Activist’s murder in Tunisia attests to racism’s grip
Tunisia’s new law against racism needs substantial backup in the form of cultural change.
There is a theory that the word “Africa” originates from the Romans, who used to refer to the ancient city of Carthage, now a Tunis suburb, as “land of Afri.” Geographically, Tunisia is the highest point in Africa; as a geo-linguistic point, Tunisians are considered Africans as much as Canadians are North Americans or Vietnamese are Asian. But in Tunisia, a history of colonization, political dictatorship, institutionalized racism and a culture of microaggression has distorted and complicated identity politics to a tipping point.
“Tunisians are Africans” is not a geographically neutral statement; it is a rallying cry used at anti-racist protests.
