8/8/2019 Statement by Tarak Ben Ammar-Tunisia

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Statement by Tarak Ben Ammar. 18th

February 2011.

My Beloved Country Tunisia

My beloved country Tunisia is in the midst of a historic moment. The brave Tunisian people

have risen as one to demand their freedom, their dignity and their right to work. These

demands are their right and I am 100% committed to doing everything I can to ensure thatthey are able to live in the prosperity and equality they so rightly deserve. My television

station Nessma was the first media outlet to break the taboo on freedom of expression in

Tunisia when we aired a special report on the demonstrations in Sidi Bouzid on December

30. We aired the show completely uncensored and unedited. As a result we were threatened

with being shut down by the former President and my general manager was threatened with

jail. But we stood firm because we believed that the people of Tunisia, North Africa and the

rest of the world deserved to see the truth about the martyr Mohamed Bouazizi, God rest his

soul, and the events in the country. We were also the first station to host free and uncensored

debates on the future of the country, even while the former government was still in place. It

was unprecedented for an Arab channel to have such coverage, with no taboos, no

censorship, no agenda and no lies. As a child I witnessed the independence of my country

when Habib Bourguiba liberated Tunisia from the French. We are now at another defining

moment in our history. Tunisia has the potential to emerge as a shining beacon of inspiration

for the Arab world and beyond. I have complete confidence in the future of my people. They

are educated, passionate and hard-working. They love their country. They deserve a country

and a government which will allow them to fulfil their dreams and aspirations at home. I call

on all those who care about the future of Tunisia to support my peoples journey to freedom

and self-determination. We are blessed to have a country where women have their equal

rights enshrined in the constitution. We are blessed to have a youth who have the highest

levels of education and qualification in the region. I must also call for calm so that we can

ensure an orderly transition to a fully functioning and stable democracy. This will not beeasy. The days ahead are crucial. We must not forget, no matter the hardships we may

encounter, our shared stake in our country. I am filled with hope because I have looked in the

eyes of my Tunisian brothers and sisters. I have seen their passion, intelligence and pride.

They are our foundation. They are our future. We must not let them down.