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The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy is pleased to share with you this brief report on the event titled:
 
 
 
 
Rached Ghannouchi
Meetings and  Discussions
with Tunisians in the USA
 
 
 
 
 
Columbia University, International House
Event Co-sponsored by the Tunisian United Network (TUN)
Monday, October 26 2015
 
Sheikh Rached opened with brief remarks thanking CSID, TUN, and members of the Tunisian community for organizing and attending the event. During his remarks Sheikh Rached said that despite the setbacks that the Arab Spring has suffered from in various parts of the Middle East, it remains a revolution in the making. He noted that history taught us that successful revolutions do not move in a straight line but rather go through ups and downs with an upward trend. He then went on to say that, in Tunisia, things are a lot better than in other Arab Spring countries due to wise choices and tough decisions that various political players took and also the important role played by civil society.
 
Sheikh Rached praised the Tunisian experience and the international community for recognizing that by awarding the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE to the Tunisian quartet that facilitated the national dialogue during the crisis that threatened to derail the democratic experience in 2013.
 
During a Q&A session, Mr. Ghannouchi spoke in detail about the political situation in Tunisia and explained the Nahdha party's position on various issues such as the economic reconciliation law Tunisia's president BCS has submitted recently to the People's Assembly. He concluded his remarks by calling on all Tunisians abroad to work together to be good citizens in the US and to find ways to support their home country.

 
 

 
 
Dinner/Discussion with the Tunisian Community in Washington DC Area
Event Co-sponsored by the Tunisian United Network (TUN)
Thursday, October 29 2015

 
 
More than 80 Tunisians gathered at the Dunya restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia to welcome Sheikh Ghannouchi and members of the Tunisian Parliament, Sayda Ounissi and Oussama Sghaer. After dinner, sheikh Rached opened the discussion session by thanking TUN and CSID for providing the opportunity to meet with Tunisian families. He also thanked the Tunisian diaspora and congratulated them as Tunisians for the Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded to the quartet. Sheikh Rached went on to highlight the importance of unity in these difficult times that Tunisia is facing. He added that the Tunisian diaspora in the US is uniquely positioned to play an important role as ambassadors in this country and also in pushing for more support by the US to the new and fragile democracy in Tunisia.
 
During the questions and answers session that followed sheikh Rached addressed several issues concerning the period that followed the 2011 elections. Many asked about corruption, the work ethics in public sector, and the lack of basic services that the government must provide to all its citizens.  


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