Tunisia Live » Wiem Melki

Zitouna Mosque Resumes Islamic Teaching after 50 Years

Wiem Melki — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:22:06 +0000

Tunisian residents of the old medina, scholars, and imams witnessed the reopening of Zitouna University last Saturday. The university had been closed for almost half a century under the rule of former Tunisian presidents Habib Bourguiba and Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali for fear of religious extremism. The ancient university was originally housed in the Zitouna Mosque, located in the [...]

The post Zitouna Mosque Resumes Islamic Teaching after 50 Years appeared first on Tunisia Live.

Tunisian Union to Protest Recent Attacks on their Offices and Friends of Syria Summit

Wiem Melki — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:13:27 +0000

The Administrative Commission of the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) held a meeting in Tunis yesterday, calling for a rally to take place tomorrow starting at noon in the capital’s Mohamed Ali square. The demonstration primarily seeks to condemn the attacks recently perpetrated on UGTT headquarters throughout the country, but also aims to condemn the Friends of [...]

The post Tunisian Union to Protest Recent Attacks on their Offices and Friends of Syria Summit appeared first on Tunisia Live.

First Death Sentencing Since Revolution in Manouba Murder Case

Wiem Melki — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:55:40 +0000

The Primary Court of Tunis has recently issued the first capital punishment sentence since the ousting of Tunisia’s former president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The judge presiding over the case sentenced the defendant to death by hanging for the murder of a high school student in Manouba on March 20, 2011. The victim, a 13 [...]

The post First Death Sentencing Since Revolution in Manouba Murder Case appeared first on Tunisia Live.

Tunisian Police Breaks up a Salafist-Led Protest in Downtown Tunis

Wiem Melki — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:08:40 +0000

Tunisian police fired tear gas yesterday afternoon to disperse nearly a hundred protesters, led by Salafists, in downtown Tunis. Demonstrators congregated outside El Fat’h mosque on the much-frequented Liberté Avenue to condemn Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki’s recent comments, characterizing supporters of the controversial Egyptian cleric Wajdi Ghoneim – whose recent arrival in Tunisia attracted a [...]

The post Tunisian Police Breaks up a Salafist-Led Protest in Downtown Tunis appeared first on Tunisia Live.

Ministry of Women Affairs Warns of Dangers Associated with Genital Mutilation

Wiem Melki — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:10:24 +0000

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs issued a press release yesterday calling upon Tunisian families to be wary of exhortations made by the Egyptian cleric Wajdi Ghoneim regarding the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). The ministry asserted that such practices are not derived from any Muslim origin, and highlighted the fact that all international conventions [...]

The post Ministry of Women Affairs Warns of Dangers Associated with Genital Mutilation appeared first on Tunisia Live.

Chaos and Protests Cause Significant Damages in Southern Gafsa County

Wiem Melki — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:23:46 +0000

A large mob broke into the district headquarters of Southern Gafsa this morning February 15, causing chaos and significant damages to public property. The protesters consisted primarily of unemployed youth, demanding financial assistance. The demonstrators accused the government of dragging its feet in its response to employment demands and called for the ouster of the lead district [...]

The post Chaos and Protests Cause Significant Damages in Southern Gafsa County appeared first on Tunisia Live.

Swedish Institute Alexandria Hosts Two Conferences in Tunisia

Wiem Melki — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:05:23 +0000

The Swedish Institute Alexandria has been moving its conferences to Tunisia. The first conference held in Tunisia hosted by the institute was “Revolution and Democratic Transition” which was held between February 6-9, 2012 the second was “Citizens for Peace and Justice” between February 10-12th. The Swedish Institute Alexandria was co-founded in 1999 in Egypt by [...]

The post Swedish Institute Alexandria Hosts Two Conferences in Tunisia appeared first on Tunisia Live.

Tunisian Municipalities on Strike

Wiem Melki — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:27:08 +0000

Municipal employees will be launching a 4-day national strike from February 20 until the 23rd. The strike is supported by the country’s largest trade union, the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT), and will be held in protest of unfair wage increases and consistent outsourcing. A source at the municipality of Tunis confirmed that all 15 [...]

The post Tunisian Municipalities on Strike appeared first on Tunisia Live.

Qatar and United Arab Emirates Send Humanitarian Aid to Tunisia

Wiem Melki — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:04:28 +0000

Tunisia will receive humanitarian aid from the governments of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to deal with the effects of the recent cold wave, which has resulted in deaths and paralyzed towns in Tunisia’s northwest. The crisis has already provoked an outpouring of aid from the Tunisian government, NGOs, and Tunisian political parties. Abdel [...]

The post Qatar and United Arab Emirates Send Humanitarian Aid to Tunisia appeared first on Tunisia Live.

Medical Breakthrough Achieved by Tunisian-American Research Team

Wiem Melki — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:50:29 +0000

Yesterday, a Tunisian-American research team presented the byproduct of an initiative aimed at curing Leishmaniasis – a disease of the skin – to Tunisian Minister of Health Abdellatif Mekki and a number of independent researchers. The medicine has been successfully tested and production is expected to begin shortly. The medicine is in the form of an [...]

The post Medical Breakthrough Achieved by Tunisian-American Research Team appeared first on Tunisia Live.