Page 158 - The Winter of Islam and the Spring to Come

The Winter of

ISLAM

and the Spring to Come TUNISIA

A people oppressed

solely for their faith

N orth Africa was another of the regions

thrown into disorder in the post-
Ottoman period. The Ottoman
Empire had taken over control of much of
North Africa in the sixteenth century and es-
tablished a stable administration there.
Colonialism destroyed peace and security
there as well as Ottoman administration,
however. The entry of the colonialists into
Africa began with the Dutch in the seven-
teenth century. The Portuguese, British and
French then established themselves in various
regions of the continent. In order to take over
the North African territories belonging to the
Ottomans, however, they had to wait until the
nineteenth century. Tunisia was one of the
countries that went through this process.
Tunisia's encounter with Islam took
place with the conquest of the Muslim armies
under the command of Abdallah ibn-abi-Sarh
in 648 A.D. Within a short time the country