I am Taj Bigum Ben Habhab, a student at the University of Copenhagen specializing in Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic. I had the privilege of spending time in Tunisia, where I had the opportunity to undertake an internship with Attalaki.
I spent the whole of August in Tunisia, where I studied Arabic at Taa Marbouta Language Center in Carthage and did an internship at Attalaki. I came across Taa Marbouta Language Center during my time in Egypt, and chose this specific school because of the possibility to combine my studies with an internship, and experience a MENA country that contrasts with Egypt in many aspects of society. When I was given a list of possible internships, Attalaki stood out because of their important and exciting work with religious minorities and youth inclusion in Tunisia.
After reading Attalaki’s report, “Religious Freedom Report Tunisia 2020” and later their research study, “Religious freedom: a sociological, constitutional and legal approach” (2022), it was clear that there exist both social and constitutional problems in Tunisia, when it comes to religious freedom and freedom of conscience. Therefore, it was a privilege to work with an organization that’s devoted to fighting these problems, and building bridges across religious beliefs through workshops, dialogues, and other projects, aiming to create coexistence and equality between the religious groups and communities that are present in Tunisia.
I had the privilege of attending multiple meetings with Attalaki and accompanying them to different events, which gave me an insight into the religious events in Tunisia. These meetings also showed me how an NGO works, plans different projects, and the thought process behind these projects. I attended the Procession de la Madone de Trapani, which is a traditional event that the Tunisian Christian community celebrates on August 15 each year at the Saint-Augustin et Saint-Fidèle church in La Goulette. In addition to the Christian participants, there were also Muslims and Jews taking part in the procession, which is a beautiful example of coexistence across religions, and served as a personal highlight of my time in Tunisia.