Al Ghannoushi Appreciates Tunisian Judges Courage, Lashes out at Gov’t Defiance

Al Ghannoushi Appreciates Tunisian Judges Courage, Lashes out at Gov’t Defiance

Tunisian sources revealed on Tuesday, October, 9th, that Tunisian justice dismissed a government decision that bans wearing the veil inside a school.
 
Tunisian Minister of Education has issued earlier a decision of suspending a secondary school teacher from work and denying her a salary because she insisted on wearing the Islamic headscarf “veil” inside school. When the teacher sued the ministry”s decision against her, the Administrative Court issued a ruling supporting the teacher”s right to wear her veil inside school .
 
It is worth mentioning this is the first ruling issued by Tunisian justice to oppose a government memo.
 
 Rashid Al-Ghanoshi, the chairman of Al-Nahda (Renaissance) in Tunisia, said:” This is the first court ruling to dismiss a government decision, decision number 108 that bans the so called “sectarian dressing”, a government decision that prevents Muslim women from wearing an Islamic dress.
 
He added that victims of this unjust decision are up thousands of Tunisian women of all ages. Even in the street, ay women wearing an Islamic dress faces insults and is mostly forced to removal it after promising not to wear it again.
 
The Administrative Court dismissed the Minister of Education”s decision of suspending teacher Saeeda Adala for wearing the veil inside school. The court dismissed the decision as it violates Tunisian constitution and public freedoms it stipulates. “Unfortunately, this ruling won”t have an effect on the ground. This is because the government doesn”t retreat from a policy which it sees as crucial” sad Al Ghannoushi.
 
“The Administrative Court has previously issued many rulings but the government hasn”t implemented them, giving the judicial system a deaf ear” he added.
 
“Attacking the veil is a part of a general issue, attacking private and public freedoms in Tunisia. The regime isn”t expected to retreat from such a policy although we definitely hope it retreats.”
 
“What is happening is part of a policy adopted by the Tunisian regime, called “Drying springs or resources”. This means seeing any Islamic behaviour- even if it is only wearing a veil- as a means for eventually encouraging the Islamic movement” said the chairman of Al Nahda Islamic movement in Tunis.
 
Al Ghannoushi added that the policy of fighting the veil is only a part of a state of general chaos in Tunisia as much as attacking private and public freedoms are concerned. “A US court has recently issued a ruling banning sending Tunisian detainees inside Guantanamo prison from being sent to Tunisian prisons lest they face any “harm that can”t be treated” according to federal judge Gladis Kisler who meant that they may face tough torture or even death under Tunisian ruling regime!”.
 
“There is no mediation between the Renaissance Movement and Tunisian government. The Islamic movement is still calling on the government for dialogue and reconciliation. However, the government is still adopting security solutions in handling issues related to the Renaissance Movement and others”. Said Al Ghannoushi.
 
For example, he said an official party in Tunisia faced harassments by the government until its leaders staged a hunger strike for a period of time in protest at the government”s treatment. He added that this is the same treatment of most Arab governments against Islamic and opposition movements.
 
Rashid Al-Ghanoshi saw that the clash between governments and the Muslim Brotherhood will never come to an end except when the rulers get convinced that they can”t eradicate the group because it is a general popular condition, or that a fait accompli is imposed on governments when people take to streets to exercise a civil disobedience so that regimes respect their peoples.
 
Al Ghannoushi hoped that the Tunisian government will implement all the Administrative Court rulings, specially the ruling supporting the veil in particular. “The government should submit to such rulings to prove that it is a state of the law” he said.
 
“We appreciate this ruling from the Administrative Court, and we appreciate also the courage of the Tunisian judges. Unfortunately, we do not think that such a ruling will not represent a political shift towards respecting public and private freedoms in the country.”