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Statement: Tunisia isn’t going to be a fascistic country as Qais Saied wants it

25 February، 2023
0 422 6 minutes read

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:

  1. The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights
  2. The Tunisian Association of Democratic Women
  3. The Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights
  4. Al Bawsala
  5. I Watch organization 
  6. The Association for Activating the Right to Difference ADD
  7. The Observatory for Defending the Right to Difference
  8. Social Democratic Policies Laboratory
  9. Masarib Association (Sentiers)
  10. Citizenship maps
  11. The Legal Agenda – Tunisia
  12. CALAM Association
  13. Young Leaders Association in Tunisia
  14. Lina Ben Mhenni Association
  15. Lawyers Without Borders
  16. Al Khat Association
  17. Women and Citizenship Association in El Kef
  18. Journalists Association in Nawaat
  19. Women’s Voices Association
  20. Stop Pollution Campaign
  21. Radio Libre Francophone
  22. Speak for Freedom of Expression and Creativity Association
  23. Association Beity
  24. NACHAZ Association
  25. Tunisian Organization of Young Doctors
  26. Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center (DAAM)

Individuals:

  1. Ziad Khaloufi: a political activist
  2. Henda Al-Shennawi: a feminist activist
  3. Osama Bouajila: a human rights activist
  4. Hazem Shekhawi: a secondary education teacher and a civil rights activist
  5. Ayman Amami
  6. Nissaf Salameh: Researcher – Human Rights activist
  7. Firas Kafi: a journalist and civil society activist
  8. Maryam Barbary: a human rights activist
  9. Reem Bin Rajab: a journalist and feminist activist
  10. Arwa Barakat: a feminist human rights activist and journalist
  11. Samar Talili: a trade unionist and political activist
  12. Sami Ben Ghazi: a political activist
  13. Amal Jarbi: a journalist
  14. Mahdi Al-Esh: researcher and civil activist
  15. Nisreen Jalalia: a civil activist
  16. Omaima Mahdi: journalist and political activist
  17. Maher Taqiyyah: a trade unionist and civil activist
  18. Esraa Al-Rahmani
  19. Hammadi al-Zaribi: a human rights activist
  20. Malak Al-Akhal: a journalist and human rights activist
  21. Zainab Belhassan: a human rights and feminist activist
  22. Nabila Hamza: a feminist activist and researcher in sociology
  23. Enas Sabiha: a political and feminist activist
  24. Cyrine Hammami: a human rights and feminist activist
  25. Hamza Bouzweida: a human rights activist
  26. Nedaj Al-Ahmar: a researcher
  27. Raouf bin Mohammed: a political activist
  28. Noha Malki: a civil activist
  29. Duja Al-Masteri: a civil activist
  30. Muhammad al-Imam Sumaida: a civil activist
  31. Hala Shoshani: an environmental and civil activist
  32. Salwa Gharissa: academic and human rights activist
  33. Firas Najah: a researcher and civil activist
  34. Nisreen Al-Dali: a civil activist
  35. Khaled Al-Gharairi: a queer activist
  36. Jaber Wajh: a human rights activist
  37. Yousra Boudiaf: a human rights activist
  38. Taha Al-Masmoudi: a secondary education teacher and civil activist
  39. Mozer Sawadi
  40. Ella Al-Salami: a queer activist
  41. Ensaf Bu Hafs: a feminist activist
  42. Insaf Mashta: University
  43. Salim Al-Arabi: a human rights activist
  44. Rafid Rabah: an artist and human rights activist
  45. Marta Luceno Moreno: immigrant rights activist
  46. Saber Ammar: an environmental and civil activist
  47. Samia Frause
  48. Naglaa Qidya: a political activist
  49. Suleiman bin Nasr: a human rights activist
  50. Lilia Al-Rubai: a human rights activist
  51. Rania Al-Shabi: a human rights activist
  52. Safaa Al-Zawadi: a human rights activist
  53. Feryal Grady Sharafeddine: a researcher in gender studies
  54. Iman Ben Juweira: a human rights activist
  55. Nawras Al-Hammadi: a human rights activist
  56. Areej Rajiba: a political activist
  57. Salim Al-Arabi: a human rights activist
  58. Wassim Al-Hammadi: member of the Political Bureau of the Democratic Current
  59. Nizar Amami, a political activist
  60. Asrar Bin Juweira: President of the Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms
  61. Fayrouz Salama: a research professor
  62. Nawras Al-Dozi: a political activist
  63. Hashim Al-Amari: an activist
  64. Amira Darbali: a civil society activist
  65. Asala Madukhi: a queer activist and human rights defender
  66. Hassan Hajj Masoud
  67. Amani Janana: an activist and human rights defender
  68. Cyrine Hammami
  69. Shaimaa Buhlal: a civil activist
  70. Yusra Fraus: a lawyer and human rights defender
  71. Moez Attia
  72. Ragaa Shamikh
  73. Wahid al-Farshishi
  74. Hager Boden
  75. Muhammad Omran, a human rights researcher
  76. Shaimaa Al-Jabali: a human rights activist
  77. Iskandar Al-Istanbuli: a civil society activist
  78. Khokha Maquiere
  79. Olfa Lamlum – researcher
  80. Fatima Zahra Latifi: a feminist and human rights activist
  81. Sanaa bin Ashour
  82. Walid Al-Arabi
  83. Jawaher Shanna: a political and feminist activist
  84. Mahdi Barhoumi: a civil activist
  85. Wissam Al-Soghair: a political activist
  86. Dreams of Al-Ratebi Al-Dhawadi
  87. Rania Al-Amdouni: an artist and human rights activist
  88. Yusra Al-Waslati: a political and human rights activist
  89. Fakhr al-Din al-Lawati: a Tunisian citizen
  90. Giselle Kouka: a Tunisian citizen
  91. Lotfi Najjar: writer
  92. Mona Dashri: a Tunisian citizen
  93. Jehan Qazzara: a Tunisian citizen
  94. Wafaa Frause
  95. Amin Al-Ghazi
  96. Sondos Farhat: a Tunisian citizen
  97. Sami bin Said: an artist
  98. Manal Mabrouk
  99. Samar Al-Hadfi
  100. Amal Mekdad: a visual artist
  101. Sabreen Janhani: a musical artist
  102. Emad Alibi: Artistic director
  103. Duha Bousta: a lawyer and political activist
  104. Amani bin Obeid: a journalist and political activist
  105. Osama Hilal: a lawyer
  106. Amani Dhifaoui: a journalist
  107. Kahina Al-Sanea: an artist and teacher
  108. Nidal Shamekh: a worker in the artistic field
  109. Rami Ayari
  110. Dorra Freihi: a student and human rights activist
  111. Munira bin Shaaban: an employee
  112. Munir Al-Tarudi: a free artist
  113. Sanaa Al- Saghiri
  114. Saida Mashat, citizen
  115. Wael Mejri
25 February، 2023
0 422 6 minutes read
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Bilel Cherni

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