Islamist MP invites Ennahda members to join his bloc

Tunisia's opposition al-Hashemi al-Hamedi A member of Tunisia's opposition, al-Hashemi al-Hamedi, head of the Public Petition Bloc, has called on parliamentary members of the country's ruling Ennahda party to join his bloc

which possesses 26 seats. The London-based politician wants to establish "a strong parliamentary bloc that represents the will of the majority of Tunisian people, who want to have a constitution based on civility, democracy, and adopting Islamic religion as the main source of legislation".
The move came on the back of Ennahda party's decision to retain the first clause of the 1959 constitution, which states: "Tunisia is a free, independent and sovereign state. Its religion is Islam, its language is Arabic, and its political regime is republic."
The issue has increasingly polarised the country since the January 2011 revolution. Ennahda's stance was criticised by hardline Islamists who wanted full-blown sharia, but welcomed by secular parties.
 "We are not going to use the law to impose religion," Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the moderate Islamist party, told a press conference. 
Islam is Tunisia's official religion and the constitution stipulates the president should be a Muslim but the state is largely secular.
Some had voiced concern that the Islamist party would seek to curb women's rights and other liberties in an Arab country known for its progressive laws. But Ghannouchi said Ennahda would not "introduce ambiguous definitions into the constitution that risk dividing the people," adding that "many Tunisians do not have a clear image of Sharia and erroneous practices in certain countries have aroused fear." 
The statement has angered Tunisia's ultra-conservative Salafists, who have been pushing for sharia to be recognised as the main source of law. 
At least 8,000 hardline Islamists staged a demonstration in central Tunis on Sunday to press their demands and Ennahda's stance came as a disappointment Tuesday. "This is a betrayal of all those who voted for this party ... and the principles of the Islamist movement," Hechmi Haamdi of the hardline Islamist al-Arydha movement told AFP. 
Progressive Democratic Party member Meher Hanin, however, said the announcement had "lifted the ambiguity" on Sharia's place in the law. "This will allow us to advance in the writing of the constitution," said Hanin, whose party is in parliamentary opposition. 
"Ennahda has made clear declarations; the secular character of the state is maintained. Now it must honour those commitments," he added.
Mohamed Bennour, spokesman of Ennahda's governing coalition partner Ettakatol, the Islamist party's decision bolstered national unity. "We hope they will suit actions to words," he said.
Al-Hamedi said in an earlier interview: "Ennahda's decision to not adopt Islam as the main source of legislation can be considered as treason for both the people who voted for them, and the principles of the modern Islamic movement in Tunisia. The MPs' agreement on the party decision was very frustrating."
The Public Petition Movement had earlier submitted a proposal for a new constitution stating calling for Sharia law to be the base of the north African country's new constitution.
Meanwhile, the constituent board of the Ennahda party decided on Sunday to retain the 1959 clause, stating: "We believe that the first subject of the 1959 constitution is a clear and comprehensive definition for the identity of the Tunisian state, which is agreed by all the political and social fronts of the country. This subject ensures the Arabic and Islamic identity of Tunisia as well as the principles of civility and democracy."
Ghannouchi, an Ennahda founding member, had in the 1970s called for strict application of sharia in Tunisia to restore order in a society he said had become depraved. But he has toned down his discourse in recent years.
A Muslim majority of more than 90 per cent has lived peacefully for years with religious minorities, including Jews.