I think Middle East Online get a press release from the Tunisian president's office. But it sounds good to me. It shows you can have a country that's Muslim by culture without tripping over nutbags...
If there was a Queen Dido in Tunisia's past, there seem to be many in the country's present. Queen Dido, also known as Elissar or Elissa, is a Phoenician princess from Tyre who founded ancient Carthage (modern-day Tunisia) in 814 BC.
| We knew that. Aeneas was enamored of her on his way to found Rome... |
The same unbridled spirit of ambition and achievement seems to drive many of Tunisia's women today. Some of them, like Elissa Karoui, share with the Phoenician princess both her name and the pursuit of achievement. The 17 year-old was honored by Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali for her academic excellence, as she achieved a near 100% score in the national secondary school graduation exam known as the "baccalaureat".
| Smart girl. Good for her. |
Miss Karoui's performance is illustrative of an overall trend, namely outstanding academic results achieved by Tunisian young women. The issue seems intriguing to many of the country's newspaper columnists. For experts about Tunisian society, the explanation is almost simple though. "Young Tunisian women are aware more than ever that there is no glass ceiling", says a Tunisian sociologist. "They know of yesterday's handicaps and are determined to take their rights seriously. And with today's virtually gender-blind social system, they feel education is the ultimate instrument of social promotion."
| That's very... ummm... un-Arab of them. Almost Phoenician, y'might say... |
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