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An Al-Jazeera TV report recently examined the issue of racism and discrimination against blacks in Tunisia, interviewing victims of violent racist attacks, who complained that they were not treated as equals even by the courts. A mixed couple said that segregated school buses had been introduced "to stop mixed marriages." Anti-racism activist Saadia Mosbah said that the law does not consider racism to be a crime, and Human Rights Minister Kamel Jendoubi admitted that racism exists against blacks, saying: "The government must tackle this matter." The report was posted on the Internet on March 17.
Following are excerpts
Voice of reporter: Tunisia, like every other country in North Africa, has a large minority of black people - many do jobs that are menial or badly paid and have little chance of improving their status. After the revolution of 2011, Tunisia adopted a new constitution, it declared that all citizens, male and female are equal before the law without any discrimination.
[...]
Tunisian black rapper: I thought you and I were both Tunisian and loved our country. If I thought we were all Muslims, equal under God. Turns out, I was wrong.
Voice of reporter: But it seems some Tunisians are still more equal than others.
[...]
Soccer fan: Hey blackie...
Other soccer fan: Who's the blackie?
Yassir Letifi, soccer referee: Racist words like 'darkie' upset me a lot. I feel depressed and can't focus on the match. It hurts me, deep in my heart. There's no punishment. The fans aren't penalized. The game goes for the managers.
[...]
Tunisian black rapper: How am I supposed to love my country when it doesn't love me? People won't let me live. They only see my black skin. They see me as a slave, not what I am inside. They say abusive things "Blacks suck out your dirt because it's filthy."
I wrote this song about racism in Tunisia.
Saadia Mosbah : This is the first time I've returned to the petrol station. We asked the guy to fix the wheel. He said he didn't serve slaves. He insulted me. He called me dirty. My son asked him not to talk to me like that. Then, two of his colleagues held my son down. They strangled him, they wanted to beat him with a metal pole.
[...]
Mehdi Mohmoudi: They shouldn't treat us like this. We should be equal. They say 'servant,' 'rat' or 'African.'
[...]
Marbouka Mohmoudi, revealing an injury on her head, beneath her hijab
She spent the night in the hospital.
Marbouka Mohmoudi: I went home crying. I'm traumatized. I was attacked and received no justice. He beat me. My blood was all over the floor. But the court dismissed my case, they told me to go home as if I was an animal or a beaten dog. Not a human being.
Saadia Mosbah: Racism in Tunisia exists, but it's not seen for the evil that it is. If the law said racism was a crime, our legislators would deal with it. But they say racism doesn't exist. That's because they don't think black people exist.
[...]
Black husband of a Tunisian white wife: Because of our marriage, they introduced segregated school buses. The bus for white kids only has an advert for white yoghurt. But the bus for black kids had one for chocolate yoghurt too. They segregated the buses to stop mixed marriages.
[...]
Kamel Jendoubi, Minister for Human Rights: There is racism in Tunisia, I can't be any clearer on that. It's a real issue, not an imaginary one. Black people feel badly treated, whether at work or at school. This affects them hugely. The government must tackle this matter. I will work to ensure this happens.
[...]
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