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| Africa North |
| Tunisian politician's assassination prompts outpouring of grief and anger |
| 2013-02-06 |
| [TELEGRAPH.CO.UK] A Tunisian opposition leader critical of both the Islamist-led government and of violence by radical Muslims was gunned down as he left his home on Wednesday - the first assassination in post-revolutionary Tunisia. But it won't be the last. This is the way Salafists express their opinions. Chokri Belaid, a leading member of a leftist alliance of parties known as the Popular Front, was shot as he left his house in the capital, Tunis. "It's just business, Mike." He was taken to a nearby medical clinic, where he died, the state news agency TAP reported. That happens when you've taken a magazine load through the head. The killing of Mr Belaid is likely to heighten tensions in the North African nation whose path from dictatorship to democracy has been seen as a model for the Arab world so far. No! Re-e-e-e-eally? Tunisia. Model for a transition from dictatorship to democracy in the Arab world. Is it just me or does anyone else get what that sentence really means? Mr Belaid was part of the secular opposition Popular Front movement that opposes the Islamist-led government that emerged in the wake of the Arab Spring revolution. He claimed Ennahda, the moderate Islamist party that dominates the government, turns a blind eye to violence perpetrated by extremists against other parties. That's because life is cheap in the lands ruled by Islam. His family said Belaid regularly received death threats - the most recent on Tuesday - but had refused to limit his high-profile activities. The precise motive behind his killing, however, is currently unclear. I'd say he was banged because he was a political opponent of Islamists, especially of Salafists. Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Tarrouch called the assassination a "terrorist act" and said the politician had been shot point-blank several times. Yeah, really. A terrorist act. No doubt an arrest is expected momentarily. Don't expect to hear anything more in the near future, if ever. Thousands of people quickly gathered in the heart of the capital to protest in front of the Interior Ministry, holding the government responsible for the slaying. He's been receiving death threats and there wasn't a cop in sight. I'd call the govt responsible. Tunisia's Islamist-led government is currently in negotiations with opposition parties to reshuffle the Cabinet and possibly expand the ruling coalition. Weeks of talks have yielded nothing, however, as the parties seem unable to reach an agreement over redistributing power. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 That's a thought-provoking link, g(r)omgoru. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2013-02-06 20:58 |
| #1 Islam is Fear |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2013-02-06 12:55 |