Let’s Say No to Slavery & Racism in Tunisia!

Today, 23rd January, Tunisia celebrates 169th anniversary of the Bey act abolishing slavery in Tunisia. This act made Tunisia the first Arab and Muslim country to abolish slavery in modern period in 1846 and it even predated the United States constitutional ban on slavery by nearly 20 years.

The Ottoman leader, Bey Ahmed Ibn Mustapha, issued a decree outlawing slavery in the country when he realized that the increased European intervention throughout North Africa threatened Tunisian independence and thus embraced abolition as a progressive reform measure to safeguard its integrity and sovereignty.

In comparison with other Arab countries, slavery was abolished in Morocco in 1922, Iraq in 1924, Qatar in 1952, Saudi Arabia and Yemen in 1962, the United Arab Emirates in 1963 and Oman in 1970.

In January 14th, Tunisians celebrated the 4th anniversary of the revolution and the path towards a democracy. However, today we still witness many racist practices where blacks are treated as slaves all around the country and in a more official manner in the southern states.

I was shocked to hear from Saadia Mosbah, the president of Mnemty, an anti-racism NGO, that in some parts of the country, institutionalized slavery still exists like in El Gosba- Mednine where two separate buses take the kids to school according to their colors; a bus for whites and another for blacks!!

A black worker at a hotel, told me that the cemeteries are still separated as well; one for the whites “masters”  and the other for the blacks “slaves”. Isn’t this shocking in a country pretending to be fighting for human rights and equality? where is equality if people are still discriminated against by the state for their skin color?!!

Human Trafficking, known as Modern-day slavery exists in Tunisia as well making it a source, destination and transit country for the phenomenon. According to a 2013 baseline study conducted by the Government of Tunisia in partnership with the IOM, Tunisian youth are subjected to various forms of trafficking, which appear to be consistent with previously reported patterns. Over the last several years, Tunisian girls, mainly from the northwest part of the country, are sent to work as domestic servants for wealthy families in Tunis and major coastal cities. Some child domestic workers experience restrictions on movement, physical and psychological violence, and sexual abuse. International organizations report an increased presence of street children and more rural children working to support their families in Tunisia since the 2011 revolution; according to the baseline study, these children are vulnerable to both forced labor and sex trafficking. Tunisian women have reportedly been forced into prostitution under false promises of work both within the country and elsewhere in the region, such as Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Jordan, while Tunisian girls, primarily 15 to 18 years old, are exploited in prostitution in the coastal cities of Sousse and Sfax. Women from west and east Africa may be subjected to forced labor as domestic workers. Migrants who flee unrest in neighboring countries to Tunisia continue to be vulnerable to trafficking in Tunisia. Security officials report that organized gangs recruit street children to serve as thieves and beggars and to transport drugs.

Isn’t it high time we fought these practices and paid more attention to equality?!

SOURCES:  Trafficking in persons report 2014, US Department of State.