Forum Post: Arab spring success story, Tunisia adopts new constitution
Posted 10 years ago on Jan. 27, 2014, 11:54 p.m. EST by NVPHIL
(664)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I was watching TV and heard about this and wanted to share. The final draft protects the citizens and supports tolerance. Guarantees to protect the enviroment. It's article supporting science reminds me that the middle east used to be the main scientific region for centuries.
http://www.tunisia-live.net/2014/01/21/tunisias-draft-constitution-an-english-translation/
Excellent.
So there's this: Article 1: Tunisia is a free, independent, sovereign state; its religion is Islam
And then this: Article 6: The state protects religion, guarantees freedom of belief and conscience and religious practices, protects sanctities, and ensures the neutrality of mosques and places of worship away from partisan instrumentalisation. The state is committed to spreading the values of moderation and tolerance, and to protect the sacred and prevent it from being attacked, and is also committed to prohibit charges of apostasy (“takfir”) and incitement to hatred and violence, and to combat them.
Ho hum.
I didn't expect separation of church and state in the middle east. The important part is protecting the rights of people to their own beliefs which Article 6 does. Plus outside of a state religion their constitution is much more progressive then the US constitution.