Women, religion and free expression at core of burgeoning talks on Tunisia’s constitution
By Associated Press, Published: September 7AP
TUNIS, Tunisia — Tunisia dived into a fierce debate this week over a document that could be an example for the changing Arab world: a long-awaited constitution that will lay out what women are free to do, Islam’s role in society and art, and how to share political power after decades of dictatorship.
Differences over how to word the document are already threatening to tear apart the ruling alliance of secular and religious parties that hold Tunisia precariously together, a year and a half after it started the pro-democracy wave of uprisings across the Middle East known as the Arab Spring. Tunisia’s experience will be closely watched by the rest of the region
Amid recent unrest by disgruntled jobless protesters and violent youths pushing their ultraconservative form of Islam, the assembly that was elected last year to run Tunisia and create the constitution reconvened this week.
The charter will have to be approved by two-thirds of the assembly before elections next March or, failing that, a popular referendum. There are already disputes over the status of women, whether power resides with the president or prime minister and the role of blasphemy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/women-religion-and-free-expression-at-core-of-burgeoning-talks-on-tunisias-constitution/2012/09/07/844230dc-f8dc-11e1-a93b-7185e3f88849_story.html
