Actually no. The Tunisian government is very secular and likes to keep a low profile. It is probably the most liberal of all Arab governments and the nation is a great vacation spot. No trouble getting a drink in that place.
Of course, the rest of the Arab world foisted the PLO leadership onto Tunis during the 70s and 80s -- but that was only because they didn't want to host them themselves.
They are (or maybe, were) the one of the only nations in that area that do/did not have a radical Islamist insurgency problem. And that was primarily due to the fact that the nation as a whole is very laid back and the government is not repressive to any significant degree.
Concur your analysis, Ronin. We were on R&R from Saudi Arabia in Tunisia in 1981. What a breath of fresh air, coming from the oppressive air of Saudi Arabia. Europeans flock there for the sun; the Tunisian police gently sent the topless European ladies off the public beaches back to the hotel beaches. One bartender told me that during ramadan, the Tunisians sometimes don't drink alcohol during the day.