Posted on 10/22/2011 11:08:35 PM PDT by Olog-hai
Islamists are expected to do well in Tunisia's first democratic election Sunday, 10 months after the ouster of autocratic leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in a popular uprising that set off protest movements around the Arab world. The Ennahda party will almost certainly win a share of power after the vote, which will set a democratic standard for other Arab countries where uprisings have triggered political change or governments have tried to rush reforms to stave off unrest. Sunday's vote is for an assembly which will draft a new constitution to replace the one Ben Ali manipulated to entrench his power. It will also appoint an interim government and set elections for a new president and parliament. Polls open at 2 a.m. EDT and close at 2 p.m. …
Fundamentalist Islamists known as Salafists have attacked a cinema and a TV station in recent months over artistic material deemed blasphemous. Ennahda says they have nothing to do with them, but liberals do not believe them. Observers says Ennahda's intentions are not clear. Its election campaign has scrupulously avoided offering policy details that mark it out as much different from its rivals.
At a final election rally Friday, Suad Abdel-Rahim, the female candidate who does not wear a veil, said Ennahda would protect women's gains. But illustrating the party's contradictions, many of the books on sale on the fringes of the rally were by Salafist writers who believe women should be segregated from men in public and that elections are un-Islamic. In the country's interior, where it's more conservative, they use different rhetoric," said commentator Rachid Khechana. "It's about stopping culture from outside, moral corruption of youth, defending Islam, which they say has Shura (consultation), not democracy." …
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
En Nahda (Rennaisance) Party led by Rachid Ghannouchi IS the Muslim Brotherhood. Ghannouchi has been active in Muslim Brotherhood circles for a quarter century.
once a few of there countries turn full bore islamist it will be interesting to see how odumbo tries to spin it as Bush’s fault.
Obama`s muslim spring unfolding as planned.
Muslim democracy; one vote, one time, one party state.
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