Tunisians outraged after female parliamentarian slapped by Islamist colleague
The incident of a Tunisian parliament member attacking his female colleague under the dome of parliament shook the Tunisian public opinion amid mounting popular calls for its dissolution after it turned into an arena of conflict between parliament members, especially considering the incident is not the first of its kind.
TUNIS — On June 30, independent parliament member Sahbi Samara slapped Abeer Moussi, head of the opposition Free Destourian Party bloc, during a plenary parliamentary session in the presence of first deputy speaker of parliament Samira Chawashi and Minister of Women, Family, Childhood and Seniors Iman Hoymel.
On the evening of the same day, Moussi was physically attacked by Seif el-Din Makhlouf, head of the right-wing Karama coalition, which is close to the Islamic Ennahda movement, during a parliamentary session scheduled to discuss a draft basic law to approve an agreement that would allow the opening of a Qatar Fund for Development office in Tunisia.
The attacks against Moussi raised the ire of Tunisian parties and organizations. The premiership condemned the incidents in a statement on June 30 as an attack on women and the gains they have achieved thanks to the struggles of Tunisian women. The premiership further stressed its “absolute rejection of all practices that disrupt the democratic system and affect the stability of the state and the normal functioning of its institutions.”
In a statement issued on July 2, speaker of parliament Rachid Ghannouchi, who is also the leader of Ennahda, expressed his shock at the attack and condemned it, and he dismissed the behavior as an irresponsible act that fails to honor the parliamentary institution that enacted legislation criminalizing all forms of violence, especially against Tunisian women.
