INTERVIEW 1

With Huda M. About Racial Discrimination

Q 1 : W H Y D O YO U C O N S I D E R YO U R S E L F

A S A M I N O R I T Y ?

I consider myself as a tunisian black person. So, I belong to an

ethnic minority.

Q 2 : H AV E Y O U E V E R F A C E D R A C I S T A C T S I N T U N I S I A ?

H O W D I D Y O U R E A C T ?

I was both verbally and physically attacked. It has eased a little bit

with time and after the revolution, I was a victim of Islamophobia

because of my Hijab.

My reaction was anger in both cases: racism and Islamophobia. I

exiled myself in Libya because my life became hell as a journalist in an

environment that I consider quite Islamophobic because it rejects

veiled women in the media.

Q 3 : W H A T I S T H E S I T UA T I O N O F B L A C K

P E O P L E I N T E R M S O F H U M A N R I G H T S I N

T U N I S I A ?

Tunisian blacks remain an invisible minority which

theoretically enjoys its rights but in practice they are second-class

citizens if I compare them to their Libyan confreres, which are

more visible in Libyan society (politics, culture, TV etc).

Q 4 : D O E S T H E T U N I S I A N L AW D E F E N D YO U

A G A I N S T R A C I S M A N D A G G R E S S I O N ?

From a legal point, nothing in the old and new constitution

discriminates black people but the practice leaves much to be desired.

Q 5 : W H AT S O L U T I O N S AG A I N S T R AC I S M

I N T U N I S I A D O YO U S U G G E S T ?

solution? In my opinion, we need to change attitudes through

education from kindergarten to college.

We also need tougher laws against discriminatory acts.

Q 6 : D O Y O U T H I N K T H E T U N I S I A N E D U C A T I O N

I N C I T E S D I S C R I M I N A T I O N ?

Tunisian education does not give importance to the fight against

discrimination. Tunisians often speak about discrimination abroad

and turn a blind eye to discriminatory practices in Tunisia (denial

of the existence of such a problem).

No, I don’t think the Tunisian education incites discrimination but

there are cases of racist educators.