This comes after lawmakers voted against the Islamization of Tunisia. When Islamic supremacists can’t get what they want through ordinary means, they turn to threats.
“Tunisia constitution debate halted after ‘death threat,'” from Channel News Asia, January 6 (thanks to Bradamante):
TUNIS: Debate on Tunisia’s new constitution was suspended Sunday after a deputy claimed he had received death threats because a colleague accused him of being an “enemy of Islam”.
The outburst came a day after the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) adopted articles making Islam the state religion but guaranteeing freedom of conscience.
Sunday’s row broke out after Mongi Rahoui, from the left-wing Popular Front, accused Habib Ellouze of the Islamist ruling party Ennahda of saying he was an enemy of Islam.
Such words are not taken lightly in Tunisia, where the suspected assassination by militant Salafist Muslims last year of two opposition politicians threw the country into a political crisis that has still not been resolved.
A police source told AFP security measures for Rahoui had been stepped up from Saturday night because of the alleged threats.
Addressing Ellouze, a hardline Ennahda member known for his controversial comments, Rahoui asked: “How much more blood must there be before we understand that we are united (under Islam)?
“I tell you that I am a Muslim; that my father, my mother, my grandfather and my people are Muslims.
“What (Ellouze) said yesterday, that I am an enemy of Islam, has lead to death threats against me.”
Ellouze had been quoted by a radio station Saturday as saying Rahoui is “known for his animosity toward religion”.
He said his words had been misinterpreted and apologised to Rahoui.
A number of secular opposition deputies angrily protested that such words could spell the same fate for Rahoui as befell Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi last year.
Ennahda’s detractors accused the moderate Islamist party of failing to rein in the Salafists.
Sunday’s session began at 1100 GMT, and was suspended twice.
Following the exchange between Rahoui and Ellouze, some deputies demanded that the assembly vote again on an amendment rejected Saturday that would make it a crime to accuse someone of apostacy [sic]….