Religion in Tunisia

Tunisia is an interesting case to study, since one can observe the Tunisia of only last year and see the freedom to practice religion in a "nation that prides itself as the most pro-women's-rights country in the Arab world" (Fleishman and Sandels), but just a year later, their is a rise of Islamist tendencies in the policy of the country. Tunisia was the first country to revolt in a series of revolutions called colloquially the "Arab Spring," which has resulted in an interim government that is trying to plan the future of the country. Before, Islam, the most popular religion in Tunisia, was considered the official state religion and the president was required to be Muslim, according to the US State Department. However, many of the more conservative practices of Islam were frowned upon, such as wearing headscarves in public and other similar activities. Additionally, small sects of Christians and Jews were also prevalent in many regions of the country, although they were mostly foreigners. The lack of a strict adherence to Islamic principles in society never caused conflict and neither did the presence of other religions, before the revolution that overthrew the autocratic president of Tunisia. Now, the outlook is much less clear, since many people in Tunisia support an Islamist form of government similar to Turkey's, according to the LA Times. Since 98% or more of the country is Muslim, it seems plausible that Tunisia may be less progressive in its views on women's rights as a more conservative, Islamic government takes over, but Tunisia is also known for being well-educated. Therefore, it is my hope that the people of Tunisia will continue their policy of freedom of religion and women's rights due to their high education status and not allow their religion to sway their judgement of others.

Sources:
"CIA - The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 23 Dec. 2011. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ts.html.
Fleishman, Jeffrey, and Alexandra Sandels. "In Tunisia, Where Arab Spring Began, Some Fear Rise of Islamists - Los Angeles Times." The Los Angeles Times. 22 Oct. 2011. Web. 23 Dec. 2011. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/22/world/la-fg-tunisia-arab-spring-20111023.
Kjeilen, Tore. "Tunisia / Religions - LookLex Encyclopaedia." LookLex. Web. 23 Dec. 2011. http://looklex.com/e.o/tunisia.religions.htm.
"Tunisia." U.S. Department of State. Web. 23 Dec. 2011. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90222.htm.