Tunisian Islamist party says religion, politics are one

Tunisia's ultra-conservative Salafist Reform Front, which advocates Islamic law, or sharia, met for the first time on Sunday and urged the authorities to renounce the separation of politics and religion.

Mohamed Khouja, head of the Islamist movement made legal in March, told AFP the call was being made to the constituent assembly "that sharia be inscribed as the sole source of legislation" in Tunisia.

Foued Ben Salah, a member of the party's political bureau, said: "Separating religion and politics is a major mistake, since politics is the management of people's affairs."

Some 300 members of the Reform Front met in the capital to hear officials put forward their programme that aims to turn Tunisia into an Islamic state. (...)