Tunisian Salafists blame political parties for shrine arson

Sidi Bou Said's shrine is a UNESCO World Heritage site Tunis – Azhar Jarboui Reda Belhaj, a spokesperson for Tunisia’s Hizb ut-Tahrir party, has accused Call for Tunisia members and regime remnants of burning a holy site in Sidi Bou Said, a popular tourist destination in the northern suburbs of Tunis. Belhaj told Arabstoday that a security officer confirmed the burning of the shrine was a “political act,” aimed at implicating Salafists in other crimes. The Tahrir spokesperson claimed he possessed evidence to prove this.
“These kinds of actions are used by remnants of the former regime to tarnish the image of their opponents and to implicate Islamist elements in illegal conflicts,” he said. Belhaj placed his confidence in the Tunisian justice system to resolve the matter.
Tunisia’s chairman, Beji Caid el Sebsi, has meanwhile denied the claims.
UNESCO has condemned the incident, in which a 13th-century Sufi shrine along with a rare manuscript of the Holy Koran were set alight, stressing that it paved the way for attacks on more historic monuments across the country. Tunisia’s Interior Ministry has tightened security measures to protect other Sufi shrines.
Last month, five Salafists were arrested following a similar attack on the mausoleum of one of Tunisia’s most revered saints, Saida Aicha Manoubia, in October.
Some Salafists believe that shrines and saints are irreligious according to the Koran.