SPECIAL REPORT: TUNISIA AND THE UNITED STATES TUNISIA’S PRESIDENT ZINE EL ABIDINE BEN ALI’S visit to the United States at the invitation of US President George W Bush has become a crucial watershed in the TUNISIApolitical and economic relations between America and the Arab world. By Anver Versi. & THE USA TTMEME MMarcharch 22004.indb004.indb 3311 221/2/041/2/04 22:45:32:45:32 pmpm SPECIAL REPORT: TUNISIA AND THE UNITED STATES A WATERSHED MOMENT. TUNISIA’S PRESIDENT BEN ALI AND USA PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH – BRINGING TWO WORLDS TOGETHER. A PIVOTAL MEETING DIPLOMACY he handshake between Tunisia’s the region and outside President Ben Ali and US leader it to the negotiating ta- George Bush was pregnant with ble. Th e latest success far weightier symbolism than is was in working behind usually the case when two heads the scenes to persuade Tof state meet. Ben Ali’s visit to the US, accept- Libya to abandon its ing Bush’s invitation delivered in person by US stance on weapons of Secretary of State Colin Powell in December mass destruction. 2003 in Tunis, was laden with more import than Th is point was high- cementing the existing excellent relations be- lighted by President Bush when he told Ben Ali: literacy rates. Th e Islamic injunctions on the tween the two countries. It was the coming to- “Tunisia can help lead the greater Middle East to rights and high status of women over-rode cul- gether of two worlds, the Western and the Arab, reform and freedom, something that I know is tural and traditional mores on gender and today at a time when tensions between the two are at necessary for peace for the long term.” Ben Ali Tunisian women enjoy greater equality in the snapping point. responded: “We share principles together, Mr professions and earnings than in many Western Although Ben Ali travelled to the US sole- President and that is the establishment of states countries. Islam’s insistence on an egalitarian ly in his capacity as Head of State of Tunisia, on the bases of democracy, human rights and society and the right of individuals to improve there was no doubt that the eyes of the Middle combating terror.” their living standards has resulted in one of the East and the north African Maghreb region (in- Perhaps more importantly – and this is a highest per capita incomes in the developing cluding Algeria, Libya and Morocco) were fi xed point oft en missed by Western observers – al- world, almost 80% home ownership and one of on him. Over the years, Tunisia’s diplomatic though Tunisia is situated on the African con- the lowest poverty levels in the world. skills have chiselled out a unique position for tinent, it is Arabic and Muslim at heart. President Bush acknowledged this when he the country as the bridge between the world of Th e constitution and the legal system are praised Tunisia for establishing a “modern and Arab Islam and the West. secular but the offi cial religion is Islam. Right viable education system and for giving equal Tunisia’s credentials in this regard are im- from the time of its independence in 1956, the rights to women”. peccable. Quietly, unpretentiously, but persist- country’s leadership stressed education for both Th ere are few better examples of the living ently, the country has acted the honest broker, boys and girls, as demanded by Islam. Th e re- proof of the Islamic spirit of respect for other bringing together oft en disparate parties from sult is that Tunisia has one of the world’s highest religions and races than Tunisia. People of dif- TUNISIA: MAIN INDICATORS ▶LIFE EXPECTANCY 72.9years (2001) ▶ CLIMATE ▶ GOVERNMENT Mild in the north and along the coast ▶LANGUAGES Multi-party democracy. Semi-arid in interior and south Arabic (offi cial) French widely spoken, some English, Italian and German ▶ HEAD OF STATE ▶ TEMPERATURES President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. December 11.4 Celsius. July 29.3 Celsius. ▶ RELIGION Islamic majority, Christian and Judaism. ▶ POPULATION ▶ CURRENCY TND 1.51550 9.8m (2002). (Tunisian Dinar) = 1 (February 2004). ▶ ADULT LITERACY RATE 74.4% (2000) ▶ MAJOR CITIES ▶ NATURAL RESOURCES Tunis (capital),Sfax, Bizerte, Sousse. Oil, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt. ▶GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT TND 32.203m (2003) ▶ TIME ZONE ▶ DEMOGRAPHIC GROWTH GMT+1. RATE 1.1% (2001) ▶GNP PER C APITA TND 3,125 (2003) 32 The Middle East March 2004 TTMEME MMarcharch 22004.indb004.indb 3322 221/2/041/2/04 22:45:35:45:35 pmpm SPECIAL REPORT: TUNISIA AND THE UNITED STATES ferent ethnic backgrounds have lived together systems of government according to their na- so intimately and so easily that, when you are tional priorities, their histories, their cultures, TUNISIA – USA LINKS in Tunisia, even the idea of looking at people’s their value systems. One size does not fi t all – the The relationship between Tunisia and the colour seems as preposterous as grouping peo- British parliamentary system with a constitu- United States of America goes back to the ple according to height or weight. tional monarchy, the American federal system birth of the American nation. Tunisia was one Equally preposterous is the idea of cordoning with an executive president, the French presiden- of the fi rst countries to recognise the USA people according to their faiths. Islam demands tial/prime-ministerial system, the German fed- and one of the fi rst to establish a trade agree- respect for all religions. Th ere is a very sizeable eral organisation with a chancellor at the head ment with it, in 1799. community of Jews who have lived happily and - all are democracies shaped by their societies. Since then the intensity of the relationship prosperously in Tunisia for hundreds of years. US Secretary of State Colin Powell recog- has ebbed and fl owed according to politi- Th e El Ghriba synagogue in Jerba is one of the nised this distinction during his visit to Tunis in cal and economic considerations. The visit most important Jewish shrines and thousands December when he said that the US did not wish by Tunisia’s President, Zine El Abidine Ben of Jews from all over the world attend annual to export its model of democracy but was keen Ali to the USA following an invitation by US President George Bush is expected to deepen celebrations Lag be Omer. to see the installation of democracies where they and strengthen this relationship in terms of Seeking aft er knowledge, progressing, do not exist. On this point, he will fi nd nobody diplomatic activities, trade and mutual de- working hard for yourself and your community, to quarrel with in the region – the struggle for fence needs. equality of the sexes, justice before the law, most people in this area for the last 50 years respect for other faiths and creeds, helping has been precisely that – a democracy cut from TRADE: In 2003, the US imported around the poor and always striving to do good are all their own cloth. $82m in products from Tunisia and exported part of the letter and spirit of Islam. Th is is not Tunisia is a model Arab and Muslim state almost $144m in products to Tunisia. While ‘moderate’ Islam as is sometimes erroneously and it is where most other countries in the re- there is a general acceptance of US products labelled. It is Islam pure and simple. gion want to reach. Its continued success is proof in Tunisia, import duties levied on American Th erefore, that Tunisia is modern, progres- that Islam and modernity go hand in hand. It products make them less competitive against similar products from the European sive, prosperous, at peace with its neighbours is also a body blow to those who for political Union (EU) with whom Tunisia has a free and itself and Islamic is not a contradiction of reasons, seek to persuade the world that Islam trade agreement. A Trade and Investment terms. Tunisians will tell you that it is because and modernity are mutually exclusive and that Framework Agreement (TIFA) signed be- they have remained true to the real spirit of to chose one is to lose the other. tween the two countries is precursor to Islam that other boons have followed. Tunisia’s own battle against terrorism, when negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement. Th is is an important distinction to make – political groups, pretending to be Islamic but in The fi rst TIFA council meeting was held in especially in the West where a distorted view of reality distorting Islam completely out of shape October last year and the second one will be Islam, based on the activities of a few who also in order to create a state of anarchy, was fought held in the spring of 2004. claim to be Muslims, has sometimes reached and won long before America woke up to the At present, 80% of Tunisia’s trade takes place dangerous proportions and in fact, has provided reality of this horror on September 11. with the EU. the so-called ‘fundamentalists’ with a signifi - Th us, at this juncture in the world’s history, US INVESTMENTS IN TUNISIA: Total US in- cance and size well out of proportion to their when many pieces are in fl ux, President Ben vestment in Tunisia is around $552m. real, minute dimensions. Ali’s visit to the US assumed a signifi cance well There are over 50 US companies in the coun- beyond diplomatic and trade relationships. Th is try, mostly in the energy, IT manufacturing HOME GROWN DEMOCRACY visit could lay the ground for rearranging the for export, telecommunications and medi- Th ere is another, unfortunately widely held mis- pieces in the Arab world so that order can be cal equipment supply sectors.