Tarak Mekki facts for kids

Tarak Mekki (طارق المكي‎ 27 June 1958 – 31 December 2012) was a Tunisian businessman and an important political figure. He was known for speaking out against the president at the time, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Mekki was one of the few people who openly asked for the Ben Ali government to end right away. He also wanted the president to be held responsible for issues like corruption.

Who Was Tarak Mekki?

Tarak Mekki was born in Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia. He grew up to become a businessman. Later, he became well-known for his strong political views. He believed in many of the ideas of Tunisia's first president, Habib Bourguiba. These ideas included finding peaceful solutions to problems in the Middle East and working closely with Western countries.

Mekki's Political Ideas

Mekki presented himself as a moderate leader. This means he held views that were not extreme. He quickly showed that his ideas were different from other political groups, including those with religious views.

A New Vision for Tunisia

After June 12, 2007, Tarak Mekki started sharing his speeches online. In these speeches, he explained his plans for becoming president. He talked about creating a "Second Tunisian Republic." This new republic would make sure that all Tunisians had their rights protected. He believed this was the only way to improve the country at that time.

Mekki also spoke about why some women wore veils. He suggested it was sometimes a quiet way to show political disagreement, rather than just a religious choice. He wanted to address the real reasons behind the rise of extremist groups. He thought that the government's policies were causing these groups to grow.

Reaching People Through Humor

Tarak Mekki and his team created a series of funny political cartoons. They called these sketches "Mille et une nuits," which means "One Thousand and One Nights." In these cartoons, they made fun of President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, his wife Leila Trabelsi-Ben Ali, and her family, the Trabelsi family. The name of the sketches was a clever joke about the president's wife.

Spreading His Message Online

Starting from June 8, 2008, Mekki's speeches were shared widely online. You could find them on websites like YouTube and Dailymotion. They were also broadcast on satellite TV, like Nilesat, every Monday evening in Tunisia. Tarak Mekki passed away at the age of 54 in Hammamet.