Countering Violent Extremism: Religious Leaders Building Peace in Tunisia
The powerful role that religious leaders can play against violent extremism takes center stage in this documentary photography project commissioned by Hedayah Centre for Excellence in Countering Violent Extremism. In Tunisia, religious leaders play a crucial part in creating and spreading moderate and peaceful narratives that directly counter violent extremist ideologies threatening regional stability.
In September 2021, 44 religious leaders, both male and female, from 24 governorates across Tunisia, came together to confront and prevent radicalization through a comprehensive five-day workshop organized by Hedayah Centre. This unprecedented gathering represented Tunisia's commitment to combating violent extremism through community-based approaches that leverage religious authority and traditional Islamic teachings to promote peace and moderation.
This photojournalism project documents how Tunisia—a country that has experienced both the promise of the Arab Spring and the challenges of regional instability—addresses violent extremism through inclusive religious dialogue and counter-narrative development. The work captures religious leaders from diverse backgrounds and regions working collaboratively to develop strategies that prevent radicalization while promoting pluralistic Islamic values.
Through documentary photography, this project reveals the intersection of faith, security, and peacebuilding in post-Arab Spring Tunisia. The images provide intimate access to discussions among imams, religious scholars, and community leaders as they develop counter-extremism messaging rooted in authentic Islamic teachings that emphasize tolerance, peace, and social cohesion.
The work examines how Tunisia's religious establishment actively participates in national security efforts, moving beyond traditional roles to become key stakeholders in preventing violent extremism. From urban centers like Tunis to historic religious sites in Kairouan and the diverse communities of Djerba, this documentation reveals how religious leadership addresses extremist recruitment and ideology at the grassroots level.
This photo essay provides visual insight into Tunisia's unique approach to countering violent extremism, highlighting the critical role that moderate religious voices play in preventing radicalization. The project captures both formal workshop sessions and informal interactions that demonstrate how religious leaders build consensus around peaceful interpretations of Islam while actively countering extremist narratives.
The documentation reveals how Tunisia leverages its rich tradition of moderate Islam and religious pluralism to address contemporary security challenges. Religious leaders from different regions and backgrounds unite around shared commitments to peace, demonstrating how community-based counter-extremism efforts can complement security-focused approaches.
Through collaboration with Hedayah Centre—the world's first independent, multinational center of excellence for countering violent extremism—this project offers rare visual documentation of religious peacebuilding efforts in North Africa. The work provides insight into methodologies and approaches that could inform counter-extremism strategies across the MENA region and beyond.
Tunis, Djerba, Kairouan. Tunisia, 2021.
Work commissioned by Hedayah Centre for Excellence in Countering Violent Extremism as part of comprehensive documentation of religious leaders' roles in preventing radicalization and building community resilience against violent extremist ideologies.
