Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Moderate Islamic Party Leading in Tunisia Elections Will Keep Democracy, and Not Make an Islamic State

For those who worry that any election victory by an Islamic party spells the end of democracy, there is good news from Tunisia.  The first fruits of the Arab Spring - or what I think will turn out to be the North African Spring - show Ennahda, a moderate Islamic party, leading in early returns.  The BBC reports this crucial fact:

The party's leader, Rachid Ghannouchi, has pledged not to set up an Islamist state and to respect multi-party democracy.

Ennadha is in talks with secular parties as coalition partners.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

But do you believe them?

Gruntled said...

They are as believable as any other party.

Tammy said...

Hope is not a strategy.

Barney 5 said...

The middle east is steadily becoming more dangerous because Mr. Obama's foreign strategy so far is to say I am not George Bush. So far not so good.

Gruntled said...

Three North African regimes have overthrown long-entrenched dictators, and are on a path to democracy. The United States helped indigenous revolutions without invading, colonizing, or getting Americans killed. We have helped good things happen and built good will for the U.S.

So far so great. This is a triumph for U.S. foreign policy. Would that we had done the same in Afghanistan and Iraq.