Habib Bourguiba, Islam and the Creation of Tunisia by Norma Salem

Habib Bourguiba, Islam and the Creation of Tunisia by Norma Salem

First published in 1984, Habib Bourguiba, Islam and the Creation of Tunisia is a study of Habib Bourguiba, the founder of independent Tunisia, that argues that Islam played a vital role in the development of the Tunisian nationalist movement. This book is therefore both a biography of the Tunisian leader and a discussion of the role of Islam as the key to legitimacy throughout the Arab world. The author argues that Islam was such a fundamental component in defining the specificity of the Tunisian nation that even Bourguiba, the most secular of Arab leaders, could not shed the Arab-Islamic heritage of Tunisia. Instead, he used Islam as a principle mode of communication to mobilise the Tunisian masses. This book will be of interest to students of African studies, history, political science and religion.