Tunisian TV mogul fined over 'blasphemous' film But others saw reason for cautious encouragement, saying that the court had sent a signal that Tunisia would not embrace the puritanical vision of its most extreme religious conservatives. "This does set a precedent of sorts," said Bethabet Boubaker, secretary-general of the Council of the Bar Association. But I see a positive side to this verdict, because it will deter people from bringing complaints like this to the courts every day. We shouldn't be using the law to resolve differences of belief. The case has struck at the heart of the biggest issue facing Tunisia since its revolution last year: how to satisfy the country's previously oppressed Islamist groups, some of which are calling for the inclusion of Islamic Sharia in the constitution, and the liberal secular population, who fear the country is losing its progressive edge to a minority of fundamentalists. Because of Tunisia's reputation as a regional trendsetter, the case could have implications for the rest of the region. The first country to overthrow its dictator, Tunisia was also the first to embrace political Islam when the moderate Islamist Ennahda party easily emerged as the largest party after parliamentary elections last October.