Friends of Tunisia Newsletter
Fall 2007
P.O. Box 25245 Washington, DC 20027
Tel. 202-526-0897
fotrpcv@yahoo.com
Editor: Carolyn Dorais (RPCV, Kairouan and Tunis, 68-70) cedorais@rcn.com
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In this issue….
NEW DIRECTIONS FOR FRIENDS OF TUNISIA
Many of you heard from Phil Jones, many months ago, that Carolyn Dorais (RPCV, Kairouan and Tunis, 68-70) would be taking over the quarterly Friends of Tunisia Newsletter that Phil had been writing and editing for about 15 years, first by US mail and more recently by e-mail. At long last, this is the first newsletter compiled by Carolyn.
I originally planned to send my first newsletter last winter or spring, and, as you’ll see below, much of the content dates back to that period. I injured my left arm and right hand earlier this year, and for several months my injuries limited the number of hours that I could spend at the PC. So, somehow, my planned publication date in Spring 2007 became Summer 2007 and finally Fall 2007. Going forward, though, my intention is to send the newsletter quarterly via e-mail, as well as to send occasional time-sensitive announcements to the newsletter mailing list between issues.
Before I get into the nuts and bolts of Friends of Tunisia (FOT), including the newsletter mailing list and the Yahoo group that many of you have joined, I’d like to thank both Phil and Larry Michalak for the articles that they’ve written for this issue, and also for their remarkable patience and understanding as I kept postponing the publication date of this newsletter. And I’d also like to extend my appreciation to Phil for the fantastic job that he did for us in leading FOT and editing the newsletter for so many years.
Newsletter Mailing List
This newsletter has been sent to a list compiled from records that Phil kept over the years for FOT and also from the new editor’s personal e-mail files. Many of the more than 200 recipients have not been members of FOT for many years, and some recipients never joined FOT.
Because we’re now doing all our communication via the Internet and no longer have any mailing expenses, we’re no longer requiring payment of annual dues. This eliminates administrative chores and should make it possible for us to expand our membership significantly over time. Anyone who would like to receive the newsletter may subscribe simply by sending an e-mail message to cedorais@rcn.com. If you have friends that you think would be interested in the newsletter, please forward this issue to them.
With the elimination of dues, FOT is no longer a formal affiliate of the National Peace Corps Association. Although FOT members don’t have to be members of the NPCA to receive the FOT newsletter, many Tunisia RPCVs have chosen to continue their NPCA membership directly through the NPCA (http://www.rpcv.org/).
All FOT members are invited to submit articles about Tunisia and other items for the quarterly newsletters, as well as time-sensitive announcements of lectures, exhibitions, reunions, street fairs and other events. Whenever possible, time-sensitive announcements will be combined to cut down on the total number of e-mails sent to the list. Please send all submissions to cedorais@rcn.com, but please do not send your submissions by replying to this e-mail.
At any time, if you would like to stop receiving FOT news through this list, please send an e-mail to the address above.
Friends of Tunisia on Yahoo
At the end of 2006, George Entenman (RPCV Gafsa, 64-66, 71-72) created a Friends of Tunisia listserv at Yahoo Groups, and he continues to serve as the group’s moderator. Many, many thanks to George for all the work that he has done.
You can read all the messages that have been posted on the FOT listserv at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/friends_of_tunisia. And, if you’re not among the 94 members who have already joined this group, you’re encouraged to join by clicking “Join This Group!” As a member, you’ll receive messages directly in your e-mail inbox, and you’ll be eligible to send messages directly to the listserv.
While there is a fair amount of overlap between the newsletter mailing list and the Yahoo listserv, the two lists are completely independent of each other, and you must follow the instructions on the Yahoo site to join the listserv.
TUNISIA ’S VEIL THAT ISN’T A VEIL
By Larry Michalak
Tunis , March 13, 2007 – Spring is coming to Tunisia. The countryside is green, the almond trees blossoming, and the birds in the trees on the Avenue Bourguiba are at maximum volume. The streets in downtown Tunis in the early evening are filled with people strolling and, as one sits in the cafés, one notices that (and here comes the topic of this article) many of the women are more covered up than they once were.
There is a garment called the hijab which didn’t exist here in the 1960s and 1970s. It’s a scarf, often accompanied by a long, smock-like dress. This is different from the safsari, the white cloth that goes around a woman’s body and over her head, which is the mark of a city woman rather than a country woman. The safsari has nothing to do with religion, but the hijab allegedly does.
The hijab has been a widespread topic of conversation for some years now, with lots of articles about it in the Tunisian press. Government officials deplore the hijab in their speeches, associating it with Islamic fundamentalism. A government policy (which is unevenly enforced) forbids civil servants (including teachers) from wearing the hijab. Political analysts compile statistics on what percentage of women are wearing scarves and argue that this trend indicates an increase in religious conservatism, sympathy for Islamist politics, solidarity with Palestinians, protest against the hanging of Saddam Hussain, criticism of the ruling party, etc., etc.
I am skeptical of this line of argument. For starters, the term is very vague, in both English and Arabic. Hijab comes from an Arabic root that means “to cover” or “to block” and is often translated as “veil,” although it can also mean “curtain” or “barrier” or even “diaphragm.” Tunisia’s veil isn’t really a “veil” in the usual sense of the word, but rather a head covering much like what Eastern European women wear. (I wonder if Russian peasants who immigrate to France ever get expelled from the lycée for wearing babushkas?)
Mixed Forms of Dress
There are different kinds of scarves, some covering all the hair, and some not covering much at all. Of course, the real veiling that exists in the Middle East – the Iranian chador, the Afghan burka and the Saudi nikab – does not exist among Tunisians.
There are mixed forms of dress here that can be confusing. For example, some women wear the scarf over sexy dresses, baring lots of breast, sometimes with a gold “Allah” necklace bouncing in the middle. Do these count as “veiled” women? One friend suggests that the message of such clothing is, “I’m a morally strict young woman and no man can touch me until after marriage, but the man who marries me will have access to a great body!”
A scarf can convey a woman’s religious or political statement, in the same way as certain styles of beard, cap and smock do for men. However, the problem is that, just as you can’t tell about books by their covers, you can’t really tell about people from their clothing. I have known Tunisian men in traditional clothing with very modern ideas, and other Tunisian men in Cardin suits who would feel right at home with the Taliban. Similarly, a Tunisian woman in a smart dress can be very religious, and a veiled woman can be a prostitute.
The Qur’an and the Veil
A related problem is that “Islamic” dress isn’t necessarily Islamic. The Qur’anic injunction to veil is directed only to the Prophet’s wives. Of women in general the Qur’an asks that they “lower their gaze and be mindful of their chastity,” “not display their charms beyond what may be apparent,” and “cover their bosoms” (although the woman in the hijab and sexy dress might point out that it doesn’t specify how much of the bosoms must be covered). Like many verses in the Qur’an, this one can be interpreted in different ways, but it is not an unambiguous command to veil. The interpretation among progressive Muslims is that both men and women should dress modestly, and that what is “modest” varies from one culture to another.
There was an article in Jeune Afrique in October 2006 by a Tunisian woman journalist, pointing out that wearing the hijab is not necessarily a religious or political statement. She thinks that fashion is more important – that some women wear the veil as they would a miniskirt, and the cut and the color are more important than any religious content. Many of the women who veil have never read the Qur’an or performed the prayer. Some go veiled during the week and wear bikinis on the beach on the weekend. Some wear the veil to nightclubs with whisky-drinking boyfriends. The author speculates that fashion comes later to rural Tunisia, where the girls are now wearing string tops and suspender-bras, so maybe the veil will be the next rural dress fashion.
Why Wear the Veil?
I conclude by borrowing an idea from David Letterman and giving a Top Ten List of reasons – other than religious or political – that a Tunisian woman might wear a “veil” of some kind:
10. “To annoy my parents, who brag that their generation abandoned the veil.”
9. “I just got married, so now I don’t have to advertise my charms.”
8. “I just washed my hair and I can’t do a thing with it.”
7. “My family is poor and I don’t want people to see my cheap dress.”
6. “So the guys will leave me alone on the bus; headscarves scare them.”
5. “I want people to think I’m a virgin so that I can find a husband more easily.”
4. “I’m going to my boyfriend’s place to have sex with him and I don’t want anyone to recognize me.”
3. “I’m so beautiful that I have to cover up to keep the boys from going crazy.”
2. “I’m not attractive and so I prefer to leave my looks to people’s imaginations.”
And my favorite:
1. “To keep my head warm!”
In other words, sometimes a scarf is just a scarf.
Larry Michalak was in Tunisia with the Peace Corps in the 1960s, did doctoral research there in the 1970s, and is now Director of the Center for Maghribi Studies in Tunis (CEMAT). You can e-mail him at cemat@planet.tn.
BOURGUIBA AND THE VEIL
This video clip of Habib Bourguiba provides an interesting historical footnote to Larry’s article: http://www.harissa.com/harissatheque/BOURGUIBAVOILE.htm
This appears to be from the 1950s. Can anyone provide more background for the next newsletter? If you can, please e-mail Carolyn Dorais at cedorais@rcn.com.
TUNISIAN WOMEN SPEAK OUT ON HEADSCARVES, INVESTMENT ISSUES
By Phil Jones
Two women who play significant roles in the ruling party of Tunisia (RCD) came to Washington in November 2006 to trumpet the achievements of women’s rights in Tunisia and to appeal for business investment in their country, which is struggling to produce enough jobs for its young people.
Alifa Chaabane Farouk is the Ombudsman of Tunisia, as well as an influential member of the RCD. In an address to the American Tunisian Association (an association of former U.S. diplomats in Tunisia) at the Library of Congress on November 30, she outlined the many advances Tunisia has made under the Personal Status Code established in 1956 (now known as the “Codex”). Not only do Tunisian women enjoy many rights and protections denied to women in other Muslim and Arab countries, they also now play a major role in government, politics, and even, in recent years, business.
A law effective January 1, 2007, allows Tunisian women with children under 16 who work in the public sector to work half-time but receive two-thirds of a full-time salary. This measure is intended to help relieve the stress that many working women face in juggling a family and a career. Needless to say, this is a progressive measure for any country, including the US, and Farouk hopes that private employers will soon follow suit in Tunisia.
Yet, even as the government and the RCD are encouraging women’s participation in all parts of society, the country still faces an Islamist threat to women’s rights and new roles. To forestall any “backward movement,” the government recently announced that it will increase enforcement of the 50-year-old ban on headscarves “in public places.” At the time of the recent announcement, some thought this might include streets as well as government buildings.
Asked about this, Farouk first outlined the Tunisian interpretation of the Qur’an on the issue of headscarves. She says that there are only two mentions of “covering” or “separating” women in the surahs of the Qur’an, and neither has anything to do with covering the head of women. “On the other hand, headscarves are a sign these days of allegiance to an Islamist outlook,” she says. “Yet many young women don’t realize that. They think it’s just a fashion. So it is up to our party and older women to explain to these young women that a headscarf is far more than a fashion. It is a step backward that would inevitably lead to the re-adoption of polygamy and other such backward measures.”
In other words, Farouk implied that while wearing a headscarf in the street may not be illegal, it will be strongly discouraged by the authorities.
The other speaker, Hayet Laouni, is not only a member of the legislature but also a forceful businesswoman who feels that western countries must support Tunisia’s efforts to improve and liberalize its economy. “You can’t wait for Algeria and Morocco to join Tunisia in one large Maghrebian market,” she said. “If you do, it will be too late for Tunisia. The US and Europe must begin to invest in Tunisia now so that we can offer our youth jobs here in Tunisia.” She also notes pointedly that while Tunisia is told by western countries that it must make its financial systems completely transparent before western businesses will invest in the country, such demands are not placed on its two oil-rich neighbors, Algeria and Libya.
Phil Jones , long-time head of Friends of Tunisia and editor of the quarterly newsletter, served in the Peace Corps in Tunisia in the 1960s. He is a freelance writer based in Washington, DC.
Editor’s note: The speeches of Chaabane and Laouni were part of a symposium titled “ Tunisia: Celebrating Fifty Years of Women’s Emancipation.” You can listen to the symposium via a Library of Congress Webcast: http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=4007.
TUNISIA , NAZIS, ARABS AND JEWS
By Phil Jones
“ Tunisia is unique. It is the only Arab country to endure a full-fledged German occupation during World War II. Morocco and Algeria were controlled by the Vichy French, Libya by the Italians, and Egypt by the English.”
So began a mid-February lecture in Washington, DC, by Robert Satloff, the author of the recently published book, Among the Righteous: Lost Stories from the Holocaust’s Long Reach into Arab Lands. The lecture took place at Meridien House and was sponsored by the American Tunisian Association (ATA).
Satloff, an engaging, multilingual speaker whose entire career has been devoted to the study of Arab countries and cultures, is the executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. On September 11, 2001, he happened to be in New York City, and the tragedy of that day forced him to ask himself a question related to his own interests: “Did any Arabs save any Jews during the Holocaust?”
To answer that question, Satloff moved to Morocco and began several years of research throughout North Africa that has resulted in his book, a well-written mix of anecdotes and statistics.
Labor Camps Throughout North Africa
The lecture highlighted some of his findings:
These are the highlights of Satloff’s story. When it comes to the Arab reaction to what the Germans did to the North African Jewish population, the story is more anecdotal and, in Satloff’s view, more “complicated.”
Arabs Who Protected Jews
Some Arabs cheered the Germans and jeered the Jews. Some Arabs – the majority, according to Satloff – were simply indifferent, trying to survive themselves in a terrible situation. Finally, some protected and saved their Jewish neighbors. Among those who made an effort to protect Jews were: the Bey of Tunis; an influential pre-independence politician named Mohamed Chenik; a former mayor of Tunis, Si Ali Sakkat; and a wealthy inhabitant of Mahdia, Khaled Abdelwahab.
After the Germans surrendered, the Bey was quickly deposed and convicted of collaboration with the Nazis by the Free French. Satloff believes the Bey got a raw deal, that he did what he could in a very dangerous situation. Meanwhile, the Tunisian nationalists split. Habib Bourguiba decided that Tunisia’s long-term future lay with the Allies, but other nationalists sided with the Germans.
Decline ofJewish Population
The Germans were finally defeated in Tunisia on May 9, 1943. According to Satloff, the Jewish community in Tunisia has, since then, slowly declined from 150,000 in pre-World War II Tunisia (a high estimate) to about 1,500 (a low estimate; others estimate the Tunisian Jewish population at about 3,000). “Except for a small population on Djerba, it is a dying population,” claims Satloff, who believes the Jewish population of Morocco will also disappear. (At present, there appear to be no Jews left in Algeria or Libya.)
In his lecture, Satloff remarked at how hospitable his welcome was throughout all of North Africa, among both Arabs and Jews. Yet in his book, he notes how reluctant everyone, both Jewish and Arab, is to talk about the years 1940-43. The Holocaust is universally regarded as a European event, rather than a North African one. Even the Jews see it that way and claim that what happened to them “wasn’t so bad.” Everywhere he went, Satloff got this reaction and a lot of polite silence. He hopes that, with the publication of this book, North Africans will begin to break the silence since this history needs to be further explored.
Editor’s note: I haven’t yet had time to read Satloff’s book, but when I read Phil’s article, I was intrigued by the mention of Mohamed Chenik. His daughter, Souad, the wife of Ahmed Mestiri, was one of my English students at Bourguiba School in Tunis in 1969-70. Those interested in learning more about Mohamed Chenik may be interested in this website: http://216.183.87.220/m2/gouvernement50.html
RICHARD GRAHAM, 1920-2007
Dick Graham, Peace Corps director in Tunisia in 1963-65, died at his home in Royal Oak, MD, on September 24, following a major stroke on September 20. His wife Nancy and all five of his children were with him.
Many Friends of Tunisia will already have heard this sad news from e-mails sent by Debby Harding, Rosalyn Doggett, Phil Jones, Larry Michalak and others. As Debby says, Dick was “a dear and great friend to many of us.” Larry adds, “Dick was a great Peace Corps director in Tunisia. He was a very fine man and led a full life that included many years of public service.”
Dick was with the Peace Corps from its earliest days, first serving as a deputy to Sargent Shriver in 1961-63. Nancy also worked for the Peace Corps for many years as director of staff recruiting in the Peace Corps/Washington office.
Dick and his family returned to Washington in 1965, when President Johnson appointed him to the newly formed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He went on to become director of the National Teacher Corps, president of Goddard College, executive director of the Center for Moral Development and Education at Harvard University, and a fellow of the Brookings Institution. More details of his outstanding career in public service, including his work as a women’s rights activist, can be found in the obituaries that appeared recently in the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post:
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-graham29sep29,1,1023486.story?coll=la-news-obituaries
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/28/AR2007092801922.html
Nancy Graham may be reached at Box 89, Royal Oak, MD 21662.
VIRTUAL TUNISIA:
A ROUNDUP OF WEBSITES
When Peace Corps volunteers returned to the United States from Tunisia in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, finding a news article about Tunisia, even in the New York Times or Washington Post, was a rare treat. But today, as the number of Tunisia-related websites continues to multiply and the quality continues to improve, RPCVs and other Friends of Tunisia are free to indulge their curiosity and nostalgia 24/7.
Each Friends of Tunisia Newsletter will feature websites recommended by our readers, beginning in this issue with some of the editor’s favorites:
If you would like to recommend websites for the next issue of the newsletter, please e-mail Carolyn Dorais at cedorais@rcn.com.
WHERE CAN YOU FIND
A GOOD BRIK?
It’s not so hard to find good couscous in US cities, but finding a good brik takes a bit more effort. If you live in the New York area or you’re planning a visit, you may want to try a brik at Nomad, a “North-African French” restaurant in the East Village:
Nomad is a pan-Maghreb restaurant, with an Algerian owner, Moroccan chef and Tunisian manager (the affable Karim Ben Salem). And the recipes used for couscous, tajines and pastries are also from all three countries. The wine list includes some excellent Algerian wines, and the menus and reviews posted on the website will give you a good idea of what to expect at this attractive restaurant.
The newsletter will report regularly on Tunisian and North African restaurants. If you have one to recommend, please write to Carolyn Dorais at cedorais@rcn.com.
Calendar/Bulletin Board
All Friends of Tunisia are invited to join ATA, a nonprofit and nonpolitical organization incorporated in 1989. There is a paid membership of about 90. Many members have worked in Tunisia for the State Department and other governmental agencies, several are Tunisians, and a few members have visited or studied in Tunisia. The ten-member executive board meets quarterly.
Membership events (including a Tunisian Night Out at a restaurant in Washington and a series of lectures) occur throughout the year, except during the summer. These events are usually attended by the Tunisian ambassador and members of his staff.
There are no membership criteria beyond a strong interest in Tunisia. The common element of all ATA members is their affection for the Tunisian people, culture and country.
If you would like to join ATA, please send a check made out to the American Tunisian Association ($30 for a single membership, or $50 for two people or a family membership) to: ATA Treasurer, Ms. Elizabeth White, 1940 Biltmore Street, NW, #32, Washington, DC 20009. Please include your mailing address, e-mail address and phone number.
If you have questions about ATA membership, please e-mail Betty Garrand, ATA Secretary, at BettyGarrand@aol.com.
In person: S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive, SW, Suite 3077, Washington, DC 20560.
By phone: 202/633-3030 ($3 handling fee). You may also call this number if you have questions about the program.
By fax: 202/786-2034 ($3 handling fee).
Online: www.ResidentAssociates.org (use Code 1 WO 373).
By mail: The Smithsonian Associates, Smithsonian Institution, Dept. 0603, Washington, DC 20073-0603.