We publish the testimony of a Tunisian university student who signed with a pseudonym: the text has been posted on the blog collective Nawaat, located close to the opposition I am part of the new generation lived in Tunisia under the absolute reign of Ben Ali. In high school, college, you are always afraid to talk about politics."There are spies everywhere," he said. No one dares to discuss it in public. Nobody trusts. The neighbor, friend, the grocer may be a spy for Ben Ali. Want to take you away by force, you or your father, in some undefined place in the evening or four in the morning? We grow up with this fear of commitment, and we continue to study, you go around, you come out at night without caring about politics.
In the years of high school are beginning to understand the intricacies of the royal family, and you hear stories here and there, on this or that relative of Leila (the first lady of Tunisia, ed.) Which took control of the industry, which has appropriate land or someone else who has dealt with the Italian Mafia.
He speaks, it is discussed between us, everyone is aware, but do not act. He continued his studies, soon you realize that the Tunisian TV is the worst of all, all information is a hymn to the glory of the president. Ben Ali is always in its best light. Everyone knows that you dye your hair black.
His wife, with her wooden smile, nobody likes him, has never seemed sincere. You live. Or do you live, you think of living. You want to believe that all is well, because it is part of the middle class, but we know that during the day, the bars are crammed with people, unemployed people discuss football.
The first night clubs open their doors, you start out, drinking, doing night life from the parts of Sousse or Hammamet. Other stories circulating about a certain Trabelsi (the last name of first lady, ed) which has split the face-to-one because he wanted to do it, or another with the same name that caused a traffic accident and then he returned to home to sleep.
These stories, to tell us quickly, discreetly. We avenge our way: stories, we seem to conspire. The cops are afraid. If you say you are a relative of Ben Ali all the doors open, the hotels give you the best rooms, parking lots are free, the traffic ceases. The Tunisia becomes a virtual playing field.
They do not risk anything, can do what they want, treat the laws as if they were puppets. The Internet is blocked. The censored pages are passed not to find or nonexistent. At school, we will exchange the proxy (the roads to avoid censorship IT, ed.) "You have a proxy that works?" is the watchword, not hear another word.
We are tired, and we'll talk among ourselves, we all know that Leila Ben Ali has tried to sell the Tunisian island, which wants to close the American School of Tunis to promote his school: These stories circulate. Internet and bags we exchange "The ruler of Carthage" (a biography of first lady mercilessly, ed.) We love our country, we want to see change things, but there is an organized movement.
The tribe is ready, but the head missing. Tunisia, corruption, bribery - is simply to get away from here, you are applying to study in France, Canada ... Would you like to put everything down. You are a coward, I admit. The country, leave it to them. You go in France, forget for a while 'Tunisia, you go back on vacation.
Tunisia? This is the beach of Sousse, Hammamet or to, or night clubs, restaurants. This is what the Tunisia: a giant Club Méditerranée. And here in broad daylight WikiLeaks reveals what all complained. And here a young man is sacrificed in the fire .. E 20 Tunisians were killed in a single day.
And for the first time you see in this an opportunity to rebel, to take revenge of this royal family who has taken possession of all things, to overturn the established order that has accompanied us throughout the life of young people. Young people who have studied, and now they have had enough.
And get ready to sacrifice all the symbols of this old autocratic Tunisia, with a new revolution, the revolution of Jasmine, the real one. (Translation by Elizabeth Horvat)
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