Uprisings in Tunisia started a new are in the region of Arab countries. Street activism, manifestations took place in the country not only after the immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi but also even after the Jasmine Revolution had happened. As a result of these manifestations, Tunisian people changed the political regime in the country. Transition to democracy from autocracy brought discussions regarding the new political spectrum. In addition to these discussions, people started to question the place of religion and the compatibility of Islam with democracy. Consequently, from the beginning of the Arab Spring, Tunisia has always been in the spotlight of international politics. The journey of a great country with its majorly Muslim population became the latest example of how street activism might shape the political life. Although the initial phase of the aftermath of the revolution brought much hope to the people in Tunisia, it is also possible to say that within the discussions of forming a new political system, place of religion, and inter-state relations with other countries, a large portion of Tunisian population have disappointments. Within this context, in order to analyze the frustration of the people and understand their hope for the future of their homeland, the authors have spent seven months in Tunisia between July 2013 and February 2014 for the project titled “SpringArab – Social Movements and Mobilisation Typologies in the Arab Spring” and financed by the Marie Curie Actions 7th Framework Programme.
Didem Doganyilmaz Duman . Halic University . didemduman@halic.edu.tr
Goshen Duman . Istanbul Aydin University . gduman@aydin.edu.tr
