Memories of Tunis
I'm traveling in Vietnam, and so cannot cast any light on the extraordinary events in Tunisia, but thought some readers might be interested in this excerpt from a letter I just received from a student I taught there in 2006. I wrote her to ask for her reactions to the upheaval. We've exchanged letters over the years but she had never before expressed herself in political terms.
this is a "happy new year", though situation seems sad because a lot of innocents died
but "happy" because we are liberated from our fear, from "big brother is watching you"!!
we have never accepted frailty and oblivion, we were just working and making our way!! we were disconnected from what is going on around! but then one day, he made the greatest mistake of his life: he started killing people in an attempt to quit their call for their rights! that was unbearable for us to see mothers crying! the human being mean nothing to them..we do not trust his government anymore..
let me just tell you one important thing: Tunisian citizens are so peaceful, we have never been terrorists! those who are burning the country are his police right now, they stole cars, ambulances and are shooting on innocent citizens and they burnt the country!!
we are trying to protect each other, the army is there too thank god
solidarity and such a great youthful energy is there! they are trying to clean the country and construct what's been destroyed by the despot!!