Tunisia: Muslim extremists attack hotel for serving alcohol
Tunisians hold up signs reading “Happy freedom day” on Feb. 14, 2011, in Tunis on Valentine’s Day, as the country celebrates its one month anniversary of the Tunisian revolution. The revolution in Tunisia sparked protests across the region including one that toppled Egypt’s regime weeks later. (Fethi Belaid//AFP/Getty Images)
About 50 to 100 Islamist extremists raided a hotel bar in the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid Monday night, Agence France-Presse reported. Bearded men burst into the bar shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) and "Al-Saharab haram," (drinking is a sin), according to the AFP. A witness who tried to film the raid was beaten and then taken away to an unknown place.
"About 100 Salafis attacked the hotel on Monday night and smashed all its contents. They entered the rooms and damaged furniture and smashed bottles of alcohol," Jamil Horcheni, the owner of the hotel, told Reuters.
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Alcohol is legal in Tunisia, but after Tunisia's president was overthrown last year, Salafist fundamentalists are trying to change that. The fundamentalists want to bring Sharia law to Tunisia, and have a history of staging anti-alcohol protests, according to BBC News.
In May the Salafists announced that they were committed to completely banning alcohol, Tunis Afrique Presse reported. And last month two journalists in Tunisia were arrested and charged with alcohol and “morals” offenses, according to Amnesty International.
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