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NEWS AND VIEWS THAT IMPACT LIMITED CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with
power to endanger the public liberty." - - - - John Adams

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Tunisia's Islamist party pulls back from Sharia Law


A Tunisian islamist waves a flag as he looks at a demonstration in Tunis. Several thousand men and women demonstrated outside the Tunisian parliament today to demand the inclusion of Islamic law in the north African country's future constitution.  (The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)  


"The democracy they speak of is a curse upon the Islamic civilization."   - - - - Pro- Sharia Demonstrator



Officials from the largest party in Tunisia's governing coalition have said they will not support moves to enshrine Islamic law in the new constitution.

Senior members of the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party said the wording of the old constitution, which proclaims Islam as the state religion, would remain reports BBC News.

A group of ultra-conservative Muslims known as Salafis had demanded the introduction of Sharia.  Ennahda has been under growing pressure to declare its position on the issue.

The BBC's Jon Leyne says that the news will disappoint the increasingly vocal conservative minority, but it will bring relief to liberals and secularists who fear a tide of Islamism sweeping across the region.



Massive Pro-Sharia Demonstration in Tunisia



"Ennahda has decided to retain the first clause of the previous constitution without change," senior Ennahda official Ameur Larayed told local media.
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"We want the unity of our people and we do not want divisions."
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The article from the 1959 constitution states: "Tunisia is a free, sovereign and independent state, whose religion is Islam, language is Arabic and has a republican regime."
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(BBC News)

Tunisian Islamists demonstrate in Tunis, Tunisia, Sunday, March 25, 2012. Thousands of conservative Tunisians have marched through the capital calling for the application of Islamic law. 

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