Democracy, Security, and Bodyguards

It was time to leave Tunis. We checked out of the hotel as our driver waited. The receptionist addressed us when we handed over our room keys. “When you go home,” she implored “tell people our country is safe!”
When I first heard her say these words I knew they would be the end of my blog post about Tunisia. We’d had an amazing experience.
The situation deteriorated the day after we’d left. Thousands protested in the streets. The prime minister resigned.
We were in Tunisia as the guests of my friend’s family.  Upon arrival they made sure we had an itinerary planned. They also saw to it that we were set up with a car and driver.
The first day we set out to see the ruins of Carthage, which is spread out through modern day Tunis.  The second involved a long car trip to the ancient city of Dougga. Then onward to the bi-level town of Bulla. On the third, we went to El Jem.  We all agreed that being able to walk the various levels of the amphitheater unrestricted made the experience superior to visiting the Coliseum.
 During the entire trip our driver, Ali, saw to it that we got admitted to archaeological sites without a problem. He made sure that we sample the local flavors of each town, market and roadside fruit stand. And he made very sure that we never had any trouble from street irritants.  Even on the warmest of days he never took off his heavy trench coat. We began to wonder if he was packing.
On the way back from El Jem, Ali got a phone call. He sounded agitated; we realized something was up.  Finally, my mother asked in French if there was a problem. He replied that one of their opposition leaders had just been shot by extremists.i
That evening we took dinner in our hosts’ home. They were unsure about what the immediate future would hold. “We are in transition” my friend’s father opined.
Indeed, conditions in Tunis seem to have worsened since the dawn of the Arab Spring. My family inquired about the trash in the streets, and the barbed wire near the old city. We were told it had become a fact of life since the revolution.  We also asked about our driver. It turned out he knew my friend’s father.  He didn’t have a gun. Yet, he’d been specially instructed to protect us.
The following day was our last in Tunisia. My friend’s father took us on a tour of the Marsa. He seemed cordial as we ate at his favorite restaurants and toured his friends’ shops . But, the atmosphere was tense.  Our driver seemed truly on edge for the first time. He parked below ground as we arrived.  At the end of the tour our driver and host’s father had an animated discussion. Then, we were driven directly to the seaport where we’d planned to depart late that evening.
While the protests in Tunis broke out, we visited Greek ruins in Sicily. Had we been in Tunisia on that day, I’m sure we would have been protected by our host family.
Can I honor the request of the hotel receptionist? Made even after the assassination?
I’m home. I’d like to say that I can.
But I can’t.

Culture, Time, and Democracy

A few months ago, my family thought about taking our annual vacation in Tunisia. Then some idiot posted a video on Youtube.  Those plans went out the window.

 My honors thesis dealt with how communist dictatorial policy influences economic transition in central-eastern Europe. While writing the paper, Tunisia and Egypt revolted - the beginning of the so called ‘Arab spring’. It occurred to me that the policies of dictators in those countries could influence the future in a similar manner.

I mentioned this in the paper. Accounting for the differences in religious organizations and social media the situation might not be so different.

But, those two changes make all the difference.  In Poland, the Catholic Church fomented the Solidarność movement during martial law.  All religion was outlawed in Albania. The economy continues to flounder there. The absence of social media made opposition harder to form.  Instead people rallied around figureheads. They could lead a country through the beginnings of transition.

One of the students in my program is from Tunisia. We had the opportunity to discuss the current situation in her country. She told me that since the revolution the Islamist party gained power in Parliament. They were the only party with any vision after Tunisia’s Arab Spring.  In Egypt, Islamic factions also figure prominently in elections.

A Democracy is ruled by the will of its electorate. Religious institutions played a positive role in giving the people a voice during some post-communist transitions. In northern Africa, the opposite seems to be the case.  

My Tunisian colleague described the current atmosphere in her country as uncertain.  With the increasing power of fundamentalists, many are looking abroad.

“The revolution left us with hope. But they have done nothing” she said.

 Both regions successfully overthrew brutal regimes . In Eastern Europe, religion allowed some nations come together and rise up.

In North Africa, the internet organized the rebellion. Religious fundamentalists are all that remains to offer a way forward. I worked in Maldives during its first democratic election. The opposition won.  Since then, I’ve heard the same to be true.

I’m not saying that the Muslim world can’t achieve democracy.  Many Americans are quick to criticize the Arab World for its politics. They forget that it took the United States over a century, two constitutions and a civil war to create a stable republic.

In Poland, democratic policy making arguably existed since the middle ages. It may have allowed them to throw off three centuries of partitioning, war, and communism so quickly.

Just because a country has moved toward democracy does not mean it will become a utopia. It's  a process. One that takes hundreds of years.

I hope that those in all parts of the world will keep this in mind. Especially me.