Latifa Lakhdar (born 1 February 1956) is a Tunisian historian and politician who was Minister of Culture from February 2015 until January 2016.

Early life and education

Lakhdar was born in Zarzis on 1 February 1956. She was a student of

Mohamed Arkoun Mohammed Arkoun ( ar, محمد أركون; 1 February 1928 – 14 September 2010) was an Algerian scholar and thinker. He was considered to have been one of the most influential secular scholars in Islamic studies contributing to contemporary int ...

at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Career

Lakhdar was Professor of Contemporary History at University of Ez-Zitouna from 1991 to 1999 and from 2000 to 2015 at the University of Tunis. Lakhdar is an expert in Islamic thought and has published several books in Arabic and French, notably on the condition of women in Islamic societies. She is a

women's rights activist Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

and

secularist Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular, naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state, and may be broadened to a sim ...

. She has argued that Islamic fundamentalism, including

Islamic terrorism Islamic terrorism (also known as Islamist terrorism or radical Islamic terrorism) refers to terrorist acts with religious motivations carried out by fundamentalist militant Islamists and Islamic extremists. Incidents and fatalities f ...

is part of Islamic orthodoxy, but that Islamic thought can be enlightened and liberal if it undergoes a "critical revolution". She argues that "The jihadist idea that religion should rule politics is a model that never existed."

Political career

Lakhdar is a founding member of the

Association tunisienne des femmes démocrates Association may refer to: * Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal * Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry * Voluntary associa ...

. In 2011, she was elected vice-president of the

Higher Authority for Realisation of the Objectives of the Revolution, Political Reform and Democratic Transition The Higher Authority for Realisation of the Objectives of the Revolution, Political Reform and Democratic Transition ( ar, الهيئة العليا لتحقيق أهداف الثورة والإصلاح السياسي والانتقال الدي ...

. On 6 February 2015, Lakhdar was appointed Minister of Culture and Heritage Preservation, as an independent, in the government of Prime Minister

Habib Essid Habib Essid ( ar, حبيب الصيد; born 1 June 1949) is a Tunisian politician who was Head of Government of Tunisia from 6 February 2015 to 27 August 2016. He was the first Head of Government to be appointed following the adoption of the new c ...

. She was in communication with museum staff during the

Bardo National Museum attack On 18 March 2015, two militants attacked the Bardo National Museum in the Tunisian capital city of Tunis, and took hostages. Twenty-one people, mostly European tourists, were killed at the scene, and an additional victim died ten days later. Aro ...

on 18 March 2015 and later unveiled a memorial at the site. On 12 February 2016, Lakhdar was made a Commander of the Order of the Republic by President Béji Caïd Essebsi for her service.

Publications

Books

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Articles

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lakhdar, Latifa Living people 1956 births Historians of Tunisia College of Sorbonne alumni Academic staff of the University of Ez-Zitouna Academic staff of Tunis University Tunisian feminists People of the Tunisian revolution Government ministers of Tunisia Women government ministers of Tunisia 21st-century Tunisian women politicians 21st-century Tunisian politicians Tunisian women historians 20th-century Tunisian historians 21st-century Tunisian historians 20th-century Tunisian women writers 21st-century Tunisian women writers