Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Moderate Islamist Party Declares Victory in Tunisia Elections

LOS ANGELES TIMES: REPORTING FROM TUNIS, TUNISIA -- Tunisia’s moderate Islamist party appeared to win elections for an assembly to draft a constitution Monday, a sign of religion’s growing influence over politics in the country that inspired uprisings across the Arab world.

The apparent victory by Nahda is certain to resonate throughout the region, especially in Egypt where the Muslim Brotherhood is expected to post a strong showing in parliamentary elections next month. Nahda’s ascent from banned organization to popular force indicates that an emerging political Islam may replace decades of rule by secular autocrats.

That prospect indicates that much of the Middle East and North Africa regard Islam and politics as indivisible, a dynamic that has upset liberals in battles over civil rights and what styles of governments will rise from the so-called Arab Spring. Nahda has consistently promised that it is committed to pluralism and tolerance but its opponents claim it masks a more conservative agenda. » | Monday, October 24, 2011

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Triumph der Islamisten alarmiert Diplomaten: Islamisten haben die ersten freien Wahlen Tunesiens gewonnen, in Libyen will der Übergangsrat die Scharia einführen. Westliche Diplomaten warnen vor einer Radikalisierung Nordafrikas, Liberale fürchten Kopftuchzwang und Alkoholverbot. Den Arabischen Frühling hatten sich viele anders vorgestellt. ¶ Tunis/Bengasi - Die Signalwirkung ist enorm: Die Wahlen in Tunesien sind die erste freie Abstimmung nach dem Arabischen Frühling - jener Protestwelle, die vor knapp einem Jahr eben dort ihren Anfang nahm. Nun zeichnet sich ein deutlicher Wahlerfolg der Islamisten ab. » | fab/heb/dpa/Reuters | Montag 24. Oktober 2011