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EPA
Tunisian protesters hurl stones at security forces (not pictured), during clashes in Ettadamen in the northwest of the capital Tunis, Tunisia.
Tunisia declared a curfew in the capital and seven other regions following violent protests over an art exhibition.
The government has blamed ultra-conservative Salafi Islamists, who were angered by an art exhibition they say insults Muslims. Protesters clashed with police in Tunis on Tuesday, raising religious tensions in the home of the Arab Spring and piling pressure on the moderate Islamist government.
In some of the worst confrontations since last year's revolt ousted President Zine Abidine Ben Ali and launched uprisings across the Arab world, protesters hurled petrol bombs at officers, blocked streets and set tires alight in the working class Ettadamen and Sidi Hussein districts of the capital overnight.
Salafis, who follow a puritanical interpretation of Islam, denied being involved in the clashes, BBC reported.
The curfew will be in place in the suburbs of Ben Arouss, Ariana and Manouba as well as the cities of Sousse, Monastir, Jendouba and Ben Guerdane.
By morning, protests had spread to a number of residential districts. Stone-throwing youths stopped trams from passing through the capital's Intilaqa district, where demonstrators entered mosques and used the loudspeakers to call on Tunisians to defend Islam.
An Interior Ministry official on Tunisian state TV said 97 people had been detained during the unrest, including dozens of Salafis and some described as "criminals."
According to the BBC, Justice Minister Nourredine Bhiri said that those behind the violence would "pay a heavy price."
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"These are terrorist groups which have lost control, they are isolated in society," he told a Tunisian radio station, per the BBC.
Tuesday's clashes came a day after a group of Salafis forced their way into an art exhibition in the upscale La Marsa suburb and defaced works they deemed offensive.
The work that appears to have caused the most fury and polarized Tunisians spelled out the name of God using insects.
"These artists are attacking Islam, and this is not new. Islam is targeted," said a youth, who gave his name as Ali and had removed his shirt and was preparing to confront police in Ettadamen.
In a statement released before the protests, Ennahda, the moderate Islamist party that now leads the government, condemned what it described as provocations and insults against religion but urged its own supporters to respond peacefully.
The violence puts Ennahda in a difficult position.
While Islamists did not play a major role in the revolution, the struggle over Islam's place in government and society has emerged as the most divisive issue in Tunisian politics, and several clashes have erupted in recent months.
Salafis want a broader role for religion in the new Tunisia, alarming secular elites who fear they will seek to impose their views and ultimately undermine the nascent democracy.
Some said the unrest started just two days after al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri called on Tunisians to demand the imposition of Muslim religious law, AFP reported.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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If Allah - The Compassionate and Merciful - has created all things, and that includes insects, then how is it attacking Islam, by spelling God's name with living creatures? Surely, Allah is the Living God, and is the Creator Of All, and thus all life He makes is sacred. Insects are not evil, nor are they noxious in His eyes, since He has created them.
Only the reaction of the ignorant and stupid is evil.
Since the birth of Islamic cult, its followers have only given rapings, kidnappings, stealing, lootings, killing and massive genocides.
Allah must be furious with his followers and for this reason many Muslims nations are on boil!
Many want to kill or killing whomever they come across!
It will only get worse there. Civil war and ethnic cleansing to follow.
Arab Spring II ... the director's cut.
What a sick society under Islam! Yup, Muslims ahoi - right into the rocks of life. What a stupid pig religion.
There is no word in Salafism for democracy.
"he government has blamed ultra-conservative Salafi Islamists, who were angered by an art exhibition they say insults Muslims."
By high oil price manipulations through Iraqi wars and now planned sanctions on Iranian oil, Saudis and co are making themselves richer.
Rich Sunni ME sharks (Saudi Arabia in particular) funded Salaffi and Wahhabi mosques and Islamic radicals and terrorists all over the world. These Sunni Islamic radicals and terrorists are rampaging all over the world. World’s 80 percent of problems are due to them.
How many mosques were there in the US before two decades and how many are there now?
As you mentioned, they are dangerous even in the US.
That's not good for tourism.
This situation has the potential to explode considering that Tunisia is completely dependent on tourism and its economy has been in shambles for well over a year. Like denver bill said, Arab Spring II... the director's cut.
Radical Islam will eventually take over the MIddle East. It is with a deep sadness that I say war is inevitable with Islam.
You are 100 right. It is going to be there whether we like it or not.
But have patience.
When Shiites, Sunnis and other Muslims battle on sectarian, regional or tribal lines keep miles away.
Syria, Iran, Tunisia, Pakistan and other nations are examples.
Just examine what is going on in Tunsia, Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria and other places due to Saudi sponsored Salaffis, al-Qaida, MB and others Sunni extremists.
Was it worth all monies and soldiers lives to save the barbaric, beastly and bigoted backstabbing Saudis and co through Iraqi wars?
Despite these if Hillarys, McCains, Romneys and others cheap agents start dancing as Saudis direct on Syria, Iran and other places, either they are dumb or sold out quite cheaply to Saudis and their agents.
And yet the media continues to not mention Obama's role in the (so-called) Arab Spring. Which is/was really all about enabling extremists to take over in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Mali, etc. The resulting wars now going on in Yemen, Syria and skirmishes in Bahrain, Qatar, etc.