[vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDc2NyaXB0JTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cudm90ZXJ2b2ljZS5uZXQlMkZTY3JpcHRzJTJGN1JFQUFBQUFBQUElMkZQbHVnaW4uanMlM0ZhcHAlM0RjYW1wYWlnbnMlMjZpZCUzRDEwNTgwMCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=”yes”][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_separator style=”blank_divider”][vc_column_text]Who is Rached Ghannouchi?
- Rached Ghannouchi is the co-founder and president of the Muslim Democratic
Ennahdha Party in Tunisia, and the Speaker of the democratically-elected parliament of
Tunisia (elected in 2019). - Ghannouchi was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World in
2012 and Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers and was awarded the Chatham
House Prize in 2012 (alongside Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki) by Prince Andrew,
Duke of York, for "the successful compromises each achieved during Tunisia's democratic
transition”. - In 2015, he received the International Crisis Group (ICG) Founders Award for Pioneers
in Peacebuilding, along with Tunisian President Béji Caïd Essebsi. - In 2016, he received the Jamnalal Bajaj Award for "promoting Gandhian values outside
India”. - His party Ennahdha won 37.04% of the vote (more than the next four biggest political
parties combined) in the 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election. - Ennahda formed a government which led Tunisia through the challenging and tumultuous
aftermath of the Jasmine revolution. The government during this period was characterized
by greater transparency, lack of corruption, and consensus-building. - In January 2014, after the new Tunisian Constitution of 2014 was approved by 93% of the
members of the Constituent Assembly, Ennahdha peacefully quit government and handed
power to a technocratic government led by Mehdi Jomaa. - Ennahda placed second in the October 2014 parliamentary election with 27.79% of the
popular vote and formed a coalition government with the larger secularist party Nidaa
Tounes despite rank-and-file opposition. - Ghannouchi is one of the world’s leading Islamic thinkers and one of the most influential
Tunisian politicians in the post-revolution transition period. He was elected speaker of the
parliament in November 2019. - Ghannouchi authored more than 20 books in Arabic, which have been translated into more
than 15 languages. His most recent book “Public Freedoms in the Islamic State” was
published in November 2022 by Yale University Press. Appearing in English translation for
the first time, this book is a major statement by one of the most important political
theorists in the modern Middle East. - Between 2011 and 2016, he visited Washington DC more than 10 times, and spoke at
several key Institutions such as Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace, US Institute of Peace, the National Endowment for Democracy, Council on Foreign
Relations, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, International Institute for
Strategic Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Center for American
Progress, and many others. - He met and visited regularly with key US politicians, policymakers, and experts, including
William Burns, Wendy Sherman, John McCain, Lindsay Graham, Tim Kaine, William Taylor,
Tom Malinowski, Fareed Zakaria, George Soros, Phil Gordon, Robert Malley, John Esposito,
Carl Gershman, Robin Wright, Jackson Diehl, and many more…
Awards: - One of the first in FP Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2011
- The Chatham House Prize from Chatham House for the year 2012 in London (with Moncef
Marzouki) - The Ibn Rushd Prize for Freedom of Thought for the year 2014 in Berlin
- International Crisis Group's Founder's Award for pioneers in peace-building, along with Tunisian President Béji Caïd Essebsi
- The Jamnalal Bajaj Award for the year 2016 in Mumbai
- Honorary Degree from International Islamic University Malaysia in 2017
- One of the 100 Most Influential Arabs in the World in Global Influence list 2018.
References:
- Tamimi, Azzam S. (2001). Rachid Ghannouchi: A Democrat Within Islamism. Oxford:
Oxford University Press. - Marc Lynch – Rached Ghannouchi: the FP interview, Foreign Policy magazine,
December 5, 2011 - Feldman, Noah (2011-10-30). "Islamists' Victory in Tunisia a Win for Democracy: Noah
Feldman". Bloomberg. - "TIME 100: The List". Time. 18 April 2012.
- Foreign Policy. "The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers 2011".
- Chatham House. "Chatham House Prize 2012".
- Ghannouchi, Rached. "Transcript of speech at Chatham House Prize 2012 awards ceremony,
26 November 2012” - "Jamnalal Bajaj Awards". Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation.
- Worth, Robert F. (2016). A Rage for Order: The Middle East in Turmoil, from Tahrir Square
to ISIS. - Kechichian, Joseph A. (September 16, 2011). "A genuine Islamist democrat". Gulf News.
- Linda G. Jones, "Portrait of Rashid Al-Ghannoushi" Middle East Report, No. 153
(July–August 1988). - Kirkpatrick, David D.; Fahim, Kareem (18 January 2011). "More Officials Quit in Tunisia
Amid Protests". The New York Times. - Gerges, Fawaz (June 2012). "The Many Voices of Political Islam" (PDF). The Majalla.
- "The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers". 2011-11-28.
- "Chatham House Prize 2012 – Rached Ghannouchi and Moncef Marzouki". 2015-04-08.
- "'Rached Ghannouchi lauréat du prix Ibn Rochd de la pensée libre pour l'année 2014'".
2015-04-08. - "Tunisia proof that democracy can sustain in Arab world". Business Standard India.
- Tunisia: Caïd Essebsi and Ghannouchi Receive International Crisis Group's Founder's
Award, 2015-10-27 - "Rached Gannouchi, prix Gandhi pour la Paix". 2015-04-08.
- Rachid Ghannouchi’s Thoughts & Career, by Aaron Boehm, December 9, 2022, The Wilson
Center.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_separator style=”blank_divider”][vc_separator style=”blank_divider”][vc_column_text]“The arrests by the Tunisian government of political opponents and critics, including Rached Ghannouchi, are
fundamentally at odds with human rights commitments and the Tunisian constitution’s guarantees of freedom of
opinion, thought and expression.”
– Vedant Patel, U.S. State Department Principal Duty Spokesperson
"The current administration in Tunisia arrested brother Ghannouchi. We have not yet been able to contact the
authorities in Tunisia over the phone but will continue to try to reach them. If we are able to speak to them, we will tell
them that we do not find this appropriate.”
– Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey
“This week, the police finally came for Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of Tunisia’s largest political party and the Arab
world’s most influential thinker about the potential synthesis of liberal democracy and Islamic governance…The blow
to Tunisian democracy is clear. But the imprisonment of a leader as singular as Ghannouchi is also a setback to the
wider world. For Islamists who espouse violence, his imprisonment is a vindication—new evidence of the futility of the
ballot box. And the silencing of his voice is a loss to the West, too.”
– David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker
“Tunisia’s tragic descent from Arab Spring democracy into dictatorship is continuing with the arrest and detention of
Rached Ghannouchi, the world’s most important Islamic democrat and the spiritual leader of the most important
opposition party in the country…Responding to the growing threat to democracy in the country, Ghannouchi recently
said at a political meeting that “imagining Tunisia without this or that side … Tunisia without Ennahda, Tunisia without
political Islam, without the left, or any other component, is a project for civil war.” The mention of civil war is the
apparent ground of the arrest. Ghannouchi has proven again and again over many years that he is a man of peace.
The charge of incitement is preposterous. Saied has arrested Ghannouchi to signal his willingness to silence even
the most globally respected opposition figure. As for Ghannouchi himself, this gentle man who has seen such
vicissitudes in his country’s development refuses to be discouraged. “I am optimistic about the future,” he said after a
judge ordered him to be held pending trial. “Tunisia is free.” If only that were true.”
– Noah Feldman, The Washington Post
“Ghannouchi has emerged as one of Saied’s biggest critics, aiming to maintain the legacy of Tunisia’s revolution and
the pro-democratic struggle in Tunisia and the Arab world.”
– Virginia Pietromarchi, Al-Jazeera
“Arrests, including of Rached Ghannouchi, and ongoing restrictions on legitimate opposition in Tunisia are eroding
the space for political plurality. I urge the government to respect the principles and values of an open and democratic
society, for the benefit of all Tunisians.”
– Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State Foreign Commonwealth & Dev. Affairs
“The arrest of Tunisia’s elected opposition leader, Rached Ghannouchi, along with many other political activists, trade
unionists and journalists, must be reservedly condemned.”
– Jeremy Corbyn, Member of the UK Parliament
“Malaysia is following developments in Tunisia closely, including the recent detention of several key individuals,
among them Mr. Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of Ennahda and former Speaker of the Assembly of the
Representatives of the People. While acknowledging that the developments constitute Tunisia’s internal affairs,
Malaysia remains deeply concerned about the latest political development in the country. Owing to his health and age, we appeal for special consideration and mercy to be accorded to Mr. Rached Ghannouchi during this blessed
month of Ramadan. Malaysia sincerely hopes that national reconciliation and consensus would be the path towards
bringing about progress and prosperity for the people of Tunisia.”
– Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir, Malaysia Minister of Foreign Affairs
“The arrest of Sheikh Rashid Ghannouchi, a veteran politician, a great thinker, and the former speaker of the Tunisian
Parliament, on a blessed night that is better than a thousand months, is an act that is not worthy of an authority that
represents a free and great people like the Tunisian people. We hope that the Tunisian authorities will release
Ghannouchi. #Ghannouchi_you_are_not_alone.”
– Yasin Aktay, Deputy Chairman of the AK Party, Chief Aide to President Erdogan
“The arrest of the elder statesman of Tunisian democracy, Rached Ghannouchi, marks a worrying escalation in
President Saied’s crackdown on political opposition. The UK must call for the immediate release of Rached
Ghannouchi, as well as other political opponents imprisoned.”
– Mary Goudie, Member of the British House of Lords
“The incarceration of Mr. Rached Ghannouchi, the shuttering of Ennahdha Party’s headquarters and the NSF is part
of Kais Saied’s campaign to eliminate free political expression & suppress democracy in Tunisia.”
– Mohamed Ali Azaiez, Tunisian Former Advisor to the Ministers of Economy, Agriculture & International
Cooperation
“The leader of the Ennahdha Party and Speaker of the legitimate Tunisian Parliament, Mr. Ghannouchi was taken to
an unknown location and his lawyers were prevented from seeing him, demonstrating the coup authorities’ desire to
maintain him in inhumane conditions.”
– Harun Armagan, Member of the AK Party Central Decision Making & Admin Board
“Violation of fundamental rights anywhere is a universal concern. We condemn the arrest of legendary Tunisian
leader Shaikh Rachid Ghannouchi. He is a symbol of freedom, liberty and civil rights.”
– Asif Luqman Qazi, Pakistani Social and Political Activist
“We are concerned over Tunisian forces’ unjustified crackdown on dissidents, including the closure of the Ennahda
movement’s HQ & the detention of its head, Rached Ghannouchi. All detained activists must be released; the right to participation & free expression must be respected.”
– Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor
“Tunisia: The EU is following the latest development with concern, including the arrest of M.r Ghannouchi and news
of the closure of Ennahda. Respect for the rights of the defense and a fair trial are essential for any democracy,”
– Nabila Massrali, Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy of the EU
“Freedom for the elected Speaker of the Tunisian Parliament. Ghannouchi is not only a Tunisian politician, but a
global intellectual symbol. Managing differences with him should be through law and politics, not repression.”
– Feras Abu Helal, Arabi21
“German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned on Friday against Tunisia backtracking on the fundamentals of
its democracy, after the arrest of opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi this week. Baerbock told reporters that Berlin
viewed Ghannouchi’s arrest “with the greatest concern” and cautioned that the “democratic achievements in Tunisia
since 2011 must not be lost.”
– Arab News
“Ghannouchi’s arrest may be a signal to other Islamist movements that exiting political Islam is impossible and that
moderation and strategies to integrate into political systems might end up in total failure. This is all the truer in that
Ghannouchi was a prominent Islamist leader who displayed a high level of flexibility. He was able to build bridges
with secularists and manage a democratic transition that was praised by the international community. What happens
to Ghannouchi personally will be intimately tied to the future of political Islam in the region, whether for the good or
the worse.”
– Hamza Meddeb, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Middle East Center
“The Federal Government is monitoring domestic political developments in Tunisia with great concern. We see the
erosion of democratic structures and the ever-increasing restriction of civil society engagement. The arrest of Rashed
Ghannouchi, the leader of the Tunisian party Ennahda, joins a worrying series of arrests of representatives of the
Tunisian opposition, journalists and activists this year.”
– Wolfgang Büchner, Deputy Spokesperson of the German Government
“The Prosecutor’s Reform Bloc denounces the arbitrary actions taken by the Tunisian authorities against the Speaker
of the Tunisian People’s Parliament, Sheikh Rashid Al-Ghanoushi, which represented his arrest on the Night of
Decree and his treatment in a way that violates Tunisian freedoms and lows, violates human rights, covenants and
international agreements and did not take into consideration the Sheikh’s age or his chronic illnesses. We call on the
Tunisian authority to withdraw its decision in favor of Sheikh Rashid Al-Ghanoushi, and immediately release him and
all detainees of opinion, and adherence to the language of law, and the principles of respect for human dignity and
human rights. Sheikh Al-Ghanoushi is a respected Tunisian figure, and bright thinker at the ummah level. He
struggled and sacrificed a lot for Tunisia to rid itself of the cloak of tyranny and into the space of freedom.”
– The Parliament of Jordan
“When the political system goes bankrupt, as in Tunis, it resorts to arresting its opponents and fabricating empty
accusations against them, such as arresting Rashid Ghannouchi, and making ridiculous accusations against him
#Ghannouchi_you_are_not_alone.”
– Ahmed Mansour, Al Jazeera
“And the arrest of Al-Rashid Ghannouchi is an acknowledgement of the treachery of Tunisia, and a statement of the
impotence and bankruptcy of the coup. #Ghannouchi_you_are_not_alone.”
– Sheikh Ali Al-Qaradaghi, Qatar University
“Tunisia’s recent arrests of political figures, forcible closures of political party offices, and bans on free assembly of
certain political groups are blatant attacks on free speech and association. These actions undermine principles
enshrined in Tunisia’s constitution that its civil society has fought for since 2011. We condemn these actions and call
for the release of political prisoners. Respect for democratic norms and the rule of law are central to a strong U.S.-
Tunisian relationship."
– U.S. Representatives Gregory W. Meeks and Dean Phillips
“Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi – the epitome of a Muslim democrat – has inspired the struggle to upholding democracy
in Tunisia. Truly tragic noting the disturbing political developments & persecution of opposition across the political spectrum, especially involving Sh. Ghannouchi – barely a decade following the Tunisian revolution.”
– Nurul Izzah Anwar, Malaysian Politician
“Rached Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia’s opposition party, has just been arrested. He is 81 and in fragile condition.
This would be a first; Kais Saied had detained him, but never had the courage to arrest him. Long live Tunisian
democracy.”
– Alissa, Pavia, The Atlantic Council
“One of the most severe types of betrayal and blindness of insight is when your helplessness leads you to arrest an
elderly sheikh who lived his life in fulfillment and consolidation of principles. #Ghannouchi_you_are_not_alone.”
– Shaikh Muhammad al-Hassan al-Dido Al-Shantiqi, Mauritanian Scholar
“Prisons do not bury the free, and repression does not raise the young. Ghannouchi is a biography of the struggle
against injustice and dictatorship, while those targeting him were followers of the dictatorship, without any struggle of
any kind. ”
– Yasser Al-Zaatreh, Palestinian Author and Political Analyst
“The European Union is following with concern the latest development in Tunis, including the arrest of Rached
Ghannouchi and the closure of Ennahda. Respect for the right to a defense and the right to a fair trial is fundamental
to every democracy.”
– Luis Miguel Bueno, European Union Arabic Spokesperson
“The arrest of Rached Ghannouchi, ban of Ennahda & NSF meetings is undemocratic & unconstitutional. Tunisia’s constitution protects rights of speech, assembly & association. Those arrested have right to legal counsel,
presumption of innocence & fair trial.”
– The Carter Center
“The political struggle must be waged between politicians and by political methods. We are following with great
concern the detention and eventual arrest of the former Speaker of the Parliament and Ennahdha Party President
Rached Ghannouchi, an important figure in the struggle for democracy and human rights in Tunisia.”
– Mustafa Sentop, Member of the Turkish Parliament & Speaker of the Grand Nat’l Assembly
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