Ghannouchi: Daesh is failing, retreating in Syria and Iraq

TUNIS, Tunisia

Tunisia is in a unique position after its revolution sparked what came to be known as the Arab Spring. Out of all the countries that demanded regime change five years ago, it appears to have achieved the most.

However, Daesh has brought instability to Tunisia and its neighbors, mainly through terrorist attacks that have targeted foreigners and security personnel.

On the fifth anniversary of the Tunisian revolution, Anadolu Agency interviewed Rashid Ghannoushi, the influential leader of Ennahda Party.

In the second and final part of this interview, Ghannoushi spoke to Anadolu Agency about Daesh and the Middle East.

Anadolu Agency (AA): How do you see the situation in Egypt? You had previously said that you would like to be a mediator in the conflict.

Ghannouchi: No Egyptian party reacted. We did not sense a willingness to go further in this direction, so we stopped.

If a serious step is to be made toward reconciliation, it should come from the regime itself. It is the one in power. The Egyptian regime did not express any willingness to with the [Muslim] Brotherhood or others. Because of this, Egypt is heading toward confrontation.

We wish for all parties in Egypt to recognize each other and move toward because there is no other substitute.

AA: There is growing tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran. How do you see this conflict?

Ghannouchi: We are against any sectarian conflict. We support all kinds of reconciliation and dialogue to solve problems, not through war. We highly condemned the attacks on the Saudi Arabian diplomatic headquarters in Iran and the interference in the internal affairs of Saudi.

AA: In a previous interview with Anadolu Agency, you said that you see no future for terrorism, but today, we see that Daesh is still expanding by waging attacks in various countries.

Ghannouchi: This is an expression of failure, not of success. Daesh started to fail in Iraq from where it started. In Iraq, Daesh is not expanding. It is retreating.

AA: Isn’t Daesh expanding in Libya?

Ghannoushi: It is an attempt to compensate its losses in Iraq and Syria. We hope that Daesh faces a miserable future.

AA: Tunisia is still the top exporter of jihadists. How do you explain that?

Ghannoushi: Problems that have accumulated over 50 years will not be healed overnight. We are treating Ben Ali’s legacy.

This violent youths are the fruit of religious desertification, which was promoted by the state after Tunisia’s independence.

The state eliminated, to a great extent, moderate religiosity, which paved the way for extremism. The terrorists are not the sons of the revolution. They are the sons of Ben Ali.