In Mourning

I am in mourning for a country I have never been to. The protests in Tunis have turned violent. I fear for those that are still a part of my family, but I have never met. I fear for the expats who are visiting their families. I fear for him even though he is in the same city that I live. Below is a link to an EXTREMELY GRAPHIC (NOT FOR CHILDREN AT ALL!!!!) video that was posted on facebook about what was happening in one of the hospitals. I myself could not watch the whole thing. I am crying while I write this post because the utopia that I have always dreamed of going to has shed its skin and has shown it's soul.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=117789271627321&comments

While Tunis is a very beautiful country, it has many problems. There is basically no freedom of press. There is little to no transparency in the government and the same president has magically won all the elections for the last 23 years. (By the way, he is the 2nd president since Tunis won independence from the French in 1956.) There is extremely high unemployment especially of those who have college degrees. That is why the protests started because Ben Ali promised to do something about it and nothing was done. Tunisia  also has the most progressive personal code and the women have the most freedoms out of all the women in MENA.  However, this freedom has been gifted to Tunisian women by men and therefore, is also a means of control of the population as well as a nice illusion for European tourists.

I really have no clue where this is going to go.  I know I will probably cry more because if this truly is a revolution then there will be a lot more innocents killed and if it is not then Ben Ali will, of course, want his revenge.  This means even less freedoms for Tunisians.  (I doubt the internet will be quite as interesting if Ben Ali comes out on top.)  The protesters (and maybe their families included) will be jailed, tortured, and/or killed.  The lucky ones will go to Europe for asylum.  The mirage of the Afro-Arab utopia will continue.

Please pray for Tunis and say Surah al-Fatiha. I will.  If you know any Tunisians in the U.S. or wherever you are, be supportive.  I am in pain because I know that someone I love is in pain.  This feeling would be multiplied ten fold if I was away from home and this happened to my people.

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi Raji'un