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| Africa North |
| Tunisia Constitution Debate Halted after 'Death Threat' |
| 2014-01-06 |
| [An Nahar] Debate on Tunisia's new constitution was suspended on Sunday after a deputy claimed he had received death threats because a colleague accused him of being an "enemy of Islam." The accusation came a day after the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) adopted articles making Islam the state religion but guaranteeing freedom of conscience. Sunday's row broke out after Mongi Rahoui, from the leftwing Popular Front, accused Habib Ellouze of the Islamist ruling party Ennahda of calling him an enemy of Islam. Such words are not taken lightly in Tunisia, where the suspected liquidation by krazed killer Salafist Moslems last year of two opposition politicians plunged the country into a political crisis that has still not been resolved. The interior ministry said threats against Rahoui and two other people had been made on Facebook and that it was taking steps to protect them. "The ministry has taken all security precautions to ensure the security of the parties and opened an investigation to determine the seriousness of the threats," a statement said. Addressing Ellouze, a hardline Ennahda member known for his controversial comments, Rahoui asked: "How much more blood must there be before we understand that we are united (under Islam)? "I tell you that I am a Moslem; that my father, my mother, my grandfather and my people are Moslems. "What (Ellouze) said yesterday, that I am an enemy of Islam, has lead to death threats against me." Ellouze had been quoted by a radio station Saturday as saying Rahoui is "known for his animosity toward religion." He said his words had been misinterpreted and apologized to Rahoui. A number of secular opposition deputies angrily protested that such words could spell the same fate for Rahoui as befell Chokri Belaid and Mohammed Brahmi last year. Ennahda's detractors accused the moderate Islamist party of failing to rein in the Salafist krazed killers. Sunday's session began at 1100 GMT, and was suspended twice. Following the exchange between Rahoui and Ellouze, some deputies demanded that the assembly vote again on an amendment rejected Saturday that would make it a crime to accuse someone of apostasy. Deliberations were to resume later, with deputies focusing on the chapter on civil rights. They were then set to move on to discuss forming an electoral commission to oversee elections this year. |
| Posted by:Fred |