From 2004 to 2007, I would say that was, like, the golden age of the Tunisian blogosphere. After 2007, two issues emerged and diminished the influence. And the activism in the Tunisian blogosphere. First it became more popular. So the level of the quality of the posts and the discussion went a little bit down. Which is a good thing, in terms of, like, allowing other people to access to this tool. But the other issue was Facebook. And a lot of people discovered Facebook at that time and migrated there and started writing on Facebook versus writing on blogs, which was more interesting at that time, because it offered features we couldn´t see.
But overall, we could say that the Tunisian blogosphere allowed Tunisians from different trainings, from different backgrounds, from different regions to discuss and also to get to know each other. And thrive without being spotted. There were some Internet dissidents in the same time who were using the Internet to do open political criticism of [Former Tunisian President Zine el Abidine] Ben Ali, and those were spotted right away. I think a lot of focus was put on them. But that did also allow the tension and the concentration and the focus to build up on these people who were really threatened, even in real-life ended up in jail, and allowed the rest of the bloggers to thrive quite freely.
There were two types of Tunisian Internet users for political and social and other activism. The first one is usually connected to the parties; either the banned parties or the parties who are in opposition who were already on the records of the Tunisian police. These people would usually either live abroad, or live under constant surveillance in Tunisia. And they know each other. They met several times. They were already organized. And they were using the Internet as a platform to express their opinion. These people were already known by the secret police. And their website would be censored right away.
The other, and I would call silent, majority at that time– and those people start– the first group started using the Internet in the late ´90s and the early 2000s. And they got a lot of exposure through the use of Internet. And we could say, maybe, in Tunisia we were pretty much in the region of– one of the first countries who used Internet in such open politically to criticize the regime. And I think the regime realized that which made him one of the worst enemies of the Internet. ´Cause their technique of banning websites they acquired very quickly. I guess they were one of the very first ones to realize the importance of the Internet.
I would write on my blog and I would read other people´s blogs. And basically realize that we were sharing the same issues and concerns about the country. And I would write about a problem that I would face in my real life, and they comment on it. And more and more, the discussions get into real politics. But not open opposition to the president. There would be a real politics in terms of, like narrow niches of different policies that the government was using. And at some point, I think the government did not take that very seriously and allowed that to go smoothly and thrive. And these people met in real lives and became friends. And at some point they wanted to go further. And got the opportunity to talk to each other. And I think that´s why somehow they managed to work efficiently during the revolution.
I feel that the government basically was not ready to infiltrate or to follow people like us. First because in their reading of the situation we were the ones benefitting from the regime. We were the ones whose interest would be in the regime continuing. We were the middle-upper class. People who live in middle-upper class neighborhoods in Tunis, or study overseas, or have a job, and have Internet at home and have a car were not perceived to be a threat. And I think that´s something that maybe was true in the beginning of the blogosphere.
We were not threatening. And we had no contacts. Although we know what was happening, we had no contacts with the opposition. But I don´t think that they gave us a lot of importance. They were right, I mean, I would say in their readings of the situation as well. Because what brought the revolution is the underprivileged area, is the people who went to the streets in Sidi Bouzid and in Kasrin and who got shot at. Our role was just to convey that information to the outside world and spread it within our spheres. And spreading other information like the WikiLeaks information or other things that maybe allowed the middle-upper class to shift. And I think Ben Ali lost the game when he lost the upper class.
In 2004, Dr. Zied Mhirsi became a pioneer in Tunisia’s pre-revolutionary blogosphere, and used his blog, Zizou From Djerba, as a platform to express ideas, opinions, and experiences. He soon engaged others in the blogosphere on policy debates about topics like education, agriculture, and the environment. Initially, the Internet was one of the few venues for Tunisians to express themselves without being harassed by government authorities. As the regime of Zine el Abidine Ben Ali became more aware of the blogosphere’s ability to influence society, bloggers like Mhrisi became targets of censorship and persecution.
As a student studying in the United States, Mhirsi became involved in Tunisian radio and through his broadcasts, informed Tunisians about world events. When he returned to his homeland, Mhirsi remained active in radio and used it to promote the use of social media. This concept transformed into a weekly political show that featured voices from the Tunisian blogosphere prior to the 2010 uprising. Since the revolution, Mhirsi has worked extensively with international media analyzing the post-revolution political situation, working with outlets such as CNN, Al Jazeera English, 60 Minutes, CBS News, the New York Times, and the Financial Times, to produce news stories, documentaries, and other shows. In March 2011, Mhirsi co-founded Tunisia Live, the first Tunisian English-language news website. Tunisia Live is viewed by more than 100,000 visitors every month and serves as the main Tunisian news platform for English speakers.
In addition to his media activities, Mhirsi is a global health professional whose public health career focuses primarily on strengthening health systems to combat HIV/AIDS and other serious diseases.
Twitter: @zizoo
Blog: http://www.zizoufromdjerba.com/
Website: http://www.tunisia-live.net/
Tunisia is situated on the Mediterranean coastline. It has a population of fewer than 11 million people and is the smallest nation in North Africa in land area. In 2010 and 2011, it became the first of the Arab countries to revolt against decades of dictatorial rule, launching the Arab Spring and a wave of change across the region. Tunisia has a developing economy, focused largely on agriculture, tourism, and light industry.
Tunisia has been settled since ancient times. In the 10th century B.C., it was part of the Phoenician Empire. The city of Carthage, near the modern capital of Tunis, was established in the 9th century B.C. In 149 B.C., the Roman Empire conquered the Phoenicians. Islam was introduced to what is now Tunisia in the 7th century A.D., and the area formed part of the Ottoman Empire for centuries. In 1881, Tunisia became a protectorate of France. A strong French cultural element continues to this day.
In 1956, Habib Bourguiba led Tunisia to independence from France. His political party, later known as the Constitutional Democratic Rally, went on to dominate Tunisian politics for more than 50 years. Bourguiba’s Tunisia was a largely secular state and was viewed as one of the most progressive in the Arab world on women’s issues. In 1987, Bourguiba was replaced in a “bloodless coup” by his prime minister, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Ben Ali continued many of Bourguiba’s policies, but ruled with an increasingly heavy hand. The Ben Ali regime was repressive and corrupt, with a dismal human rights record. The regime showed little tolerance for dissent, and lashed out at opposition voices in politics, civil society, and the media.
The Tunisian Revolution began in December 2010, when Mohamed Bouazizi, a young street vendor, set himself on fire in protest over harassment by a local official. Bouazizi’s act led to mass demonstrations across the country, protesting the lack of human rights, poor economic conditions, and corruption and nepotism in the Ben Ali regime. On January 14, 2011, Ben Ali stepped down and fled the country. On October 23, 2011, Tunisia held its first free elections, forming a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution and lead the country to general elections. The role of religion in society is among the most important issues facing the assembly and country.
Under the interim Constituent Assembly, Tunisia has experienced considerable political upheaval, but has begun to consolidate its democracy. There is a major fault line between Islamist and secular political forces. In 2013, several political assassinations resulted in widespread protests and demonstrators calling for the nation’s Islamist-led government to be removed. In January of 2014, after two years of debate, the Constituent Assembly ratified the nation’s new constitution. The constitution is considered progressive for the nation and has many human rights guarantees. With the ratification of the constitution, elections are scheduled for autumn 2014.
Freedom House’s 2013 Freedom in the World report categorized Tunisia as “partly free”. The nation received the following ratings on a scale with one being the most free and seven being the least: 3.5 as an overall freedom rating, a four in civil liberties and a three in political rights. Tunisia’s Internet and press were also categorized as “partly free” in subsequent Freedom House reports.
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