Last Nov. 28, the dean of the Department of Letters, Arts and Humanities of Manouba University refused to give in to pressure from a group of protesters using violence to demand that classes be accessible to young women wearing the niqab, or face veil. Faced with this refusal the protesters erected barriers to block the professors and students from their classrooms and prevent classes from taking place. Numerous parents, students and professors quickly moved to protest these actions and defend the institution’s rules.

The preservation of neutrality in Tunisian public institutions, respect for their rules and the protection of the individual have been up for debate in recent months. The end of the previous regime of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and the subsequent political transition has allowed for greater openness and more public debate on key issues, such as ensuring the rights and freedoms of all Tunisians – including minority groups. The 217 deputies of the recently elected Tunisian Constituent Assembly, which is responsible for writing a new Tunisian Constitution, must work together to establish the basis for Tunisian democracy in the coming weeks.

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