How is the Tunisian regime reacting to the Islamist challenge?
S. G.: The regime is making concessions. Negotiations are constantly going on under the table. I personally would not be surprised if at one of the next elections the regime and the Islamists would get together. They are still banned officially, but Ennahda (a Tunisian party dedicated to anchoring Islamic values in society, ed.) has always existed, and they have always communicated. The problem is that there are now currents that are much more radical than Ennahda. Jihadists, Salafists who fought in Afghanistan. Even Ennahda is already a little bit out since 9/11. The problem is that no one stands for policies that are sustainable; everyone is only acting with the short term in mind. I am a lawyer. One of my colleagues had a case where she was dealing with young extremists. They didn’t want her to defend them because she didn’t wear the veil. A veiled associate of mine told me recently: “In comparison with them, we’re almost atheists!” But those in power are interested in only one thin
