Latifa Lakhdar

Latifa Lakhdar (born 1 February 1956) is a Tunisian historian and politician who was Minister of Culture from February 2015 until January 2016.

Early life and education

Lakhdar was born in Zarzis on 1 February 1956. She was a student of Mohamed Arkoun at the Sorbonne in Paris.[1]

Career

Lakhdar was Professor of Contemporary History at University of Ez-Zitouna from 1991–1999 and from 2000–2015 at the University of Tunis.[2]

Lakhdar is an expert in Islamic thought[3][4] and has published several books in Arabic and French, notably on the condition of women in Islamic societies.[2][1] She is a women's rights activist and secularist.[5] She has argued that Islamic fundamentalism, including Islamic terrorism is part of Islamic orthodoxy, but that the Islamic thought can be enlightened and liberal if it undergoes a "critical revolution".[1] She argues that "The jihadist idea that religion should rule politics is a model that never existed."[4]

Political career

Lakhdar is a founding member of the Association tunisienne des femmes démocrates. In 2011, she was elected Vice-President of the Higher Authority for Realisation of the Objectives of the Revolution, Political Reform and Democratic Transition.[2][6]

On 6 February 2015, Lakhdar was appointed Minister of Culture and Heritage Preservation, as an independent, in the government of Prime Minister Habib Essid.[7] She was in communication with museum staff during the two hour siege of the Bardo National Museum attack in 2015 and later unveiled a memorial at the site.[4]

On February 12, 2016, Lakhdar was made a Commander of the Order of the Republic by President Béji Caïd Essebsi for her service.[7]

Publications

Books

Articles

References

  1. 1 2 3 Magister, Sandro (19 November 2002). "The Other Islam: Scholarly, and Written with a Sharp Pen". Chiesa. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Qui est Latifa Lakhdhar, nouvelle ministre de la Culture?". Tekiano (in French). 24 January 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  3. Yéhia, Karem (15 April 2015). "Latifa Lakhdar : L'esprit critique tunisien va évoluer". Al-Ahram (in French). Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Marlowe, Lara (24 March 2015). "Tunisian minister followed Bardo attack from 'crisis cell'". Irish Times. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  5. Moghadam, Valetine M. (2013). "What is democracy? Promises and perils of the Arab Spring". Current Sociology: 393–408.
  6. Moghadam, Valentine M.; Franzway, Suzanne; Fonow, Mary Margaret (2011). Making Globalization Work for Women: The Role of Social Rights and Trade Union Leadership. SUNY Press. p. 43.
  7. 1 2 "Tunisie : Latifa Lakhdar décorée des insignes de commandeur de l'ordre de la République". Tekiano (in French). 12 February 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
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