24/08/2022 Mehari Djerba

Ben Ali’s Tunisia

On this day, 18 December 2010, following the self-immolation of street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi, protesters took to the streets in Tunisia. The protests ballooned into a far-reaching social movement which eventually achieved the overthrow of the dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. It also sparked a wave of uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa, which became known as the Arab Spring. https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/2164195910432214/?type=3

Results of Arab Spring.

The Arab Spring was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in response to corruption and economic stagnation and was first started in Tunisia. From Tunisia, the protests then spread to five other countries: Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain, where either the ruler was deposed (Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Muammar Gaddafi, Hosni Mubarak, and Ali Abdullah Saleh) or major uprisings and social violence occurred including riots, civil wars, or insurgencies. Sustained street demonstrations took place in Morocco, Iraq, Algeria, Iranian Khuzestan, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, and Sudan. Minor protests took place in Djibouti, Mauritania, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and the Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.

Tour guide: Don't worry, we can discuss politics freely here

Tour guide less than two minutes later: Fascist big daddy Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was the world's nicest guy and The Islamists ruined his life for no reason. The current strongman is based as well, as was Emperor Hadrian, whose only personality flaw was being gay. Also, women's rights are human rights.

"Based on a wealth of new primary data, this book offers the first account of the internal regime factors that ultimately caused the fall of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's long dictatorship in Tunisia during the Arab Uprisings. Anne Wolf's account challenges studies that focus on the role of mass mobilization alone, and demonstrates that in the last decade of Ben Ali's presidency, dissent within his ruling party - the Constitutional Democratic Rally - mounted to such an extent that followers began challenging their own powerbroker. The culmination of this was a secret coup d'état staged by regime figures against Ben Ali in January 2011, an event that has not previously been uncovered."

On this date in history:

In 323 B.C., Alexander the Great died of fever in Babylon at age 33.

In 1910, former President Theodore Roosevelt cured a severe case of seasickness which overcame his daughter Ethel's dog, Bongo.

In 1944, the first German V-1 "buzz bomb" hit London.

In 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Miranda vs. Arizona, ruled that police must inform all arrested people of their constitutional rights before questioning them.

In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court. He became the first African American on the high court in August.

In 1971, The New York Times began publishing top secret, sensitive details and documents from 47 volumes that comprised the history of the U.S. decision making process on Vietnam policy, better known as the Pentagon Papers. Daniel Ellsberg, a former U.S. military analyst, leaked the documents to Times reporter Neil Sheehan.

In 1976, Arizona Republic investigative reporter Don Bolles died as a result of injuries suffered when a bomb blew up his car 11 days earlier. He had been working on an organized crime story at the time of his death.

In 1977, James Earl Ray, convicted assassin of Martin Luther King Jr., was captured in a Tennessee wilderness area after escaping from prison.

In 1983, the robot spacecraft Pioneer 10 became the first man-made object to leave the solar system. It did so 11 years after it was launched.

In 1993, Canada got its first female prime minister when the ruling Progressive Conservative Party elected Kim Campbell to head the party and thus the country.

In 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of former football star O.J. Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman were found stabbed to death outside her condominium in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles. Simpson was charged with the murders and acquitted in a trial that became a media sensation. A civil court later found him liable in a wrongful-death lawsuit and, in an unrelated robbery case in Nevada, he was convicted in 2008 and sentenced to 33 years in prison.

In 1996, members of the Freeman militia surrendered, 10 days after the FBI cut off electricity to their Montana compound. The standoff lasted 81 days.

In 2000, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il meet for the first-ever inter-Korea summit in Pyongyang.

In 2005, pop superstar Michael Jackson was acquitted by a California jury on charges of child molestation.

In 2009, incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner in a disputed Iranian presidential election, touching off widespread clashes between protesters and police.

In 2011, the complete Pentagon Papers, a secret history of the Vietnam War, were made public 40 years after the first leaks were published. The excerpts leaked by Daniel Ellsberg led to a battle with the Nixon administration and a landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court expanding freedom of the press.

In 2012, ousted Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, in exile and tried in absentia, was sentenced to life imprisonment for ordering the shooting of protesters.

In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that human genes cannot be patented.

In 2020, Atlanta police chief Erika Shields resigned after the death of Rayshard Brooks, a Black man, at the hands of a police officer. The officer who shot Brooks, Garrett Rolfe, was fired, but reinstated in May 2021.

Al Jazeera is Qatari State Media

Ghannouchi has been one of the most influential people in Tunisia since his return to the country after the fall of former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.

His Ennahdha party, a “Muslim Democrat” party formerly tied to the Muslim Brotherhood, and previously banned under Ben Ali, has dominated the country’s politics in the past decade, but has also attracted a lot of criticism.

6 Jun 22

La imaginación es más importante que el conocimiento.

••••••

Albert Einstein

Foto: Red

Primavera árabe - Revolución de jazmín - Túnez

La revuelta se inició el 17 de diciembre de 2010, tras la protesta extrema del tunecino Mohamed Bouazizi, que se prendió fuego tras los malos tratos de la policía, cuyo gesto desencadenó todo el movimiento de revuelta.

La Revolución tunecina (en árabe: الثورة التونسية; en francés: Révolution tunisienne) a veces llamada Revolución del Jazmín (ثورة الياسمين; Révolution de jasmin), Intifada de idi Bouzid (Sidi Bouzid intifada; سيدي بوزيد الانتفاضة) o, más comúnmente entre la población tunecina, Revolución de la Dignidad (Révolution de la dignité; ثورة الكرامة) es como se conoce a una intensa campaña de resistencia civil ocurrida en Túnez a partir de diciembre de 2010 y que se extendió a lo largo del año 2011, bajo la forma de manifestaciones masivas y huelgas generales. Las protestas, en gran medida pacíficas y de carácter laico, sentaron un precedente decisivo para el mundo árabe cuando, el 14 de enero de 2011, precipitaron el derrocamiento del gobierno autoritario de Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Su caída condujo a un gobierno provisional dirigido por Fouad Mebazaa como presidente y Béji Caïd Essebsi como primer ministro, el cual disolvió los mecanismos de poder del régimen (el poder legislativo y el partido hegemónico RCD) y convocó a elecciones libres para una Asamblea Constituyente en octubre de 2011. La misma redactó una nueva constitución democrática que entró en vigor el 26 de enero de 2014, convirtiendo a Túnez en la primera democracia secular del mundo árabe.

A visitor to Tunis is immediately taken in by the city's graffiti-covered walls, adorned with colourful sketches and slogans in French, English and Arabic.

The country's graffiti scene has evolved and flourished since the political uprising in 2011, which led to the fall of Tunisia's long-standing dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and brought in a new political and cultural era.

The political slogans on the walls became more outspoken, and artists took on new daring projects.

While there has always been graffiti in Tunisia, many of the bolder and bigger paintings emerged after 2011.

Despite graffiti being illegal under Tunisian law, it seems authorities have allowed various artworks to remain up across the country, with some becoming fixtures of Tunisia's urban landscape.

On Djerba island, authorities allowed a youth project to turn a part of the old neighbourhood of Houmt Souk into a walk-through gallery of graffiti by local artists.

The project, now called Djerba Hood, has become a popular tourist attraction.

Graffiti’s reputation as a simple act of vandalism started changing and people’s views shifted in support of the messages it carries and the colour and life it can bring to otherwise dull architecture.

Sociologist and street art specialist Eya Ben Mansour says Tunisians have always used the walls of the public space as a canvas for their thoughts.

“We find the first roots in the nineties with writings on prisons’ walls,” Ms Ben Mansour told The National.

Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi sentenced to three years

A Tunisian court has sentenced opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi to three years in prison over accusations that his Ennahda Party received foreign contributions, official news agency Tunis Afrique Press (TAP) reported, amid an escalating crackdown on dissent in the North African country.

The trial court, which specialises in financial corruption, also fined Ennahda $1.1m and $470,000 for receiving foreign funds, TAP said on Thursday.

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Ghannouchi’s son-in-law Rafik Abdessalem, a former foreign minister, was sentenced to three years in jail as well.

A former speaker of the Tunisian parliament, Ghannouchi, 82, was arrested last year and sentenced to one year in jail on separate charges of incitement.

Rights groups previously denounced Ghannouchi’s detention, accusing the government of President Kais Saied of repressing political opposition.

Last year’s sentence was handed to Ghannouchi in absentia because he refused to appear before the court, arguing that the charges against him were political.

“Tunisian authorities are increasingly using repressive, vaguely-worded laws as a pretext for repression and to arrest, investigate and in some cases prosecute dissidents and opposition figures,” Amnesty International said in 2023.

“The sentencing of Rashed Ghannouchi shows a growing crackdown on human rights and opposition and a deeply worrying pattern.”

Over the past years, Tunisian authorities have arrested several prominent opposition figures as Saied pushed to consolidate power.

Elected in 2019, Saied – a former law professor – froze the Tunisian parliament in 2021 and subsequently dissolved the legislature to rule by decree. Tunisia held legislative elections in late 2022 that were mired by low turnout amid an opposition boycott.

Earlier that year, Saied successfully pushed a constitutional referendum that expanded the powers of the presidency.

Critics have decried Saied’s power grab as a “coup” that risked bringing the country back to the authoritarianism of the pre-2011 uprising that toppled longtime Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

“Since his power grab, Saied largely undermined the independence of the judiciary in an effort to subjugate judges and prosecutors to the executive branch,” Human Rights Watch says in a fact sheet about Tunisia.

“The authorities have escalated their crackdown on political opponents and perceived critics for their peaceful activism or public criticism of the president, the security forces, or other officials. They have stepped up arbitrary arrests, travel bans, and prosecutions, sometimes in military courts.”

But Saied has said that his policies aim to fight corruption and incompetence in the government.

Ennahda had emerged as one of Tunisia’s largest parties after the 2011 uprising, and Ghannouchi led a power-sharing agreement with late President Beji Caid Essebsi to transition the country to democracy.

Last year, the Tunisian government closed down Ennahda’s headquarters in Tunis.

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Events 1.14

1236 – King Henry III of England marries Eleanor of Provence. 1301 – Andrew III of Hungary dies, ending the Árpád dynasty in Hungary. 1639 – The "Fundamental Orders", the first written constitution that created a government, is adopted in Connecticut. 1761 – The Third Battle of Panipat is fought in India between the Afghans under Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Marathas. 1784 – American Revolutionary War: Ratification Day, United States - Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain. 1814 – Treaty of Kiel: Frederick VI of Denmark cedes the Kingdom of Norway to Charles XIII of Sweden in return for Pomerania. 1858 – Napoleon III of France escapes an assassination attempt made by Felice Orsini and his accomplices in Paris. 1899 – RMS Oceanic (1899) is launched. She is the largest ship afloat since Brunel's SS Great Eastern. 1900 – Giacomo Puccini's Tosca opens in Rome. 1907 – An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica kills more than 1,000 people. 1911 – Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition makes landfall on the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf. 1939 – Norway claims Queen Maud Land in Antarctica. 1943 – World War II: Japan begins Operation Ke, the successful operation to evacuate its forces from Guadalcanal during the Guadalcanal Campaign. 1943 – World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill begin the Casablanca Conference to discuss strategy and study the next phase of the war. 1951 – National Airlines Flight 83 crashes during landing at Philadelphia International Airport, killing seven passengers and crew. 1952 – NBC's long-running morning news program Today debuts, with host Dave Garroway. 1953 – Josip Broz Tito is elected the first President of Yugoslavia. 1954 – The Hudson Motor Car Company merges with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation forming the American Motors Corporation. 1957 – Kripalu Maharaj is named fifth Jagadguru (world teacher) after giving seven days of speeches before 500 Hindu scholars. 1960 – The Reserve Bank of Australia, the country's central bank and banknote issuing authority authorized by the 1959 Reserve Bank Act, is established. 1967 – Counterculture of the 1960s: The Human Be-In takes place in San Francisco, California's Golden Gate Park, launching the Summer of Love. 1969 – USS Enterprise fire: An accidental explosion aboard the USS Enterprise near Hawaii kills 28 people. 1972 – Queen Margrethe II of Denmark ascends the throne, the first Queen of Denmark since 1412 and the first Danish monarch not named Frederik or Christian since 1513. 1973 – Elvis Presley's concert Aloha from Hawaii is broadcast live via satellite, and sets the record as the most watched broadcast by an individual entertainer in television history. 1993 – In Poland's worst peacetime maritime disaster, ferry MS Jan Heweliusz sinks off the coast of Rügen, drowning 55 passengers and crew; nine crew-members are saved. 2004 – The national flag of the Republic of Georgia, the so-called "five cross flag", is restored to official use after a hiatus of some 500 years. 2010 – Yemen declares an open war against the terrorist group al-Qaeda. 2011 – President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia seeks refuge in Saudi Arabia after a series of demonstrations against his regime, considered to be the birth of the Arab Spring. 2019 – A Saha Airlines Boeing 707 crashes at Fath Air Base near Karaj in Alborz Province, Iran, killing 15 people.

IMAGENES Y DATOS INTERESANTES DEL DIA 14 DE ENERO DE 2024

Día Mundial de la Lógica, Día Internacional de la Cometa, Día Mundial de Vestir a tu Mascota, Año Nuevo Ortodoxo, Año Internacional de los Camélidos.

San Engelmaro.

Tal día como hoy en el año 2011

El presidente de Túnez, Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, abandona el país con destino a Arabia Saudí ante la imposibilidad de frenar las protestas que exigen su dimisión tras cinco mandatos de autocracia. El desempleo entre la juventud más preparada académicamente, el deseo de instaurar un régimen democrático que garantice las libertades, los salarios de miseria que cobran trabajadores y campesinos, la corrupción desmesurada y el saqueo de bienes públicos perpetrado por la familia presidencial durante lustros iniciaron, el pasado 17 de diciembre, esta revuelta popular, que se ha cobrado decenas de vidas y que hoy desemboca en el exilio del que ha sido presidente del país durante 23 años, al que acusan de la corrupción y el desempleo. (Hace 13 años)

1943

En Marruecos, desde hoy y hasta el 24 de enero tiene lugar la Conferencia de Casablanca en la que Roosevelt y Churchill decidirán el desembarco en Sicilia. También estudiarán un plan común de bombardeos sistemáticos al III Reich. Roosevelt exigirá la capitulación sin condiciones de Alemania. (Hace 81 años)

1942

En Washington (EE.UU.) y tras conocerse el sorpresivo ataque japonés a Pearl Harbor (islas Hawái) del pasado 7 de diciembre, concluye la Conferencia de Arcadia en la que el presidente norteamericano Roosevelt y el primer ministro británico Churchill han hablado de la "Operación Gymnast" en la que participarían 55.000 soldados británicos para realizar un desembarco conjunto en África. No obstante, se decide que primero se intentará derrotar a Alemania, concentrando el esfuerzo bélico aliado en Europa, y una vez conseguido se irá a por Japón. (Hace 82 años)

1900

En el Teatro Costanzi de Roma, (Italia), se estrena con éxito "Tosca", una ópera en tres actos, drama psicológico de mentira y dudas compuesta por Giacomo Puccini, uno de los más grandes exponentes de ópera verista, por la violencia y realismo del texto. El libreto es de Luigi Illica y Giuseppe Giacosa basado en un intenso drama de teatro, "La Tosca" de Victorien Sardou, presentado en París en 1887. (Hace 124 años)

1876

Alexander Graham Bell registra en Estados Unidos la patente del teléfono. El próximo 10 de marzo lo pondrá en práctica. (Hace 148 años)

1851

En España, se nombra presidente del Consejo de Ministros a Bravo Murillo que se mantendrá en el cargo hasta finales del año siguiente. Como tecnócrata sus realizaciones serán importantes. (Hace 173 años)

1809

Inglaterra y España firman un Tratado de Alianza para luchar contra los franceses, cuyos ejércitos han invadido España. Inglaterra tiene necesidad imperiosa de vencer a Napoleón, por eso, nada más producirse el Levantamiento español contra el invasor en 1808, consideró a España y a los españoles alzados como potencia amiga intentado favorecerles en todo cuanto fuera posible para que lograsen la victoria. (Hace 215 años)

1643

Felipe IV, rey de España, convoca y destituye a su ministro el conde-duque de Olivares, por sus fracasos en la política llevada a cabo durante la Guerra separatista dels Segadors de Cataluña, el conflicto de Portugal y la conspiración de los nobles andaluces orquestada por el duque de Medina-Sidonia. El día 24 será efectivamente cesado y exiliado a Loeches, para ser definitivamente desterrado a Toro, donde morirá dos años más tarde. (Hace 381 años)

1514

El rey Fernando el Católico autoriza, mediante Real Cédula, el matrimonio de españoles con indias. Con ello trata de dar un carácter igualitario a sus conquistas. A pesar de ello habrá escasos matrimonios mixtos. (Hace 510 años)

Country of the Month: Tunisia

Welcome to the country of November 2023: Tunisia! This month, we'll be exploring different Tunisian recipes and dishes all while working on our skill of cooking. To kick it off, I thought it would be a great idea to share some fun facts about this wonderful country:

Diverse Geography: Tunisia boasts a diverse landscape, from the golden beaches of the Mediterranean coast to the vast Sahara Desert in the south.

Ancient Carthage: The ancient city of Carthage, located in present-day Tunisia, was a powerful and influential civilization that rivaled Rome in antiquity. It was famously destroyed in the Punic Wars.

UNESCO Sites: Tunisia is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the historic medina of Tunis, the archaeological site of Dougga, and the Medina of Sousse.

Star Wars Filming Location: The deserts of Tunisia, particularly Matmata and Tataouine, were used as filming locations for the original Star Wars trilogy, where iconic scenes on the planet Tatooine were shot.

Olive Oil Production: Tunisia is one of the world's largest producers of olive oil, and olive cultivation has been a part of its culture for thousands of years.

Arab Spring: The Tunisian Revolution in 2010-2011, also known as the Arab Spring, began in Tunisia and led to the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, sparking similar movements across the Arab world.

Diverse Culture: Tunisia is a melting pot of cultures, with influences from Arab, Berber, Phoenician, Roman, and French civilizations, creating a rich and unique cultural tapestry.

Medina of Tunis: The historic medina of Tunis is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the Arab world, with narrow winding streets, bustling souks, and stunning architecture.

Roman Ruins: Tunisia is home to some remarkable Roman archaeological sites, including the ancient city of Dougga, often referred to as the "best-preserved Roman small town in North Africa."

Djerba Island: Djerba, an island off the coast of Tunisia, is known for its beautiful beaches, ancient synagogues, and as the legendary home of the lotus-eaters in Greek mythology.

As we embark on this culinary journey through the flavors of Tunisia for the month of November 2023, we've opened a tantalizing gateway to a world of spices, history, and vibrant traditions. With each dish we prepare, we'll be weaving a tapestry of flavors that tell the story of this North African gem. From the bustling markets of Tunis to the sun-soaked shores of Djerba, our kitchens will become a portal to Tunisia's rich cultural heritage. As we savor each bite and delve into the tales of this fascinating country, let us remember that through food, we can travel the world, connect with diverse cultures, and share in the joys of discovery. So, gather your ingredients, don your apron, and join me in celebrating the vibrant tastes of Tunisia this November. Bon appétit!