By TCN News,
Aligarh: The flame of Arab Spring is still burning in Tunisia, said Shiekh Rashid al-Ghannushi, the Tunisian politician, President and co-founder of the Ennahda Party of Tunisia.
“Even though unfortunate events have followed the renaissance of Arab Spring but Tunisia is showing the world that democracy can sustain in the Arab World,” Shiekh Rashid said here at the Aligarh Muslim University’s (AMU) Polytechnic during his maiden visit.
Tunisian Leader Sheikh Rashid delivering speech in AMU
Talking about the important role of Islamic Tendency Movement in Tunisia, he said that the Movement has passed through tough times. “The struggle for ‘reconstruction of economic life on a more equitable basis, the end of single-party politics and the acceptance of political pluralism and democracy has been long but we have finally achieved it,” he said as per a release from the AMU.
“International community and civil society still wonders as how is the flame of Arab Spring’s renaissance still burning in Tunisia while the neighboring countries have unrest. My answer to them is that since our party has an ideology of democracy co-existing with Islam, the flame is still burning,” said the Tunisian leader.
Rashid added that Tunisian Democracy’s success is there because we recognize the rights of citizenship for all communities, equality of gender and an overall pluralistic society.
AMU Students Union conferrs upon life membership to Tunisian Leader Sheikh Rashid
“Like India, we have a constitution which gives freedom to practice religion, freedom of choices, freedom to work and prosper and freedom of education,” he said and further added: “Our polity is based on reconciliation and consensus building.”
He pointed out that in the first free election in the country’s history with a turnout of 51.1 percent of all eligible voters, the Ennahda Party party won 37.04 percent of the popular vote and 41 percent of 217 assembly seats. “Following examples of great Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, we decided to step down in January 2014 in order to make way for the final drafting of a constitution by a neutral interim government, followed by planned elections based on the new constitution,” he said.
Now, Tunisia’s ‘inclusive’ government is seen as a ‘success story’ for democracy after the perceived failure of the Arab Spring in Egypt, said the Tunisian leader.
AMU Students Union presenting memento to Tunisian Leader Sheikh Rashid
Talking about the recent terrorist attack on a museum in Tunisia, Rashid said the group behind the attack is in a very small minority. “However, even if terrorists are in small numbers, they are a danger to the civilized world and should be dealt with accordingly,” said the Arab leader.
Earlier, while starting his speech, Rashid had said, “My visit to AMU is a dream which has come true. Since my childhood, I have been hearing and reading about AMU and its founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.”
Lt General Zameer Uddin Shah, AMU Vice Chancellor, said Arab Spring spread like a wild fire from Tunisia to other countries raising great hopes all over the world and unfortunately these hopes were not met in countries other than Tunisia.
“The Arab countries have a geographic proximity, common religion and common language but still blood shedding takes place there because of radicalization, sect quarrels and political ambitions of leaders and this has led to unfulfilled aspirations of the young people who led the Arab Spring,” Shah said.
AMU Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah presenting memento to Tunisian Leader Sheikh Rashid
Earlier, introducing Rashid, Brigadier Ali, AMU Pro Vice Chancellor, had pointed out that Shiekh Rashid was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2012, the release from Dr Rahat Abrar, AMU PRO said.
Welcoming the guests, Mohammad Gulrez, chairman, Department of West Asian Studies, pointed that Shiekh Rashid is the catalyst of the change which occurred during the Arab Spring. “Shiekh Rashid has shown the world that democracy and Islam can co-exist,” he said.
Prof Kafeel A Qasmi, Dean, Faculty of Arts, delivered the vote of thanks. On this occasion, AMU Students’ Union conferred upon him its Honorary Life Membership. Abdullah Azzam, the president of Students’ Union, welcomed the chief guest, the release added.