(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/26/2021) – The US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) today called on the Biden Administration to support democracy in Tunisia by demanding the restoration of the country’s elected parliament, ending attacks on journalists, and protecting free speech, including the right to peaceful protests.
Over the weekend, Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed the country’s prime minister and other key officials, banned parliament from operating, announced the full assumption of all executive authority, imposed a 30-day curfew, and effectively banned all protests. Security forces also raided the Tunis office of Al-Jazeera and expelled journalists from the premises.
In a statement, USCMO Secretary-General Oussama Jammal said:
“We call on the Biden Administration to vocally speak out against the coup in Tunisia before it escalates further, ending another Arab nation’s experiment with representative democracy. What’s happening in Tunisia is obvious. We have seen this scenario play out in Egypt, Libya, and numerous other countries impacted by the Arab Spring, and it must not happen again.
“For decades, most people in the Arab world have been ruled by unelected and unjust dictators who do not respect human rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, or freedom of press. As long as the United States insists on being involved in the region, our nation must use its political and economic influence to support representative government, starting in Tunisia.
“The Biden Administration should clearly call for Tunisia’s president to restore parliament, protect journalists, and guarantee free speech, including the right to peaceful protest.”
USCMO endorses the aspiration of all peoples wherever they may be—from China to Cuba to Egypt to France to India to Myanmar to Palestine to Syria – who seek to live in peace, justice, and freedom.
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