On May 19, 2013, the third annual Ansar Al-Shari'a conference is to be held in the Tunisian city of Al-Qayrawan, with an expected attendance of over 40,000 - despite the fact that the Tunisian government has banned the conference, on the grounds that the organizer, Ansar Al-Shari'a in Tunisia (AST), failed to obtain the necessary permits. The government also recently placed restrictions on AST's public da'wa activities, which has heightened tensions between AST members and Tunisian authorities, including reports of clashes across the country. AST has stated that it intends to hold its annual conference this Sunday regardless of the Tunisian government ban....
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