I dream of a free, democratic, peaceful Tunisia, a country that can protect its developing identity.

We in Tunisia have no problem with respecting other peoples religion, and we have a long tradition of that.

No one in al-Nahda believes that jihad is a way to impose Islam on the world. But we believe that jihad is self-control, is social and political struggle, and even military jihad is only a way to defend oneself in the case of aggression.

I hope that with the success of the transition to democracy in Tunisia that we will export to Egypt a working democratic model.

I dream of a free, democratic, peaceful Tunisia, a country that can protect its developing identity.

I will not be standing for office. I'm nearing 70; there are younger people within our movement. I just wish to contribute intellectually to the historic process of taking Tunisia from the era of repression to one of democracy.

What Tunisia urgently needs, is freedom and the building of a real democracy.