Tunisian Islamist extremists want two Tunisian Olympians punished.
Habiba Ghribi is the first Tunisian woman to win an Olympic medal. She won the silver for the 3,000 meter steeplechase. The Islamists said her running gear was too revealing and she should be stripped of her citizenship.
The other target is swimmer, Oussama Mellouli, who is being attacked for drinking juice before the race during Ramadan. Mellouli won a gold medal in one race and a bronze in another.
Tunisian women were the equal of men prior to the Arab Spring which brought in an Islamic government that is considered moderate by some (for now).
The government is under pressure from Salafi extremists and secularists.
Salafis want to enforce strict rules affecting women’s rights. Yesterday, more than 6,000 Tunisians, mostly women, rallied against the Islamic government’s push for constitutional changes that they believe will degrade women.
The draft constitution refers to women as “complementary to men.” The original constitution said women and men were equal, it banned polygamy, and included civil divorce and marriage. Protesters believe the new constitution is the camel’s nose under the tent.
Read the story at Associated Press and Chicago Tribune
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