and fascistic speech. It considered this migration “ a criminal arrangement prepared since the beginning of this century to change the demographic formation of Tunisia”, in the framework of an organized scheme from foreign parties, to ‘settle’ migrants and threaten the Arab- Islamic loyalty of Tunisia. It’s a clear adoption of a conspiracy theory that reproduces the most awful and dangerous far- right theories in the world. In addition, it linked migration to the growth of violence and crime, in a mass criminalization and stigmatization on the basis of color, race and identity.
This statement coincided with a large- scale campaign of random and arbitrarily arrests against migrants from Sub- Saharan Africa. Furthermore, the detention of migrants in illegal centers that don’t respect the most basic standards of human dignity. This systematic and racist violence reached women, children and even infants from migrant families. In addition, it coincided with a campaign of hatred and incitement from organized groups and political figures suspected of complicity and an involvement from the state’s police apparatus and its media arm.
This systematic attack is listed within an authoritarian political context gradually directed by Qais Saied since July 25, 2021, and it reached its climax recently through targeting all political voices against him in politics, syndicates and Media, in light of his abrupt failure for his economical and social policies which weren’t satisfied with continuing the choices of the previous governments in contrary to slogans which he raises. These decisions were more severe and submissive to the international monetary institution, which are consistent with his complete submission to the European policies towards migration that target migrants from countries in the South, including Tunisia, in a blatant contradiction to his false discourse.
This inhumane discourse criminalizes a natural phenomenon inherent in the human history and a universal human right in freedom to the freedom of movement, which capitalist globalization turned it to a privilege. Its discriminatory policies are based on exporting European borders and policing migration. Also, this discourse establishes a great rift inside the social fabric and exposes unarmed persons from migrants and Tunisians to the risk of racial assaults. In addition, it exposes Tunisian migrants to face same practices, distorts the country’s history, and undermines the values which have been fought by successive generations and expressed through the slogans of December 17- January 14 revolution.
Thus, the undersigned organizations and individuals
- We demand and immediate withdrawal for this scandalous decision and the cessation all traces and prosecutions against migrants on the basis of identity.
- We declare our absolute and unconditional support and solidarity towards all victims of this crackdown, and also we demand setting objective criteria to settle the legal situations for all those who want residence in Tunisia.
- We call all the democratic power, trade union, labor and human rights movements, together with all professional institutions to assume its responsibility in confronting this fascist policy, and protect migrants’ rights, especially rights to health care, housing, education and access to justice, from discriminatory violations and raciest practices.
- We declare the establishment of anti- fascist front, and it is opened to all struggling forces, individuals, groups and organizations to resist racial and authoritarian discourse and policies, by all means and forms of necessary resistance to put an end to it’s growth.
- We call on every free person to participate in a protest march on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 2 p.m, starting in front of the headquarters of the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists Syndicate towards Habib Bourguiba Street.
Organizations:
- The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights
- The Tunisian Association of Democratic Women
- The Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights
- Al Bawsala
- I Watch organization
- The Association for Activating the Right to Difference ADD
- The Observatory for Defending the Right to Difference
- Social Democratic Policies Laboratory
- Masarib Association (Sentiers)
- Citizenship maps
- The Legal Agenda – Tunisia
- CALAM Association
- Young Leaders Association in Tunisia
- Lina Ben Mhenni Association
- Lawyers Without Borders
- Al Khat Association
- Women and Citizenship Association in El Kef
- Journalists Association in Nawaat
- Women’s Voices Association
- Stop Pollution Campaign
- Radio Libre Francophone
- Speak for Freedom of Expression and Creativity Association
- Association Beity
- NACHAZ Association
- Tunisian Organization of Young Doctors
- Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center (DAAM)
Individuals:
- Ziad Khaloufi: a political activist
- Henda Al-Shennawi: a feminist activist
- Osama Bouajila: a human rights activist
- Hazem Shekhawi: a secondary education teacher and a civil rights activist
- Ayman Amami
- Nissaf Salameh: Researcher – Human Rights activist
- Firas Kafi: a journalist and civil society activist
- Maryam Barbary: a human rights activist
- Reem Bin Rajab: a journalist and feminist activist
- Arwa Barakat: a feminist human rights activist and journalist
- Samar Talili: a trade unionist and political activist
- Sami Ben Ghazi: a political activist
- Amal Jarbi: a journalist
- Mahdi Al-Esh: researcher and civil activist
- Nisreen Jalalia: a civil activist
- Omaima Mahdi: journalist and political activist
- Maher Taqiyyah: a trade unionist and civil activist
- Esraa Al-Rahmani
- Hammadi al-Zaribi: a human rights activist
- Malak Al-Akhal: a journalist and human rights activist
- Zainab Belhassan: a human rights and feminist activist
- Nabila Hamza: a feminist activist and researcher in sociology
- Enas Sabiha: a political and feminist activist
- Cyrine Hammami: a human rights and feminist activist
- Hamza Bouzweida: a human rights activist
- Nedaj Al-Ahmar: a researcher
- Raouf bin Mohammed: a political activist
- Noha Malki: a civil activist
- Duja Al-Masteri: a civil activist
- Muhammad al-Imam Sumaida: a civil activist
- Hala Shoshani: an environmental and civil activist
- Salwa Gharissa: academic and human rights activist
- Firas Najah: a researcher and civil activist
- Nisreen Al-Dali: a civil activist
- Khaled Al-Gharairi: a queer activist
- Jaber Wajh: a human rights activist
- Yousra Boudiaf: a human rights activist
- Taha Al-Masmoudi: a secondary education teacher and civil activist
- Mozer Sawadi
- Ella Al-Salami: a queer activist
- Ensaf Bu Hafs: a feminist activist
- Insaf Mashta: University
- Salim Al-Arabi: a human rights activist
- Rafid Rabah: an artist and human rights activist
- Marta Luceno Moreno: immigrant rights activist
- Saber Ammar: an environmental and civil activist
- Samia Frause
- Naglaa Qidya: a political activist
- Suleiman bin Nasr: a human rights activist
- Lilia Al-Rubai: a human rights activist
- Rania Al-Shabi: a human rights activist
- Safaa Al-Zawadi: a human rights activist
- Feryal Grady Sharafeddine: a researcher in gender studies
- Iman Ben Juweira: a human rights activist
- Nawras Al-Hammadi: a human rights activist
- Areej Rajiba: a political activist
- Salim Al-Arabi: a human rights activist
- Wassim Al-Hammadi: member of the Political Bureau of the Democratic Current
- Nizar Amami, a political activist
- Asrar Bin Juweira: President of the Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms
- Fayrouz Salama: a research professor
- Nawras Al-Dozi: a political activist
- Hashim Al-Amari: an activist
- Amira Darbali: a civil society activist
- Asala Madukhi: a queer activist and human rights defender
- Hassan Hajj Masoud
- Amani Janana: an activist and human rights defender
- Cyrine Hammami
- Shaimaa Buhlal: a civil activist
- Yusra Fraus: a lawyer and human rights defender
- Moez Attia
- Ragaa Shamikh
- Wahid al-Farshishi
- Hager Boden
- Muhammad Omran, a human rights researcher
- Shaimaa Al-Jabali: a human rights activist
- Iskandar Al-Istanbuli: a civil society activist
- Khokha Maquiere
- Olfa Lamlum – researcher
- Fatima Zahra Latifi: a feminist and human rights activist
- Sanaa bin Ashour
- Walid Al-Arabi
- Jawaher Shanna: a political and feminist activist
- Mahdi Barhoumi: a civil activist
- Wissam Al-Soghair: a political activist
- Dreams of Al-Ratebi Al-Dhawadi
- Rania Al-Amdouni: an artist and human rights activist
- Yusra Al-Waslati: a political and human rights activist
- Fakhr al-Din al-Lawati: a Tunisian citizen
- Giselle Kouka: a Tunisian citizen
- Lotfi Najjar: writer
- Mona Dashri: a Tunisian citizen
- Jehan Qazzara: a Tunisian citizen
- Wafaa Frause
- Amin Al-Ghazi
- Sondos Farhat: a Tunisian citizen
- Sami bin Said: an artist
- Manal Mabrouk
- Samar Al-Hadfi
- Amal Mekdad: a visual artist
- Sabreen Janhani: a musical artist
- Emad Alibi: Artistic director
- Duha Bousta: a lawyer and political activist
- Amani bin Obeid: a journalist and political activist
- Osama Hilal: a lawyer
- Amani Dhifaoui: a journalist
- Kahina Al-Sanea: an artist and teacher
- Nidal Shamekh: a worker in the artistic field
- Rami Ayari
- Dorra Freihi: a student and human rights activist
- Munira bin Shaaban: an employee
- Munir Al-Tarudi: a free artist
- Sanaa Al- Saghiri
- Saida Mashat, citizen
- Wael Mejri