After violent riots by Salafists in Tunisia, the State must confess colour in Tunisia are currently so calm as often once the nights. Because in the urban centers of Tunisia there is a curfew since Tuesday evening. Initially between 21: 00 and 5: 00 a.m., since yesterday between 22 and 4 o’clock, the otherwise very busy streets of the Tunisian capital of Tunis, but also the Nobel suburb by the sea and the tourist stronghold, further to the South are deserted. At the beginning of the week, salafistische groups had made mobile in Tunis and its surroundings. A court house was on fire, attacked police stations and in La Marsa, one of the most fashionable seaside resorts in Tunisia, an art exhibition was devastated.

Previously, Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri had called the Tunisians to the uprising to enforce Sharia law. It is possible that the time of the decision has begun for Tunisia, the land of the “Jasmine revolution”. After violent riots by Salafists in Tunisia, the State must confess colour decisions must in any case so the perhaps strongest Impression of the past days, the Tunisian State. Tunisia is still run by a transitional Government, the “moderate Islamist” Ennahda is strongest force, who is also the incumbent President Moncef Marzouki. The conduct of the police feared before the revolution during the salafistischen riots of last week, suggests at least that the Tunisian Government is beyond their course towards radical political Islam still in doubt. The Salafis may have been surprised how little resistance was set against them by sides of the vigilantes.

And also the political statements, to hear these days in Tunisia, are boiled or even the thing the Salafists to sympathetic. So the Tunisian President Marzouki called “Defend revolution on the road”, “to defend the revolution on the road”. While he – ventured as so often–whether the stock to defending the revolution in Tunisia in the dark is secular or Islamist. The Tunisian police had received anyway, obviously no command corresponding to this call. The Minister of education, also Ennahda, responded clearly and announced an ad against the organizers of the art exhibition, which had incurred the wrath of the Salafists to since their exhibits allegedly insulted Islam. Not easily traced to outsiders, the hopes of those in Tunisia who want no salafistischen God State for the country’s future are on the military, which apparently was pulled together in the barracks. Nothing can be seen of this, not even more guards than before facing the Presidential Palace. Confusing normalcy ever is the normality that presents itself to the observer on the streets of Tunisia, perhaps the most confusing element of this confusion not poor situation. You can see – nothing. But maybe change today, because in about two and a half hours Friday noon prayer is in Tunisia, as in the Arab world. On Facebook and other Internet forums called for the afternoon to the “holy war”, what that might mean. The Government has reversed for today a nationwide ban on demonstrations imposed. Tunisia goes which way in the next few years, will not decide sure today, whatever whatever happens. But there may be clues and you could be quite bloody. Andreas Kellner…