Habib Bourguiba (1903 – 2000)
President of Tunisia from July 25, 1957 until 7 November 1987.
"Bourguiba is terribly awkward, but he said what most of us believe. The Egyptians take millions from the Communists and have the nerve to call us lackeys for accepting a penny from America."
Bourguiba's Neo-Destour Party paper, the L'Action,: "To be respected in 1958 one can no longer be a friend of the West. The day that Bourguiba decides to follow the path set by Nehru, Tito and Nasser, Tunisia will no longer be lied about and attacked. She will be wooed."
"I have carried this abscess too far, Tunisia is going through a difficult period. Freedom is dangerous."
Bourguiba on people who patronized the Zéro de Conduite (Zero for Conduct), nightclub- "practice a shameful exhibitionism in morbid and degrading dances."
"Give us arms! Give us arms!"
"How many times, have I had to seat women whom I received at audiences next to me, rather than facing me, in order to avoid general embarrassment? Nothing should compel us to suffer such trials. It puts the nerves of men and the modesty of women to a severe test."
"humiliating backward condition of our country."
"At the moment of a revolution there is no question of setting up a democracy like that in America. If they accuse me of dictatorship, I accept. I am creating a nation. Liberty must be suppressed until the end of the war in Algeria—until the nation becomes homogeneous."
"Basically and profoundly, we are with the West."
Interim Premier of Tunisia Tahar ben Amar-"I did not want to be Premier in the first place. I only accepted because Bourguiba pleaded with me to accept."
"I have promised the Tunisian people that the French army will go, If I fail, I will be swept away."
"a dangerous maniac who actually thinks he might become a figure in world affairs."-French Resident General
"We have the proof that our disagreement with the U.A.R. is more than a simple misunderstanding."
"You are wrong. The state and its existence are essential before everything else. All this preoccupation with liberty is not serious."
"Today I am the President of the Republic, but I will be the first to join the Maquis."
Bourguiba quoting the Prophet Muhammed - "Break the fast, and you will be stronger to confront the enemy."
"pretext that paralyzes our activity.
"Yes, I am Western, and I will remain so."
El Massa from Beirut- "Turn to Cairo, O Habib. Turn to the Arab Republic, to the camp of neutralism and to dignity and sovereignty."
Bourguiba warning the French-"it will mean war."