After blasting his own party for failing to reach compromise and dividing Tunisia, Ennahda co-founder Abdelfattah had to take a step back and explain to the party leadership that his words were twisted. This time, the party leader is taking aim at salafists. Speaking at a conference yesterday, Mourou said that salafists "do not take account the changes that have taken place in Muslim society" and "follow the 10th and 12th century versions of Islam".
The division within Ennahda is becoming all the more salient, with Mourou, Jebali and Samir Dilou on the one specter and Ghannouchi and Laarayedh on the other.
Meanwhile, President Moncef Marzouki told El Khabar today that he would continue talks with "the traditionalist and reformist" currents of the salafist movement. But the president vowed to fight "the armed current... within the bounds of the law".
Some elements of Tunisian society would love to see tougher action against salafist fringes but this government is being careful not to revert to the old practices of authoritarianism and Islamist crackdown. It has to walk a fine line between respect for religious expression and rule of law, among numerous other challenges. The new government formation process looks stalled again, with Defence Minister Abdelkarim Zbidi rejecting a request to retain his post. He was the only "regal" minister not from Ennahda, and his departure may fuel the perception of Ennahda trying to usurp power.
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