Gender-segregated Dining Comes to Tunisia

AL MONITOR: First, it was the schools that were reserved for Salafists and fundamentalists. Then, Islamic banks appeared for those who want their money to be handled in accordance with Islamic law. Now, Salafists and "true Muslims" have their own restaurants with a space dedicated to women wearing the niqab [full veil], where they can eat separately while enjoying the privacy provided by wooden screens.

In an interview with Zitouna TV, which “unveiled” the situation, the restaurant owner confessed that “the idea came up as quick as a wink.” Let us not be too hard on the owner, however. After all, he is only riding a wave that brought victory to one party in the elections! Still, public opinion and customer feedback about this restaurant are most interesting. Faced with this reality, you can either cry or laugh. There is no third reaction.

One of the restaurant's customers said that he found “psychological serenity” in it, because it does not allow the sexes to mix. One might conclude that this poor man is disturbed since, as soon as he spots a woman less than 10 meters [32.8 feet] from him, his “psychological serenity” is compromised.

Other customers asserted that the restaurant is a “blessing from Allah.” They explained that they had tried several times to dine with their wives in public, but they found no place where they could eat in peace. » | Marouen Achouri | Translated by Pascale Menassa | Friday, November 28, 2013

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