Question of date divides Tunisia

Manama: Tunisians are divided over when the North African nation should officially celebrate its popular revolution.

For many historians the official date should be December 17, when the self-immolation of 27-year-old street vendor Mohammad Bu Azizi sparked the first rallies and demonstrations.

However, for other historians, the culmination of the revolution, and not its start, should be the date to celebrate the popular uprising that toppled a much-hated regime and heralded a new era for the country.

"The Tunisian revolution started on December 17 when Mohammad Bu Azizi committed suicide in Sid Bu Zid," said historian Amaira Alaya.

"Events followed gradually and the revolution spread to all parts of the country in January. It reached its pinnacle on January 14 when the former president fled the country. The downfall of the regime marked the end of the first stage of the revolution which is not over yet," he added.

For Alaya, revolutions are not known by the day they started, but by the events that really define them.

"In the case of Tunisia, that defining date is when Zain Al Abedine Bin Ali fled the country and not when Mohammad Bu Azizi committed suicide," he said.

"The French Revolution lasted 10 years, but it is known as the 1789 Revolution when La Bastille, an icon of despotism, was raided by the people," he said, quoted by Assabah daily.

However, for Mohammad Dhaifallah, another historian, the date of the revolution goes beyond history to encompass geography.

"The revolution started on December 17 in the heartland of Tunisia," he said.

"It is not fair to link the date with January when the revolution spread to the capital, Tunis. The January 14 date would be a claim that only events that happen in Tunis hold the greatest significance — and this is not fair," he added.

The events in Tunis should be seen as the culmination of the revolution and therefore the date should be when it started, not when it reached that level, he said.

Political and cultural anthropologist Amine Bu Azizi said the date should be December 17 on the grounds that it marked the beginning of the popular rallies and demands to change the regime.