This will be a tall order, given that the only stable, functioning democracy that has ever existed in a majority-Muslim country was in Turkey, and that one was founded as a direct and explicit rejection of political Islam, and is being slowly and steadily dismantled by an authoritarian ruler who believes in political Islam. So what Beji Caid Essebsi is determined to prove has never been evident at any time in Islamic history.
Note also Schulz’s words to Essebsi: “Your country is a beacon of pluralism and tolerance today. The constitution guarantees the rule of law, individual freedoms and equality for all at a crucial time when populists are actively trying to spread fear.” By “populists,” Schulz is referring to the growing forces in Europe that reject the EU’s program of inundating Europe with Muslim migrants. For Schulz, the real foes are people such as Geert Wilders, not jihad terrorists.
“Tunisian President to MEPs: ‘Islam is not incompatible with democracy,'” enpi-info.eu, December 1, 2016:
Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, visited today the European Parliament in Brussels, where he was welcomed by Parliament President Martin Schulz. They discussed developments in Tunisia and EU-Tunisia relations. Essebsi called the visit a “historic and highly symbolic moment” and addressed MEPs on his country’s commitment to democracy and freedom.
“Tunisia is determined to prove that Islam is not incompatible with democracy,” said Essebsi, who became president in late 2014 after winning the country’s first free elections.
This year is the 40th anniversary of the first cooperation agreement between Tunisia and the EU, Essebsi told MEPS during today’s plenary session in Brussels: “Tunisia and Europe destiny have been closely linked. We have had harmonious links and these are the links to build a strong relationship on.”…
Schulz praised Tunisia’s transformation into a democracy: “Your country is a beacon of pluralism and tolerance today. The constitution guarantees the rule of law, individual freedoms and equality for all at a crucial time when populists are actively trying to spread fear.”

jayell says
Tunisia, like Egypt, has rather got its back to the wall after its tourist industry virtually collapsed. Everyone knows who is what is reponsible for that, yet here we have someone trying to tell us that black is the new white. Someone from the civilised world should tell this person that we weren’t born yesterday.
Anne Smith says
Nail on the head jayell. They are desperate to get the tourists back and are frantically trying to pull every string to convince us that all is safe and well.
Unfortunately it isn’t.
Poor old Egypt is also desperate for the return of tourists to Sharm. One Coca Cola bomb in the Russian plane has destroyed the whole economy – not very good in the first place but improving – and it is hard to see how they can ever restore confidence when so many in the country side with the Muslim Brotherhood who don’t give a fig for the economy or their fellow citizens.
Angemon says
I’ll believe it when I see it… And I’m not going to hold my breath while waiting…
mccode says
Islam is 100% compatible with democracy *
* (Provided of course that the entire population consists of devoted cult followers of Mohammed).
If not, then forget it, pal. Ain’t going to ever happen.
gravenimage says
Even then, it does not work. No Muslim-majority country is a democracy, and those closest to 100% Muslim–Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen–least of all.
Don McKellar says
And don’t forget, Robert, that Turkey has had something like SIX military coups where they had to overthrow Islamic forces destroying the democracy over the years since the democratic state was founded! The latest one just failed!
A Harris USA says
Don, the fact is Turkey has a dictator who is looking to make his nation a Islamic state!! While the dumb ass west thinks they belong in NATO and the EU, no they do not!!! BTW Turkey is getting ready to dump hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rapugees into Europe, this is the death nail ! There are many secular Turks who not want an Islamic state, and of course Christians and others who are totally afraid of such developments. If Turkey is not to become the next Islamic Kingdom, the west, meaning Trump will have to let him know that if he continues feeding ISIS and persecuting Christians, we are done giving them ONE thin dime. And pull our bases out of Turkey until the secular government that Ataturk wanted is restored then you are on your own Turkey!!
Voytek Gagalka says
Are they (EU) going to admit Tunisia to their “community” soon? What exactly was a purpose of the visit of president of this AFRICAN country to EUROPE? To bombast them about how “Islamophobic” are they? To speed up their “reversion” to Islam? It seems that those so called “moderate” Muslim leaders act frequently than not as Trojan horses precipitating the conquest proper.
AK says
Turkey was never a real democracy for any meaningful amount of time and certainly not under Ataturk’s rule.
Westman says
“Islam and Democracy are compatible” A little humor is always welcome on a dreary day.
How long before Tunesian smiles are erased?
Shmued B Dovid says
This guy is not allowed to differ from the Sharia terminology. I.E>Sharia version of ‘democracy’. Don’t forget the Caro Conference 1994 OIC. (or was it 1990?)
gravenimage says
Tunisian President: “Tunisia is determined to prove that Islam is not incompatible with democracy”
………………………
Yeah, good luck with that one.
“Moderate” Tunisia sends the most fighters to the Islamic State.
And Turkey was never really a functioning democracy, and only worked as (comparatively) well as it did because Kemalism *suppressed* Islam.
Westman says
Exactly, Graven.
gravenimage says
Hi, Westman.
Michael Copeland says
“Islam is Sharia, and Sharia is Islam. They are the same.” – Fouad Belkacem, Sharia4Belgium.
Sharia is “incompatible with the fundamental principles of democracy” – European Court 2003
BLC says
Theocracy is what Islam is all about. A theocracy and a democracy do not mix.
no_one says
Secular Turkey was established by Ataturk. Try finding a picture of him. He is blond. The rumor has it that his parents were Bulgarian converts to islam, which makes sense. They have a Slavic component in their nation. Turks enslaved many white Slavic girls, many were made wives of Turks, so today’s Turks, especially in the European part appear whiter. Study the history of Bulgaria. They endured 500 years under turkish yoke (now called co-existance with Ottomans, a peaceful one). They fought Islam for 5 centuries and remained Christian. At the end Russia liberated them. No ethnic Bulgarian will ever forget that. Their churches pray for the souls of the slain solders and the Russian king who liberated them every Sunday. Greece has also long history of Turkish yoke too. Catholics did not help their Christian “brothers”. Instead they captured some islands and tried to convert people to become catholic. These two countries know a lot about islamic “democracy”. They had to pay a tax to the turks because the latter were damaging their teeth eating Bulgarian and Greek food. It is not conspiracy. It is the truth. They paid another tax for not being muslim. Also their best boys were taken at young age to be trained for Ottoman solders. People called that blood tax. It is not made up. I know people who have this as part of their family history.
ibrahim itace muhammed says
dave, you are the most stupid ignorant fanatical christian.you first said democracy entails freedom of religion and plurality.later you said muslims should be denied freedom of religion because islam is not a religion.is your reasoning faculty functioning? i doubt much.when you say plurality you are talking of a society with divergent views.if muslim population is excluded in a christian majority nation,then there is no tolerance to divergent view.as such that nation is not practicing true democracy,bu totalitarianism.is that what you want western nations to shift to?the tunisian president is saying in islam freedom of religion is guaranteed.non-muslims are free to practice their religions and choose the type of legal sytem they want to be applied to them,while sharia shall be applied to muslims only.this plural system applied even during the time of the holy prophet where the society then comprised of muslim majority and non-muslim minorities.note, to have sharia laws applied to muslims is part of their freedom to practice their religion.kamal ataturk denied muslims the right to have sharia laws applied to them in turkey.as such he did not introduce true democracy to turkey,but totalitarianism and dictatorship.even erdogan you said is killing democracy has not succeeded in guaranteeing freedom of religion to muslims turks to have sharia fully applied to them. mr dave, your hate-speech against islam and muslims shows that you are anti-democratic.you believe in man-god,while believe that god cannot be a man.there is only one god whom no eye have seen.stick to your man-god belief and allow muslims to do otherwise.that is democratic.the misguided terrorists are deviants not representing true position of islam on democracy.tunisia is now tracking down these anti-democratic so that true islamic democracy will prevail in tunisia.
no_one says
Ibrahim,
There are no churches in Saudi Arabia. Christianity is not allowed in Iran. So Islam is not compatible with democracy. Also Christians suffer in Egypt and all over Africa. Their homes get burned all the time by a muslim mobs. Muslims do think the non-Muslim are second class citizen if they leave them alive at all. Islam is not a religion. It is a political system too. i do not wish to abide by sharia and I should not be pushed to do so. What I have learned from history of those nations that were under islamic rule for centuries, but managed to liberate themselves is that you can never trust a muslim. They are allowed to lie to non-believers.
Michael says
Ibrahim, you are free to live under sharia law in any place you like, as long as it is far, far away from any democratic country. No sane democratic people will allow great numbers of muslims into their country simply because islam always drives it’s adherents to dominate and destroy democratic institutions. We have all read the koran now. We know you are a lying subversive, bent on conquest. And I wouldn’t be concerned with other’s reasoning faculties. If I were you I would be more concerned with getting out of islam before it is too late.
Also, your English is abominable.
gravenimage says
Vile Muslim apologist ibrahim itace muhammed wrote:
dave (sic), you are the most stupid ignorant fanatical christian.you (sic) first said democracy entails freedom of religion and plurality.later (sic) you said muslims (sic) should be denied freedom of religion because islam (sic) is not a religion.is (sic) your reasoning faculty functioning?
……………………………
Muslims are not content to peacefully practice their faith–instead, their goal is to make everyone submit to Islam. Muslim supremacist muhammed knows this, of course.
More:
i (sic) doubt much.when (sic) you say plurality you are talking of a society with divergent views.if (sic) muslim (sic) population is excluded in a christian (sic) majority nation,then (sic) there is no tolerance to divergent view.
……………………………
“Divergent view”–as in Infidels wish to live freely, and Muslims want to oppress, rape, and slaughter them.
More:
as (sic) such that nation is not practicing true democracy,bu (sic) totalitarianism.is (sic) that what you want western nations to shift to?
……………………………
If you “filthy Infidels” don’t wish to let Muslims murder you, you are a bunch of “totalitarians”…
More:
the tunisian (sic) president is saying in islam (sic) freedom of religion is guaranteed.non-muslims (sic) are free to practice their religions and choose the type of legal sytem (sic) they want to be applied to them,while (sic) sharia shall be applied to muslims (sic) only.this (sic) plural system applied even during the time of the holy prophet where the society then comprised of muslim (sic) majority and non-muslim (sic) minorities.
……………………………
What utter claptrap. dhimmis had to live as threatened and humiliated second-class citizens. The “Prophet” himself enslaved and mass-murdered Infidels.
More:
note (sic), to have sharia laws applied to muslims (sic) is part of their freedom to practice their religion.
……………………………
What is more indicative of “freedom” than butchering apostates and stoning rape victims to death?
More:
kamal ataturk (sic) denied muslims (sic) the right to have sharia laws applied to them in turkey.as (sic) such he did not introduce true democracy to turkey,but (sic) totalitarianism and dictatorship.
……………………………
Turkey was never a democracy–but it was only as comparatively civilized as it was due to the suppression of Islam.
More:
even erdogan (sic) you said is killing democracy has not succeeded in guaranteeing freedom of religion to muslims (sic) turks (sic) to have sharia fully applied to them.
……………………………
Look what this vicious Mohammedan is asserting–that Turkey was last “democratic” *during the Armenian Genocide*, when well over a million Infidels were slaughtered there. **Ugh**.
More:
mr dave (sic), your hate-speech against islam (sic) and muslims (sic) shows that you are anti-democratic.
……………………………
Yes–not wanting to be mass murdered by Muslims is “anti-democratic”…
More:
you (sic) believe in man-god,while (sic) believe that god cannot be a man.there (sic) is only one god (sic) whom no eye have seen.stick to your man-god (sic) belief and allow muslims (sic) to do otherwise.that (sic) is democratic.
……………………………
This “your religion to you, and me to mine”–while smearing Christians, of course–is quite false. Muslims are never content to allow Infidels, Christian or otherwise–to live unmolested. Certainly, this is not the case in Tunisia.
More:
the (sic) misguided terrorists are deviants (sic) not representing true position of islam (sic) on democracy.tunisia (sic) is now tracking down these anti-democratic (sic) so that true islamic (sic) democracy will prevail in tunisia (sic).
……………………………
Good God, what claptrap. There is nothing so Islamic as Jihad terror. The “Prophet” himself was a Jihadist.
There is no such thing as “Islamic democracy”, nor is there anything democratic about brutal Shari’ah law. No Muslim country has ever been democratic, nor could it be.
Blangwort says
How well has that worked for the Turks?
Matthieu Baudin says
Tunisia is a country where movement towards an expanded civil society is possible and therefore a Muslim Majority country worth dealing with and supporting. (The same could be said of Morocco in this respect.) The aim however should be to shape a Tunisia that citizens wish to live in and be a part of; there is nothing to be gained and much to be lost by people abandoning the country on mass and burdening Europeans with the associated financial and social costs. Social stability and economic opportunity have to be pursued and become realities in Tunisia itself and will not be enhanced if the population are encouraged to abandon their country, particularly while the current violent jihad sweeps across much of North Africa.
gravenimage says
I wish this were the case, Matthieu. Here’s this story:
“Tunisia: Hundreds of jihadi cells found in tourist hotspot after Islamic State massacre”
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2016/12/tunisia-hundreds-of-jihadi-cells-found-in-tourist-hotspot-after-islamic-state-massacre/comment-page-1#comment-1568729
ibrahim itace muhammed says
michael, i pity you people adhering to filthy christianity evolved from roman paganism of mithraism inspired by the devil.you are in darkeness we ,the arabs, call jahiliyya.note,democracy is a human innovation not found in your evil bible (the book of genocide and phornograph).the church in europe kicked against democracy and it was overthrown by secularists. muslims, on the other hand, acting on what prophet said to accept wisdom from any source it comes,received and molded democracy along with othe human knowledge that gave rise to islamic golden age that gave birth to modern science and developement.by time that your forefathers led beast lives. you are complaining about my english.arabic is my mother tongue.the important thing is to get the message and you getting it
Susan B says
There never was a golden age of islam!! That is just another islamic lie. The only thing islam has brought to the world is death and destruction with a god that hates females and orders murder and rape. Your taqiyya card is terminated because lying is not compatible with democracy.
Michael says
Yes, I’m getting the point. You have no grasp on human history. You have been indoctrinated not educated. You completely misunderstand Christianity and it’s Jewish origins.
As to language, I do not read or write Arabic, so I commend your progress in English. Perhaps it is your bitter, uninformed rhetoric that makes your ESL grammar so offensive.
As to democracy, your islamic indoctrination has made it impossible for you to grasp the idea of human freedom. I once heard a debate between a Christian scholar and an islamic imam. What struck me most was the imam’s complete inability to imagine how a person might be good without sharia law dictating every thought, every action, every hour, every day. This illustrates the wide gulf between islam’s crushing, external religious code, and Christianity’s free and graceful change within the human mind and heart. It is the difference between brutal force and loving persuasion. It is the difference between Allah, and the one true God existent in three persons. Always one, always Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, everywhere present together, yet distinct. Unity and diversity from all eternity.
gravenimage says
Fine post, Michael.
gravenimage says
More from Muslim apologist ibrahim itace muhammed:
michael (sic), i (sic) pity you people adhering to filthy christianity (sic) evolved from roman paganism of mithraism (sic) inspired by the devil.you (sic) are in darkeness (sic) we ,the arabs (sic), call jahiliyya.note,democracy (sic) is a human innovation not found in your evil bible (the book of genocide and phornograph) (sic).
……………………………………….
Actually, Jahiliyya is a *Muslim* concept, not an “Arab” one. Arab Christians do not rant about the “darkeness” of the time before Islam.
As for the claims about Mithraism, they are absurd. Historians have–rightly–noted the symbolic role of light in both Mithraism and Christianity, and early Roman Christian artists based portraits of Christ on images of Mithra.
Really, these are the only connections. The Cult of Mithras was favored by the Roman military, and had little in common with Christianity spiritually or philosophically. But then, muhammed here is deeply ignorant of both Christianity and of history in general.
And he endlessly rants about “phornograph” in the Bible. Telling that a Mohammedan would consider the Golden Rule and the thought of a loving God to be “phornographic”.
More:
the (sic) church in europe (sic) kicked against democracy and it was overthrown by secularists.
……………………………………….
Absurd. There was always separation of church and state in Christianity, something that Muslims cannot grasp at all. In fact, modern democracy developed in Christian nations–specifically, in Europe and those countries whose heritage is European.
Christian concepts such as equality before God and loving your neighbor as yourself were in fact key to the development of modern democracy.
The whole point is that anyone–religious or not–can live and thrive under democracy. The only exceptions to this are totalitarians–including Mohammedans, who want to subjugate Infidels and impose brutal Shari’ah law.
More:
muslims (sic), on the other hand, acting on what prophet said to accept wisdom from any source it comes,received (sic) and molded democracy along with othe (sic) human knowledge that gave rise to islamic (sic) golden age that gave birth to modern science and developement.by (sic) time that your forefathers led beast lives.
……………………………………….
Well, this is ludicrous in many levels. Firstly, Muslims reject all Bi’da–innovation–and that *certainly* includes democracy. Muslim scholars regularly rail against democracy for being un-Islamic–which, of course, it is. Democracy does not recognize the supremacy of any one group, including Muslims.
And the idea that Islam practiced democracy during its “golden age” is just laughable. To the extent that this period existed, it was the last showing of people conquered by Islam, before they either fled or were ground down under oppression, forced conversion, and murder.
Most of the important figures of this period were not Muslims, but conquered Infidels.
If you want to see another Islamic “golden age”, just let Islam conquer the West. Muslims would take credit for the dwindling output of its increasingly oppressed Infidels, until they–like those in the Middle East, North Africa, and other places overrun by the Muslim hordes, sank into the malaise, intellectual inertia, and stagnation of Islam.
It is notable, in fact, that the most heavily Islamic places are the most backward hellholes–places like Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia, which produce no products or ideas, save for rabid savagery.
The idea that Islam innovated science is false–and all of Dar-al-Islam lags way behind the civilized world today. Why would this be the case, if Islam encourages intellectual exploration?
More:
you (sic) are complaining about my english.arabic (sic) is my mother tongue.the (sic) important thing is to get the message and you getting it
……………………………………….
Who has complained about muhammed’s English? No one I have seen.
The problem, in fact, is that he is just literate enough to expose how he despises Christians and Hindus, hates Jews, and endorses Islamic savagery. Really, he has been able to convey this ugliness *all too well*.
ibrahim itace muhammed says
susan b, tell me what filthy christianity contributed to civilisation apart from supersititions inspired by the devil. science historians acknowledge that islam truly inspired muslims to contribute to the body of knowledge.only you ignorant idiot never care to know all these.your concern is to worship human as god,which is an extreme stupidity.
gravenimage says
Yet more from ibrahim itace muhammed:
susan b (sic), tell me what filthy christianity (sic) contributed to civilisation apart from supersititions (sic) inspired by the devil.
…………………………………
Christian and culturally Christian countries are the most civilized, advanced, charitable, and decent nations in human history. This is, in large part, due to the influence of Christian concepts such as brotherhood and equality.
More:
science (sic) historians acknowledge that islam (sic) truly inspired muslims (sic) to contribute to the body of knowledge.only (sic) you ignorant idiot never care to know all these.your (sic) concern is to worship human as god,which (sic) is an extreme stupidity.
…………………………………
This is, of course, utter claptrap, The small amount of scientific innovation in Dar-al-Islam was virtually entirely the work of Infidels. There has been almost no scientific advancement by Muslims. The handful of Nobel Prize winners from the Muslim world are all “heretics” and apostates, and they all studied at Infidel universities.
Meanwhile, my alma mater UC Berkeley has produced more Nobel Laureates than the entire Muslim world. Infidels in general and Jews in particular shine in science, technology, and innovation–Muslims do not.
And why would they? Islam despises reason and the rational mind. muhammed here exemplifies that.
Eternal Vigilance says
Still waiting for someone to speak of the Quran sponsorship of hope, charity and forgiveness!