How a Teacher Became Sfax's Moral Enemy

Introduction

In September 2017, a dispute at a primary school in Sfax became one of Tunisia’s clearest modern examples of a religiously charged moral panic. Veteran primary-school teacher Faiza Souissi was publicly denounced as an atheist, accused of corrupting children and portrayed as a danger to Islam. The accusations rapidly moved beyond disagreements between parents and a teacher. Crowds gathered outside her school, children repeated slogans heard from adults, police were called, and the incident developed into a national argument about education, freedom of conscience and the influence of religious denunciation in post-revolution Tunisia.[AW]thearabweekly.comtunisian teacher becomes symbol resistance bigotryAWTunisian teacher becomes symbol of resistance to bigotry | Lamine Ghanmi | AWSeptember 24, 2017…Published: September 24, 2017

Although the episode involved only one school, it illustrates how rumours, public accusations and social pressure can transform an ordinary individual into a symbolic enemy. Rather than revealing a hidden conspiracy, the Sfax affair shows how collective fear can grow when allegations about religion and children become emotionally charged before evidence is carefully examined.

How a Teacher Became Sfax’s Moral Enemy

Faiza Souissi had worked as a teacher for more than three decades when the controversy erupted at the beginning of the 2017 school year. On 15 September, groups of parents and religious activists gathered outside Oqba Ibn Nafaa Primary School in the El Bahri district of Sfax, demanding that she be removed from her classroom. Colleagues sheltered her inside the school until police escorted her away for her safety.[Nawaat]nawaat.orgNawaatصفاقس:”تم تكفيري وتشويهي… ومتمسكة بمواصلة عملي“، هكذا ترد المُعلمة فائزة السويسي – NawaatSeptember 18, 2017…Published: September 18, 2017

The accusations against Souissi varied, but all pointed towards the same moral narrative. Protesters alleged that she:

These allegations spread rapidly through social media, local rumours and demonstrations before any formal investigation established that they were true. Souissi consistently denied the accusations, arguing that she had become the target of a politically motivated smear campaign rather than a dispute over her teaching.[nawaat.org]nawaat.orgNawaatصفاقس:”تم تكفيري وتشويهي… ومتمسكة بمواصلة عملي“، هكذا ترد المُعلمة فائزة السويسي – NawaatSeptember 18, 2017…Published: September 18, 2017

In interviews, she explained that similar accusations had circulated since her involvement in progressive political and women’s rights activism after Tunisia’s 2011 revolution. She maintained that religious denunciations were being used to discredit her rather than to address genuine classroom misconduct.[Nawaat]nawaat.orgNawaatصفاقس:”تم تكفيري وتشويهي… ومتمسكة بمواصلة عملي“، هكذا ترد المُعلمة فائزة السويسي – NawaatSeptember 18, 2017…Published: September 18, 2017

What Protesters Accused Faiza Souissi of Doing

One striking feature of the incident was how numerous accusations accumulated around a single individual. Rather than centring on one verifiable event, the campaign built a wider image of Souissi as someone supposedly threatening children’s faith and the moral order.

The most repeated claim concerned the classroom windows. Critics alleged that she deliberately shut them during Friday prayers or the call to prayer so pupils would not hear religious broadcasts from nearby mosques. Other rumours claimed she compared the call to prayer to the sound of a donkey or discouraged religious practice among pupils. None of these allegations was demonstrated through an official public finding, and Souissi rejected them outright.[AW]thearabweekly.comtunisian teacher becomes symbol resistance bigotryAWTunisian teacher becomes symbol of resistance to bigotry | Lamine Ghanmi | AWSeptember 24, 2017…Published: September 24, 2017

As the accusations multiplied, they became less about particular classroom actions than about identity. The label “atheist” functioned as a moral judgement rather than a carefully evidenced description of her beliefs. Once that label gained traction, additional stories could be attached to it with little independent verification.

Civil society organisations, including the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women, defended Souissi and argued that the campaign amounted to defamation, intimidation and an attack on public education. Trade union organisations likewise expressed support and demanded protection for teachers facing ideological harassment.[Tunisie Tribune]tunisie-tribune.comTunisie TribuneSfax: des parents d’élèves s'attaquent à une enseignante l'accusant d’athéisme | Tunisie TribuneSeptember 17, 2017…Published: September 17, 2017

How Children, Religion and Repetition Intensified the Scare

The episode demonstrates several mechanisms commonly found in modern moral panics.

First, the alleged victims were children. Claims that children were being exposed to anti-religious ideas naturally carried strong emotional force, making many parents reluctant to wait for careful investigation before reacting.

Second, religion provided an especially powerful boundary between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. In Tunisia, where religious identity remains socially significant despite constitutional protections for freedom of conscience, accusations of atheism or blasphemy can carry consequences well beyond formal law. The dispute therefore became a public test of communal identity rather than simply a disagreement over teaching methods.[AW]thearabweekly.comtunisian teacher becomes symbol resistance bigotryAWTunisian teacher becomes symbol of resistance to bigotry | Lamine Ghanmi | AWSeptember 24, 2017…Published: September 24, 2017

Third, repetition amplified credibility. Protesters repeated accusations, children echoed slogans they heard from adults, and videos of demonstrations circulated online. Even without new evidence, constant repetition made the allegations appear increasingly established. Nawaat’s reporting described children joining chants directed against their teacher after adults had mobilised outside the school, illustrating how young participants became part of the public performance of denunciation rather than independent witnesses.[Nawaat]nawaat.orgNawaatصفاقس:”تم تكفيري وتشويهي… ومتمسكة بمواصلة عملي“، هكذا ترد المُعلمة فائزة السويسي – NawaatSeptember 18, 2017…Published: September 18, 2017

How Authorities Responded

The initial official response was mixed.

The regional education delegate reportedly suggested transferring Souissi or suspending her if she refused relocation, arguing that this would protect her safety. That proposal attracted criticism because it appeared to reward intimidation rather than uphold the authority of the education system.[تاريخ صفاقس]histoiredesfax.com201717 صفاقس اولياء يطردون معلمة بتعلة أنها متاريخ صفاقسصفاقس: اولياء يطردون معلمة بتعلة أنها ملحدة.. و القضية تتطور إلى مجلس نواب الشعبSeptember 17, 2017…Published: September 17, 2017

The Ministry of Education adopted a firmer position. It condemned the aggression against the teacher, opened an investigation into the incident and stressed that evaluating teachers was the responsibility of educational authorities rather than crowds of protesters. The ministry also emphasised respect for teachers and rejected verbal or physical attacks against school staff.[Business News]businessnews.com.tnOpen source on com.tn.

Political parties, women’s organisations, teachers’ unions and other civil society groups similarly condemned the harassment, arguing that ideological campaigns should not determine who could teach in Tunisia’s public schools.[Directinfo - L'information en continue]directinfo.webmanagercenter.comL'information en continueTunisie: Des partis politiques et composantes de la société civile dénoncent l'agression d'une institutrice à Sf…

Why the Episode Resembled a Modern Witch Panic

The Sfax affair resembles historical witch panics not because anyone literally accused Souissi of practising magic, but because the underlying social process was similar.

Several familiar features appeared together:

Some contemporary commentators explicitly described the affair as a “witch hunt” or even a “trial for sorcery”, using those historical metaphors to criticise what they saw as ideological persecution driven by fear rather than evidence.[Leaders]leaders.com.tnLeaders La Sorcière de SfaxLeaders La Sorcière de Sfax

Unlike classical witch hunts, however, there were no criminal prosecutions for supernatural offences. The panic remained rooted in allegations of religious deviance and moral corruption rather than claims of literal magical harm.

Why the Sfax Scare Still Matters

The Sfax teacher affair remains important because it illustrates the vulnerability of ordinary professionals when religious denunciation becomes a public mobilisation tool.

For scholars of moral panic, the case demonstrates how rapidly rumours can transform into collective action when three sensitive themes converge: children, religion and education. It also highlights the role of social media and filmed protests in extending local disputes into national controversies.

For Tunisia, the episode exposed continuing tensions after the 2011 revolution between constitutional guarantees of freedom of conscience, competing political visions of public education and efforts by state institutions to preserve the neutrality of schools. The incident has therefore become a reference point in discussions of academic freedom, secular education and the social consequences of labelling opponents as enemies of religion rather than debating them through ordinary civic processes.[thearabweekly.com]thearabweekly.comtunisian teacher becomes symbol resistance bigotryAWTunisian teacher becomes symbol of resistance to bigotry | Lamine Ghanmi | AWSeptember 24, 2017…Published: September 24, 2017

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Endnotes

1. Source: nawaat.org
Link:https://nawaat.org/2017/09/18/%D8%B5%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85-%D8%AA%D9%83%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%B4%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%87%D9%8A-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7/

Published: September 18, 2017

2. Source: arabic.cnn.com
Title: Arabicضجة في تونس إثر اتهام مدرّسة بمنع الطفلات من ارتداء الحجاب
Link:https://arabic.cnn.com/world/2017/09/18/tunisia-teacher-atheism

3. Source: tunisie-tribune.com
Link:https://www.tunisie-tribune.com/2017/09/17/sfax-des-parents-deleves-sattaquent-a-une-enseignante-laccusant-datheisme/

Published: September 17, 2017

4. Source: directinfo.webmanagercenter.com
Link:https://directinfo.webmanagercenter.com/2017/09/18/tunisie-des-partis-politiques-et-composantes-de-la-societe-civile-denoncent-lagression-dune-institutrice-a-sfax/

5. Source: thearabweekly.com
Title: tunisian teacher becomes symbol resistance bigotry
Link:https://thearabweekly.com/tunisian-teacher-becomes-symbol-resistance-bigotry

Published: September 24, 2017

6. Source: businessnews.com.tn
Link:https://businessnews.com.tn/2017/09/18/article-1147899/1147899/

7. Source: hrw.org
Link:https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2018/country-chapters/tunisia

8. Source: histoiredesfax.com
Title: 201717 صفاقس اولياء يطردون معلمة بتعلة أنها م
Link:https://www.histoiredesfax.com/201717-%D8%B5%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D9%86%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%85/

Published: September 17, 2017

9. Source: leaders.com.tn
Title: Leaders La Sorcière de Sfax
Link:https://www.leaders.com.tn/article/23078-la-sorciere-de-sfax

10. Source: leaders.com.tn
Title: Leaders Quand le fanatisme et l’irrationnel fondent sur l’ecole de la république
Link:https://www.leaders.com.tn/article/23145-quand-le-fanatisme-et-l-irrationnel-fondent-sur-l-ecole-de-la-republique

11. Source: directinfo.webmanagercenter.com
Title: affaire faiza souissi linstitutrice livre des details sur lincident
Link:https://directinfo.webmanagercenter.com/2017/09/20/affaire-faiza-souissi-linstitutrice-livre-des-details-sur-lincident/

12. Source: histoiredesfax.com
Title: 201720 صفاقس إصدار بطاقات إيداع بالسّجن في حق
Link:https://www.histoiredesfax.com/201720-%D8%B5%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B3-%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A5%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%91%D8%AC%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AD%D9%82/

13. Source: histoiredesfax.com
Title: 201718 صفاقس الأهالي يحاولون منع المعلمة من ا
Link:https://www.histoiredesfax.com/201718-%D8%B5%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7/

Additional References

14. Source: youtube.com
Title: Blogger’s Blasphemy Trial: A Test for Freedom of Expression in Tunisia
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU3M13WpMJQ

15. Source: youtube.com
Title: Tunisian blogger’s trial for blasphemy to open, raises free speech questions
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-Umo9yMJog

16. Source: youtube.com
Title: Neither Allah nor Master by Nadia El Fani with Hind Bariaz & Karrar Al Asfoor
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgI9VMlNwBI

17. Source: youtube.com
Title: Tunisian salafist students push for schools reform
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugKljSL7wy4

18. Source: sfaxien.net
Link:https://www.sfaxien.net/2017/09/3_18.html

19. Source: amnesty.org
Title: Tunisia: Arbitrary and abusive travel restrictions breach human rights
Link:https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/10/tunisia-arbitrary-and-abusive-travel-restrictions-breach-human-rights-2/

20. Source: tuniscope.com
Title: Accusée d’athéisme, l’enseignante Faïza Souissi va porter plainte
Link:https://www.tuniscope.com/article/128420/actualites/societe/atheisme-250920

21. Source: hrw.org
Title: Tunisia: Slow Reform Pace Undermines Rights | Human Rights Watch
Link:https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/01/18/tunisia-slow-reform-pace-undermines-rights

22. Source: cpj.org
Title: Tunisian police beat reporter, seize his equipment at protest
Link:https://cpj.org/2017/09/tunisian-police-beat-reporter-seize-his-equipment/

23. Source: lecourrierdelatlas.com
Title: Une enseignante « excommuniée » de son école pour athéisme
Link:https://www.lecourrierdelatlas.com/tunisie-une-enseignante-excommuniee-de-son-ecole-pour-atheisme-9126/