It is just the sort of neighbourhood that Tunisia’s revolution was meant to help. Douar Hicher’s concrete flats are filled with young men and women who drove the uprising that kicked off the Arab Spring of 2011, hoping to usher in a new era of opportunity.
But something has gone wrong. These few square miles of dusty sprawl in the capital, Tunis, have not welcomed the western-style freedom that many thought the Tunisian revolution was supposed to usher in. Instead, it has become notorious for another sort of revolution: at least 50 of its young men are now fighting with the jihadists in Syria and Iraq.
“Jihad is an Islamic obligation,” says 30-year old Abdelmoneim as [he] wanders through the backstreets. “If it was organised for me, I'd go."
Several of Abdelmoneim’s friends travelled to fight in Syria last year. “Seeing their photos on Facebook, I cannot blame them,” he says. “Life is good there.” » | Louisa Loveluck, Tunis | Tuesday, November 04, 2014
