Thousands Of Tunisians Demonstrate For Islamic Law

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Thousands of conservative Tunisians marched through the capital on Sunday calling for the application of Islamic law in the latest round of tit-for-tat protests by secularists and Islamists over the future of the country.

On Tuesday, a similar number of Tunisians rallied along the same avenue in the capital calling for a civil state not influenced by religion.

Tunisia was once one of the most secular Arab countries under the hardline dictatorship of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Since his fall in a popular uprising last year, political Islam has flourished — much to the consternation of secularists.

A constitutional assembly elected in October is in the process of writing the country’s new constitution and there are regular demonstrations over how much it should be influenced by Islamic law, known as Sharia.

“Sharia is an obligation, not a slogan, it is the solution,” said one of the demonstrators banners.

The demonstrations were also protesting a series of incidents last week when mosques in the town of Ben Guerdane near the Libyan border were pelted with eggs and the Qurans inside desecrated. One of the main mosques in the capital Tunis also had a Star of David spray painted on it.

A moderate Islamist party now controls the government in cooperation with two secular parties.

There has also been the rise of a vocal minority of ultraconservatives known as Salafis who carry out weekly demonstrations calling for the Islamization of society.

Tensions are on the rise between the two camps and leftists and Islamists recently clashed during rival demonstrations at a university near the capital.