Qaradawi Union and Brotherhood of Tunisia: Task of creating parallel sectarian education
A number of politicians and academics in Tunisia signed a
request to ban the activities of the local branch of the International Union of
Muslim Scholars, one of the arms of the Brotherhood, after this entity's
incursion into the country and the announcement of its readiness to form and
qualify a group of students and citizens under the pretext of studying Sharia
sciences by those who hold the Brotherhood ideology.
The petition stated that the ideas and visions of the union
contradict the traditions of Tunisian civil law and contradict the principles
of the constitution. The union also attacked Tunisian presidency, hinting at
the departure of power in Tunisia from the Sharia law, which highlights the
tenacity of that institution.
The signatories inquired about the union's sources of
funding in Tunisia and the nature of its activities, especially since it offers
lessons for a symbolic fee. The union is led by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the
spiritual father of the Brotherhood, as a sectarian institution par excellence,
given the advocacy positions it took against the Shiite sect. They also warned
that the Tunis branch was a den to spread an extraneous sectarianism.
According to the petition, “It is proven that the leadership
of the Brotherhood has been involved in encouraging Tunisians to wage jihad in
Syria, bearing the responsibility to deceive them and throw them into hotbeds
of violence, in addition to the fact that this union is prohibited in many Arab
and non-Arab countries. Its activity in Tunisia is a great embarrassment for
Tunisians and Tunisian diplomacy.” It also demanded the Ministry of Higher
Education and MPs jealous of Tunisia’s interest to give this file the interest
it deserves.
Ennahda facilities
There is renewed discussion of the facilities provided by
the Ennahda movement to the aforementioned institution, in addition to the
supervision of a number of the movement’s Shura Council members over its
administration and the conduct of its agenda, which follows Turkey and Qatar,
in clear violation of the Tunisian law that prohibits the combination of
association and party activity.
With the help of the union, Ennahda seeks to employ and
harness the religious sciences to build a parallel education, in an attempt to
revive religious education and establish it as a legitimate stance towards the civil
state's interests.
The danger lies in the scientific and religious material
that it broadcasts and publishes, as most of them do not believe in religious
or sectarian pluralism, and they are silent about developing religious
discourse to resolve issues of equality and individual freedoms.
International Brotherhood’s regional agenda
Tunisian analyst Nizar Maqni told the Reference that the
Tunisian opposition accuses the Ennahda movement of receiving millions of
dollars in funding from Qatar and Turkey in order to ensure that the movement
resolves the election results in its favor and to buy votes.
Maqni added that Ennahda’s policies do not differ much from
the international organization’s regional agenda.
It is noteworthy that the petition bore the signature of
Sherif Ferjani, a university professor residing in France; Hisham Skeik, a
professor at the University of Tunis; Zeinab Ben Said, professor of philosophy
at the University of Tunis; political activist Junaidi Abdel-Gawad; historian
Adel Latifi; Dr. Rachida Qafsi Munir Charfi, a professor at the University of Tunis;
and writers Nayla El-Selini and Raja Ben Salama.
