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Viewing cable 06TUNIS540, MODERATE TUNISIAN RESPONSE TO CARTOON CRISIS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06TUNIS540 2006-03-09 12:58 2011-08-24 16:30 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Tunis
VZCZCXYZ0005
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0540/01 0681258
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 091258Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0022
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS TUNIS 000540 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/PPD (AGNEW, BENZE), EUR/PPD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KPAO ECIP SOCI TS
SUBJECT:  MODERATE TUNISIAN RESPONSE TO CARTOON CRISIS 
 
 
1. (U) Summary:  Most Tunisian intellectuals and media 
responded with moderate and thoughtful commentary to the 
Danish cartoons featuring the Prophet Mohamed.  While 
some editors used the polemic as an occasion to again 
criticize American foreign policy in the Arab world, 
most of the editorial reaction focused on trying to 
explain the cultural differences between the Arab and 
Western worlds, condemning the resulting violence, and 
suggesting ways in which the Arab world could better 
respond to threats both from within and without.  While 
GOT policy ensured that there were no public protests on 
the cartoons, it is debatable if any such demonstrations 
would have occurred had they been permitted. End Summary. 
 
2. (U) Tunisian media closely followed the origins of the 
cartoon crisis and the violent responses that ensued. 
The Tunisian press prominently covered those Western 
figures who spoke out against the cartoons, including the 
comments made by the White House spokesperson Scott 
McClellan.  While some editors, particularly in the pan- 
Arab, anti-American press, used this occasion to once 
again criticize Western, particularly American, policy in 
the region, most private newspapers provided thoughtful 
and moderate commentary on the cultural differences 
underlying the issue and condemned the violent response 
of citizens in other Muslim countries.  Examples of the 
Tunisian commentary on the subject included: 
 
-- On February 2, an editor at private French language 
paper "Le Temps" asked why the Arab world had not reacted 
as strongly or in as unified a manner to the damaging 
image of Bin Laden as it had to the Danish cartoons.  The 
author concluded that it was time for modern and moderate 
Arab intellectuals to begin serious self-examination 
before they were "irremediably set aside by history." 
 
-- On February 9, the lead editorial in a private 
bilingual weekly magazine "Realites" argued that the 
cartoon controversy was the result of extremists in both 
the West and in the Arab world.  The author noted that 
the "Muslim world is today living in a particularly 
delicate phase of history" in which governments' failure 
to address local economic, social, political and identity 
issues was contributing to a "real rupture between 
leaders and their people" which led to a rise in 
religious extremism.  The author concluded that it was 
high time for the elite, civil society, political 
classes, and media to undertake serious efforts to reform 
the region. 
 
-- On February 16, "Realites" carried a series of 
commentaries on the offensive cartoons, most of which 
criticized the violent reactions that had followed the 
publication of the images.  The lead editorial by Zyed 
Krichen began by explaining that the West had often 
permitted satirical commentary on political and religious 
figures, to include Jesus Christ, but noted that the 
Holocaust has long been off limits.  He went on to argue 
that self-examination was always useful, but critiques of 
others' religion and culture can border on the offensive. 
The author argued that the Persians have long permitted 
the image of the Prophet, thereby questioning the basis 
of some of the protests and concluded that the violent 
reaction by some Muslims had only served to further 
deepen misunderstanding between the West and the Muslim 
world.   While a second writer argued that the Muslim 
anger over the issue is a result of the perceived double 
standard policy and the "American imperialist wars in 
Afghanistan and Iraq," he joined a third writer in 
concluding that the violent reactions did not provide a 
positive image of Islam.  A fourth commentary dissected 
the differences between "the resolutely secular, 
fundamentally materialist, and radically individualist" 
West and the completely different Islamic civilization 
and then argued that only the neo-conservatives and the 
Islamists could benefit from this kind of disagreement. 
 
-- On February 22, privately owned Arab language daily 
"As Sabah" ran a full page interview of a Tunisian author 
and intellectual, Abdelmajid Charfi.  This interview was 
later reprinted in its entirety in the French language 
daily "Le Temps." In this interview, which was widely 
read and very well-received, Charfi argued that "freedom 
of expression in Denmark" should not be understood as an 
attack against Arab beliefs.  The author condemned the 
use of "religious belief to conduct barbaric action that 
does not reflect Islam's value of tolerance."  The author 
then went on to detail the real differences between the 
West and the Muslim world, concluding that "if we want to 
change our relations with the West from confrontation to 
dialogue, we have to modernize our societies in order to 
talk to the West on equal footing.  In such a state of 
scientific, technological, political and cultural 
underdevelopment, we cannot really expect the West to 
respect us."  Charfi also called on Arab governments to 
become democratic regimes and argued that "it is time for 
us to forget about positions based on emotion and become 
more efficient in our societies." 
 
Comment 
----------- 
3. (SBU) The moderate Tunisian reaction to the cartoon 
crisis can be attributed to the close cultural and 
historic ties that Tunisians share with their European 
neighbors and the generally secular nature of the society 
(even though Tunisia is 99 percent Muslim, many of whom 
are observant).  Tunisian intellectuals played an 
important role in providing a measured and thoughtful 
response to a potentially very divisive subject.  While 
some believe that there would have been public 
demonstrations against the cartoons were such gatherings 
permitted by the GOT, others assert that most Tunisians, 
while upset by the disrespect shown to their religion, 
were smart enough to understand the underlying cultural 
differences that gave rise to the issue.  All agree that 
any public reaction would have been peaceful in nature. 
BALLARD