Ghannouchi's absence equals disappearance of Ennahda
Tunisia’s Ennahda movement is experiencing a critical moment
against the background of current leader Rached Ghannouchi's insistence on continuing
in his position despite the end of his term in accordance with the movement’s bylaws,
which brings to question whether it is possible to imagine Ennahda without
Ghannouchi, who considers himself its historical leader, and what the
movement's situation will be if its leadership changes.
Ghannouchi is Ennahda
Bearing in mind that the absence of Ghannouchi, who is
mobilizing for his survival, is not yet possible, writer and political
researcher Belhassan al-Yahyaoui said in press statements that the absence of
Ghannouchi may mean the absence of Ennahda in its current form without a
return.
The Ennahda movement does not have an independent face and
does not make political movements without Ghannouchi, whose absence will affect
the existence of the movement, Yahyaoui said, adding, “We will have before us a
new party with a new vision and leadership,” he said.
Yahyaoui explained that Ghannouchi is playing on the time
factor to gain the confidence of his supporters at the international level, as
he wants to arrange his cards at the internal and external levels.
However, Ennahda's relations with the rest of the parties
will not be affected by Ghannouchi's candidacy or non-candidacy, as it is
expected that some members will defect and form a parallel party to the
movement if Ghannouchi runs again to head the movement, Yahyaoui added.
Internal war
Ghannouchi is fighting an internal war to end his term,
while he clings to his legitimacy as a religious and historical leader that the
movement has been associated with since its beginning.
As a religious organization par excellence, opponents of
Ghannouchi resorted to the religious side to fight him. Lotfi Zaitoun, a former
minister and political advisor to Ghannouchi, criticized Ghannouchi for his
stance on the file of the offensive drawings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him) as he met with the French ambassador in Tunis,
describing the crisis as "transient and marginal events."
Those who oppose Ghannouchi's presence used this incident to
withdraw from him the religious status that surrounds him and gain legitimacy
for his leadership of the movement.
Impossible combination
This reveals the opposition to Ghannouchi’s opposition to
the issue of insulting the Messenger in their political confrontation, which
was demonstrated by Tunisian writer Mukhtar Dababi in an article entitled
“Islamists and Democracy: The Impossible Combination” in the London-based
Alarab newspaper on the traditionalism of Ennahda as a Brotherhood movement.
Dababi cited the fact that both Ghannouchi's opponents and
supporters resort to the old Brotherhood rhetoric with the narcotic ideological
tinge of the Ansar in order to justify the survival of the “historical
leadership”, or demonize opponents and consider the difference as a departure
from the unity of the ranks and feeding discord, which is “worse than killing.”
