Tunisia’s new govt unlikely to improve Christians’ lot

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Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali
Former Tunisian president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali

Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali
Former Tunisian president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali

PROTESTS erupted in Tunisia’s streets Monday as the prime minister announced a national unity government.

Although the new unity government negotiated with the opposition parties and said it would appoint ministers of the interior, state, finance and defense from the old ruling party, people still protested the new coalition government.

It took about a month for Tunisia – for long considered to be stable – disintegrated. It started on December 17 when an unemployed graduate set himself on fire.

Soon, thousands were in the streets demanding more job opportunities and a higher standard of living.

Police clashed with the protesters for the next nine days, which fueled their outrage at the oppressive regime.

On December 28, President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali warned protests were unacceptable and those using violence will be punished.

By January 13, the president promised major reforms and promised not to run for office in 2014. However, a day later he declared a state of emergency, dissolved parliament, and promised to hold legislative elections within six months.

When violence continued unabated, Ben Ali renounced power and fled to Saudi Arabia.

The Speaker of Parliament was sworn in as interim president and formed a coalition government.

Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs is of the view that it is hard to say what will result from the hurried changes.

“I don’t think we can anticipate a positive change, at least in the short term. This is a country with less than half a percent of the population as Christian. It’s pretty unlikely that suddenly those believers are going to be celebrated by their government or by their countrymen,” he said.

While it seems that the community of believers is a little larger than thought previously, the attitude of the authorities has changed. Foreign Christian residents experience more inspections and suspect their phones are tapped.

“They have (already) said, ‘We’re not going have a law that is in opposition to Islam.’ It’s unlikely that the new government, whenever that gets situated, is going to change that policy. So I think that we need to pray for the believers,” Nettleton added.

According to Open Doors’ World Watch List – a compilation of the top 50 countries where persecution occurs – pastors of expat churches are watched and the materials they use are monitored closely.

However, Nettleton hopes this situation could lead to open doors for the Gospel.

“When there is upheaval, people are thinking about eternity; they’re thinking about important things: What’s worth living for? What’s worth dying for?’ That can be a time when revival strikes. It can be a time when the Spirit of God moves within a country,” he added.

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