Tunisia: Islamist gov’t to step down
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Coorespondent
TUNIS, TUNISIA (Worthy News)– Tunisia’s Islamist government is about to resign after the assassinations of two secular opposition leaders led to months of protests, according to BarnabasAid.
Secularists had accused Ennahda — the ruling Islamist party — of mismanaging Tunisia’s economy and failing to stop militant Islamists who have been blamed for the murders of opposition leaders Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi.
Under pressure from powerful unions, Ennahda agreed last month to relinquish power to a temporary, non-partisan administration prior to new elections after three weeks of transition and negotiations.
Tunisia, where the “Arab Spring” first began, appeared to have the most stable new democratic government, but its Islamist leadership led Tunisia down the same undemocratic path as did former Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi.
After the “Spring” had sprung, the established and better organized Islamist parties enjoyed electoral success, but political Islam fell into disfavor as voters realized that the Islamist parties had betrayed the democratic ideals they had fought for.
The rise of more moderate Arab regimes will offer better prospects for Christian in countries still troubled by Islamists looking to scapegoat their political failures on religious minorities.