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Association Shams AI simulator
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Association Shams AI simulator
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Association Shams
Association Shams (Arabic: جمعية شمس, romanized: Jamʿiyyat Shams) is a Tunisian organization for LGBT rights, campaigning for sexual minority rights in Tunisia. The non-governmental, non-profit organization derives its name from the Sufi mystic Shams Tabrizi (with shams also being Arabic for "sun") and its logo is made up of two whirling dervishes.
Association Shams was legally registered under Tunisian law on May 18, 2015. The focus of the organization is the decriminalization of homosexuality. On their website, they published a set of other goals such as:
The organization is known for campaigns attracting media attention for LGBTQ issues in Tunisia and is considered one of the first legally recognized LGBTQ advocacy groups in the Arabic speaking world.
In the wake of the Arab Spring, Tunisian LGBT activists, according to interviews conducted by Acconcia, Giuseppe, Et al, published in the journal, Social Movement Studies, said that they took advantage of the "wider space for LGBTQ activism {that} was {becoming} evident" as a result of the "uprisings" and formed groups like Shams, Mawjoudin, and Chouf.
In 2017, Radio Shams, an independent, LGBTQ led media operation; another first in the Arab World, was created, with the goal to help give LGBTQ voices in Tunisia a platform to advocate for their rights. The founder is quoted as stating that he, and by extension the association had, "received more than five thousand death threats" within the first two weeks of the commencement of the operation of the radio station. In the station's first six months they had 10,000 listeners a week across 15 different countries. The show is streamed online six days a week. The project is funded by the Dutch embassy in Tunis. According to the founder, and other public facing members of the association, like presenter and activist Amina Sboui, the Shams Rad location is kept secret, for the safety of the station's volunteers and presenters.
Radio Shams, sometimes written as "Shams Rad" is amongst a series of disconnected, post Arab Spring associative media ventures, whose spoken goals are to give voice to various marginalized regions or people in Tunisia, that are often ignored by the national media, which, in the case of Association Shams and Radio Shams, primarily the voices of the LGBTQ and sexual minorities community in Tunisia.
The existence of Association Shams has been received with skepticism by Tunisians. Several public figures were opposed to the existence of an LGBTQ activist group in the country. Homosexuality is still criminalized under Tunisian law. As stated by the Article 230 of the Tunisian Penal code, homosexuality is a punishable crime and people accused of it can face up to three years in prison. The authorities accuse people with sodomy without proper evidence and oblige them to undergo anal tests that have no medical relevance.
In December 2015, a controversy took place in several local media outlets and following that a case was filed against the organization by Kamel Hedhili, the head of state litigation. The government stated that Shams is violating the association law of the country and that it deviated from its main course. The activities of the NGO were suspended for a whole month starting from January 4, 2016, by a decree of the Tunisian Court of First Instance.
Association Shams
Association Shams (Arabic: جمعية شمس, romanized: Jamʿiyyat Shams) is a Tunisian organization for LGBT rights, campaigning for sexual minority rights in Tunisia. The non-governmental, non-profit organization derives its name from the Sufi mystic Shams Tabrizi (with shams also being Arabic for "sun") and its logo is made up of two whirling dervishes.
Association Shams was legally registered under Tunisian law on May 18, 2015. The focus of the organization is the decriminalization of homosexuality. On their website, they published a set of other goals such as:
The organization is known for campaigns attracting media attention for LGBTQ issues in Tunisia and is considered one of the first legally recognized LGBTQ advocacy groups in the Arabic speaking world.
In the wake of the Arab Spring, Tunisian LGBT activists, according to interviews conducted by Acconcia, Giuseppe, Et al, published in the journal, Social Movement Studies, said that they took advantage of the "wider space for LGBTQ activism {that} was {becoming} evident" as a result of the "uprisings" and formed groups like Shams, Mawjoudin, and Chouf.
In 2017, Radio Shams, an independent, LGBTQ led media operation; another first in the Arab World, was created, with the goal to help give LGBTQ voices in Tunisia a platform to advocate for their rights. The founder is quoted as stating that he, and by extension the association had, "received more than five thousand death threats" within the first two weeks of the commencement of the operation of the radio station. In the station's first six months they had 10,000 listeners a week across 15 different countries. The show is streamed online six days a week. The project is funded by the Dutch embassy in Tunis. According to the founder, and other public facing members of the association, like presenter and activist Amina Sboui, the Shams Rad location is kept secret, for the safety of the station's volunteers and presenters.
Radio Shams, sometimes written as "Shams Rad" is amongst a series of disconnected, post Arab Spring associative media ventures, whose spoken goals are to give voice to various marginalized regions or people in Tunisia, that are often ignored by the national media, which, in the case of Association Shams and Radio Shams, primarily the voices of the LGBTQ and sexual minorities community in Tunisia.
The existence of Association Shams has been received with skepticism by Tunisians. Several public figures were opposed to the existence of an LGBTQ activist group in the country. Homosexuality is still criminalized under Tunisian law. As stated by the Article 230 of the Tunisian Penal code, homosexuality is a punishable crime and people accused of it can face up to three years in prison. The authorities accuse people with sodomy without proper evidence and oblige them to undergo anal tests that have no medical relevance.
In December 2015, a controversy took place in several local media outlets and following that a case was filed against the organization by Kamel Hedhili, the head of state litigation. The government stated that Shams is violating the association law of the country and that it deviated from its main course. The activities of the NGO were suspended for a whole month starting from January 4, 2016, by a decree of the Tunisian Court of First Instance.