thumb|alt=Le tunisien Cover - First edition|Le tunisien Cover - First edition
The Young Tunisians ( '; ) was a Tunisian political party and political reform movement in the early 20th century. Its main goal was to advocate for reforms in the French protectorate in order to give more political autonomy and equal treatment to Tunisians.
History and profile
In 1883, Tunisia was declared a French protectorate. A group of young Tunisian intellectuals started an anti-colonial movement that was challenging the Sufi orders. The movement was inspired by the Young Turks of the Ottoman Empire and the Egyptian National Party led by Mustafa Kamil Pasha. Their motto was "Organe hebdomadaire des intérêts indigènes" ("the weekly voice of the natives").
Ideology
The Young Tunisians focused mainly on domestic issues such as education and economy. They aimed to address the French government and the French population to advocate for reforms in the country. Not to seek a complete and total independency, but to obtain a greater autonomy. For that reason, Le Tunisien was written in French . Their main goal was to offer a public and free education to all Tunisians. In the first issue of Le Tunisien, the Young Tunisians wrote:<blockquote>"Une réforme complète de l'Enseignement s'impose. Il appartient à la France, dans un élan digne de ses traditions et de son idéal démocratique, de décréter l'instruction primaire gratuite et obligatoire dans toute la Régence. En outre, le gouvernement du Protectorat devra faciliter aux indigènes l'accès de l'enseignement secondaire et encourager l'élite à aborder l'enseignement supérieur." ("A complete reform of education is essential. It is up to France, in an effort worthy of its traditions and its democratic ideal, to decree free and compulsory primary education throughout the Regency. In addition, the government of the Protectorate should facilitate access to secondary education for the natives and encourage the elite to approach higher education.")</blockquote>This goal was opposed by some colonizers who wanted to prevent any idea of freedom, independence and equality between the colonizers and colonized.
In 1910, for the 4th year of publication of Le Tunisien, Ali Bach Hamba wrote "tout musulman est par définition panislamiste" ("all muslims are panislamist by definition").
After the end of the war, the Young Tunisian start to meet again with new members and decide that they want to push their demands again. Abdelaziz Thâalbi wrote with the help of several intellectuals from the Young Tunisians La Tunisie Martyre, a book that fulfills this wish. The book was distributed to the French political world and had a considerable effect on the left wing of the French political landscape.
Important figures of the Young Tunisians such as Thâalbi and Zmerli were among the founders of the Destour, the Constitutional Liberal Party, a nationalist party that wanted to free Tunisia from the French Protectorate in 1920. This was the party of Habib Bourguiba before the scission in 1934 and the creation of the Neo-Destour.
Prominent figures
- Ali Bach Hamba (1878-1918), co-founder of the Young Tunisians;