The Evolution of the Tunisian School of Thought in Arab-Islamic Civilization

Numerous Tunisian thinkers have established a humanistic and theologically progressive discourse on justice that seeks to make human rights norms compatible with the core values of Islam. This paper examines the intersection of culture and law, utilizing critical research and the sociology of Islam. It will shed light on the "Tunisian School of Thought in Arab-Islamic Civilization" and its evolution from the historical Tunisian school that focused on the objectives of Islamic law within the Maliki Madhhab. In modern times, it highlights the contributions of the thinker Tahar Haddad (1899-1935). It will underscore the contribution of Professor Abdelmajid Charfi and historians of Islamic civilization such as Hisham Ja’it and Mohamed Talbi, noting the variety of approaches among selected academics. It then focuses on women academics, such as Zahia Jouinou, Amal Grami, and Olfa Youssef, who earned their Ph.D. degrees under the supervision of some of these scholars. These academics belong to the first generation of women scholars of Islamic civilization and graduates of Tunisia's modern higher educational institutions. Through their knowledge production using applied Islamic studies, teaching, and activism, they have fostered academic mobilization. The paper delineates their relationship to mainstream Islamist and secularist positions on topics related to Islam and social justice. The paper seeks to answer these questions: What are the key epistemological assumptions underlying the work of these contemporary Tunisian scholars? How do Tunisian feminist scholars engage with classical and modern texts, and how do these engagements reflect broader societal transformations? The paper first sets the emergence of this wave in a historical and sociological context within a theoretical framework. Then, it examines their various assumptions and discusses their broader societal, ethical, and political implications. The paper is based on a monograph that explores the intellectual depth and the ideological effect of this school of thought.