Islamic Awakening in Tunisia

Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
On May 12, 1881 AD, France occupied Tunisia and declared it its protectorate, thereby ending the sovereign rule of the Hussainid Dynasty as nominal representatives of the Ottoman Sultan. Thereafter the Hussainids, who were descendants of Hussain Ibn Ali, the Muslim general of Greek origin from the island of Crete, continued to merely reign in name until 1957, when Tunisia gained independence from France and the dictatorial regime of Habib Bourqiba ended monarchic rule.
Islam had entered Tunisia in the 2nd half of the 7th century AD and in 670 the Great Mosque of Qairouan was founded. Two-and-a-half-centuries later Tunisia became the seat of power of the Fatemid Ismaili Shi’ite Muslim Empire with the founding of the city of Mahdia in 921. In 1534, it was taken over by the Ottoman Turks to thwart Spain’s bid to occupy it. On 14 January 2011, the Islamic Awakening ended the 54-year rule of the anti-Islamic regime, and in the first-ever popular elections that followed, an Islamic oriented-government was formed.