This House believes that political violence in Tunisia is getting out of control

At the New Arab Debates in Tunis on 29th May 2012, a large audience listened to accusations that political violence by radical Islamists – known as Salafists – is not being countered effectively by Tunisia’s interim government.

The debate took place three days after violent clashes in the north-western town of Jendouba, where armed Salafis had set fire to bars and shops selling alcohol. The ministry of the Interior said fifteen Salafis had been arrested. But one young Salafi who attended the debate brought a tough warning with him:  a violent response from the state would only provoke fresh attacks by his “brothers”.

Speaking for the motion, Houda Cherif, of the opposition party Al Joumhouri, called for tougher action and said people needed urgent protection on the streets. She said violence was a ‘daily issue’ for Tunisians and that the country was now walking’ back to the past’.

Opposing the motion, Ahmed Gaaloul, a political advisor to the Islamist Ennahda party, said the government wanted to deal with the violence through dialogue and ruled out any return to the oppressive police tactics of the former regime. He told the audience that Tunisia should not “go back to the dark days of security and terror” to preserve the revolution and their new freedoms.

The debate heard several accusations that the press had exaggerated the levels of violence, despite public expressions of concern by the Tunisian Human Rights groups.