Islamic intellectuals have initiated a campaign for the liberation of Rashid Ghannouchi, the head of the Ennahda Movement, and other political prisoners in Tunisia.
About 150 Islamic thinkers, led by Ali Al-Qaradaghi, the Secretary-General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), implored the Tunisian government to promptly release the detainees, restore their freedom, protect their dignity, and respect their rights.
In a widely disseminated social media statement, they said, “We, the undersigned, scholars and thinkers of the ummah, express our unwavering solidarity with Professor Rashid Ghannouchi, the renowned Islamic thinker and disbanded parliament speaker, as well as with all political detainees.
Islamic scholars have called on Tunisia to release all political prisoners in accordance with Sharia.
We demand their immediate release, the restoration of their liberty, the maintenance of their dignity, and the protection of their rights. We regard the right to freedom as the basis of human rights and the essence of justice, in accordance with the principles of the noble Sharia and universal human values.”
The statement continued, “We affirm our unwavering support for human rights and fundamental freedoms, which we consider to be among the Sharia’s purposes. In this context, we emphasize the importance of collective action and cooperation in order to attain these noble objectives, primarily the protection of human rights and dignity.”
Globally, numerous politicians and human rights activists have demanded Ghannouchi’s release. 150 academics, including Noam Chomsky, Francis Fukuyama, and Burhan Ghalioun, sent a letter to the Tunisian government last month urging them to restore democracy and release political prisoners.
