CGTN America
During the Arab Spring, young Tunisians took to the streets to protest corruption, economic stagnation and widespread unemployment. The unrest also opened doors for the arrival of Tunisian jihadis, many of whom would recruit nationals to fight wars abroad.
Fadha holds a picture of her brother Saieed, who – like thousands before him – joined ISIL. Saieed originally left home to join his country’s security forces and defend Tunisia, but became a jihadi instead.
A grandmother views photographs of the grandchildren she has not seen for years. It’s her only connection to the youngest members of her family, kids whose parents fled Tunisia to fight jihad abroad.
In what later became a viral moment in Tunisia, Mohammed Iqbal goes on national television and, amid tears, begs his brother to leave jihad and return home.
Mohammed Iqbal now helps families – many who have lost hope their children will ever return –repatriate ex-fighters, one at a time.
In the coastal town of Sousse, sight of a deadly 2015 terrorist attack on tourists, the local economy still struggles to recover. The threat of the mass return of former jihadis has not helped tourism flourish.
With ordinary Tunisians struggling to accept the return of former jihadis, families hold press conferences to help build goodwill among citizens, in order to bring back loved ones.
Saheem Harhooi has a degree in finance but today, sells fuel on the side of a road. Lack of economic opportunity for young Tunisians has created vacuums of opportunity that have led many to pursue jihad.
In the mountains of Kasserine, one of Tunisia’s poorest regions, rehabilitation programs use song and dance to give young Tunisians hope against jihad.
Young girls enjoy an afternoon of leisure in Tunisia where, every year, more than 1,000 children drop out of school, leading to a rise in alternative programs combatting religious and tribal violence in the country.
