Tunisian Salafism between institutional politics, dawa and jihadism

Description

The article examines the emergence of Tunisian Salafism in the aftermath of the fall of the Ben Ali regime and analyses its impact on the on-going process of democratization. Building on primary sources and original field work, the article looks at the challenge that Salafism represents for a successful outcome of the Tunisian transition to democracy, while arguing that its internal complexity and differences should also be highlighted. The Tunisian transition is a unique laboratory of political dynamics in the Arab world and the way in which Salafism interacts with other political and social actors influences both its ideological tenets and strategies.