Here is a snapshot of a neighbor who lived across the street from me in Tunis. He gave me rides on his moped. I spent four months there in 1983 as an intern for the government owned transportation department.
I knew before going I was in for culture shock but my first day in Tunisia went beyond that.. I had just come across the Mediterranean on what I would describe as steerage, or transit for livestock. The university student who collected me at the port of Tunis spoke French very fast, with a thick Arabic accent. I barely even recognized the language I had studied for four years.
For those first few weeks I felt my equilibrium was lost. Ramadan was just getting underway as I arrived and I stupidly pledged to my host family that I would be fasting for the whole month. I regained my balance, over time, as I got use to the language, climate and logistics of living there. I made friends with some students from the University of Tunis who engaged me in lively political discussions on the beach. Being the only American in the group I did more listening than talking. If you have traveled before to such places, as an American in the 80's, you know what I mean.
For those first few weeks I felt my equilibrium was lost. Ramadan was just getting underway as I arrived and I stupidly pledged to my host family that I would be fasting for the whole month. I regained my balance, over time, as I got use to the language, climate and logistics of living there. I made friends with some students from the University of Tunis who engaged me in lively political discussions on the beach. Being the only American in the group I did more listening than talking. If you have traveled before to such places, as an American in the 80's, you know what I mean.
The conflict in Tunisia today is as inevitable as the struggle for independence from France was back in the 50's. Every struggle is a step toward reconciling faith and tradition with the forces of globalization, which are seen by many Tunisians as just another form of oppression. From what I observed from talks with people and the overall social climate, Tunisia has tried to preserve its Islamic roots while reaching for economic growth and gaining respect from the international community. But progress is precarious with Islam so misunderstood in the West. The distortions of Islam portrayed in non-Muslim countries are manipulative and often driven by political motives. To those who perpetuate these stereotypes, or perpetrate violence as a solution, the students I met in Tunis would likely respond with a quote from the Quaran; "The pen of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of a martyr."
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