The Tunisian government has sacked its religious affairs minister following his speech at parliament where he said that Wahhabism, the radical ideology dominating Saudi Arabia, has been the source of terrorism. Prime Minister Youssef Chahed on Friday said he had decided to relieve Abdeljalil Ben Salem of his duties for "attacking the foundations of diplomacy." Ben Salem said he dared to question the Saudi envoy to Tunis about the Saudi Wahhabism being a vehicle for terrorism.
Shabbir Hassanaly, a political commentator from London, told Press TV on Saturday that Saudi Arabia is controlling the Tunisian government.
"Ben Salem asked the Saudis to reform their education system because terrorism has come from it, then he got fired under the excuse of attacking the foundation of diplomacy," Hassanaly said.
Such a behavior toward a minister who calls for reforms in Saudi Arabia “is indicative of the control that the Saudi cancer has in Tunisia,” he added.
The Tunisian government, the analyst said, has close ties with Saudi Arabia and is under the Saudi “influence” to the extent that it cannot not tolerate criticism even by its minister.
“This [Tunisian] minister was brave, turning around and speaking against this Saudi-Zionist so-called Wahhabism cult, which has no place in Islam,” he added.
Hassanaly said Wahhabism has no foundation in Islam, adding the ideology is "extremely fragile” so that its Saudi promoters cannot bear any questions about it.
An estimated 3,000 Tunisian terrorists are believed to be within the ranks of Daesh in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. Tunisian authorities fear they would return one day and wreak havoc at home.
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