Tunis bans Salafists annual congress
The congregation, in which 40,000 people were expected to join, has been banned.
TUNIS (AFP) - Tens of thousands of Salafists are expected to attend the annual congress of Ansar al-Sharia, a radical Tunisian group whose leader is on the run, one of the organisers said Wednesday.
"On Sunday, we will God willing hold our congress and there will be more than 40,000 of us in Kairouan," Sami Essid told AFP.
He said the annual gathering, just the third to be held by the radical Islamist group, will take place after afternoon prayers at the Great Mosque in Kairouan, in central Tunisia, considered Islam s fourth-holiest city.
Meanwhile, the Tunisian government has decided to ban the congress of hardline Salafist group Ansar al-Sharia due to take place at the end of this week, the ruling Islamist party s leader said Wednesday.
"The government has decided to prohibit this congress whose organisers have not obtained prior permission from the authorities as required by law," Ennahda party chief Rached Ghannouchi told a news conference.
He was speaking shortly after the Salafist group said tens of thousands of people were expected to attend its annual congress on Sunday in the historic city of Kairouan.
