Less than 1% of Tunisian citizens abide by other forms of faith; however, those who do practice receive tremendous amounts of both religious freedom, and expression (the country's constitution guarantees those rights to all citizens). Banned until the popular uprisings of 2010-11 and the overthrow of Ben Ali's dictatorship, Ennahda has until now been impossible to investigate. Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem. [8] Scattered among the various churches, though mostly evangelical, are also a number of Christian believers from Muslim backgrounds. There is a small indigenous Sufi Muslim community; however, there are no statistics regarding its size. The opposition al-Amal party considered raising this issue in Egypt an attempt to allow foreign intervention in Tunisia’s internal affairs and a threat to the country’s national security. [12][citation needed], From the late 19th century to after World War II, Tunisia was home to large populations of Christian French, Italian and Maltese descent (255,000 Europeans in 1956). [20] US State Department in 2001 estimated the size of the Bahá'í community to be about 150 persons,[21] but the corresponding report from 2018 stated there was no reliable information on the size of the community. Political Islam in Tunisia uncovers the secret history of Tunisia's main Islamist movement, Ennahda, from its origins in the 1960s to the present. ", "Young Arabs are Changing their Beliefs and Perceptions: New Survey", https://www.arabbarometer.org/survey-data/data-analysis-tool/, "The country where people are forced to observe Ramadan", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religion_in_Tunisia&oldid=1017872268, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2014, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from July 2010, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2020, Articles with obsolete information from February 2015, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 April 2021, at 02:03. 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Banned until the popular uprisings of 2010-11 and the overthrow of Ben Ali’s dictatorship, Ennahda has until now been impossible to investigate. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. The International Religious Freedom Report of 2007 reported that the Christian community numbered 50,000 people, 20,000 of whom were Catholics, and was composed of indigenous Berber residents, Tunisians of Italian and French descent, and a large group of native-born citizens of Arab descent, dispersed throughout the country. [8] Occasionally, Catholic and Protestant groups held services in private residences or other locations. [25], The Constitution of Tunisia provides for freedom of religion, belief and the freedom to practice the rites of one's religion unless they disturb the public order; however, the government imposes some restrictions on this right. [citation needed], The country also includes Christian, Jewish, and Baháʼí communities. It further affirmed its keenness to “bring down” representatives of political Islam in the country and introduce political change while respecting the constitution and resorting to polls. Reliable sources[who?] A former Muslim turned Christian, Slimane Bouhafs, was jailed in Algeria in 2016 for saying that “the light of Jesus would outshine that of Islam.” He’s still being tormented now that he has been released and has moved to Tunisia. Hello Select your address Books Hello, Sign in. The Religious Compostition of Tunisia Islam in Tunisia Following is a Khutba I created and delivered in my Muslim Students Association (MSA) last December. Il existe aussi des musulmans ibadites parmi les berbérophones de l'île de Djerba. The leader and founder of the moderate Islamic party Ennahda, Rachid Ghannouchi, addresses the media during a press conference held in Tunis, October 28, 2011. A majority of the people in Tunisia (currently 99.1% of the majority) practice Islam. The state in Tunisia has a role as a "guardian of religion" which was used to justify the arrests.[27]. It also authorizes the Jewish community to run private religious schools and allows Jewish children on the island of Djerba to share their study day between secular public schools and private religious schools. Criteria for Lifting Sanctions on Syria, Lebanese Students Abroad Fear their Future Will be Lost over Dollar Crisis, Damascus Disappointed with EU’s Reply to Mekdad’s Letter. Some people may be interrogated just for associating or being seen in the street with practicing Muslims. [8] The Reformed Church of France maintains a church in Tunis, with a congregation of 140 primarily foreign members. (dpa), A student gets her head shaved in a protest against Japan's decision to release radioactive water from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, Seoul, South Korea, 20 April 2021. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. Tunisia commemorates secular and Muslim religious holidays. The President appoints the Grand Mufti of the Republic. [8] The Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, and Mawlid are considered national holidays in Tunisia. Islamic Relief in Tunisia Islamic Relief provides a range of seasonal and development assistance to address food poverty and empower families on low incomes or without work. Of the religions in Tunisia, Islam is the most prevalent. Of the religions in Tunisia, Islam is the most prevalent. Political Islam in Tunisia uncovers the secret history of Tunisia's main Islamist movement, al-Nahda, from its origins as a sociocultural movement in the 1960s to the present. Banned until the popular uprisings of 2010-11 and the overthrow of Ben Ali's dictatorship, Ennahda has until now been impossible to investigate. Political Islam in Tunisia uncovers the secret history of Tunisia’s main Islamist movement, Ennahda, from its origins in the 1960s to the present. Islam and women in Tunisia, past and present – (second part: Bourguiba and Ben Ali) – SLUM Tunisia is viewed as being ahead of most Arab countries on women’s rights. Islam in Tunisia. Islam is the official state religion in Tunisia.We estimate that the majority of Tunisians consider themselves as Muslim, even though there were never a census on the matter. Although the Sufi community is small, its tradition of mysticism permeates the practice of Islam throughout the country. Tunisia’s Example . [8] In the Annuario Pontificio of 2018, the number of Catholics is estimated to have risen to 30,700. There is a small indigenous "Maraboutic" Muslim community that belongs to spiritual brotherhoods known as "turuq". [18][19] In 1963 a survey of the community counted 1 assembly and 18 organized groups (between 1 and 9 adults) of Bahá'ís in Tunisia. Thus the success of Ennahda and Tunisia’s experiment has taken on an outsized importance, particularly in light of the failures of their peers in the post-Arab … [1] [2] [3] The constitution of Tunisia states that the country's “religion is Islam”, the government is the “guardian of religion”, and requires that the president be … Banned until the popular uprisings of 2010- 11 and the overthrow of Ben Ali's dictatorship, al-Nahda has until now been impossible to investigate. [16], The Bahá'í Faith in Tunisia begins circa 1910[17] when the first Bahá'í arrives, possibly from Egypt. [5], Tunisia has a reputation for tolerance and openness to other cultures that have made the country's identity.[6][7].