There is nothing particularly memorable about Jihad. He has dark skin and wears a hat to cover his bald head. Really there is nothing to distinguish him from any other young Tunisian of his age. But Jihad has a hole in his shoulder, and this changed not only his life but the path of the whole country. Because of this hole, Jihad has become a reference point for the youth revolution.

There is nothing particularly memorable about Jihad. He has dark skin and wears a hat to cover his bald head. Really there is nothing to distinguish him from any other young Tunisian of his age. But Jihad has a hole in his shoulder, and this changed not only his life but the path of the whole country. Because of this hole, Jihad has become a reference point for the youth revolution.

But 26-year old Jihad is reluctant to talk about the subject. When he hears the phrase an ironic smile twists his slim face. In a low voice he spells out his disappointment, “The young people made this revolution, but it is the older generation who is benefitting from it.”

Jihad remains silent for a while, studying his coffee. He looks up and says with the air of some one who has spent many years behind bars, “All the young people who took up the banner of revolution are now dispersed. Some of them joined pre-existing political parties but most of them have abandoned the struggle. Others have chosen to leave the country. They were forced to give up because of the terrible social conditions.”

Unconsciously he scratches a scar on his neck. Realizing, he begins to recall the events of 25th February 2011, dubbed a ‘day of rage’ by demonstrators. Huge numbers of young people began to gather in an area of Tunis known as Kasbah 2. In front of the Interior Ministry on Habib Bourguiba Avenue, they shouted slogans calling for the resignation of interim Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi, a former ally of Ben Ali.  Military helicopters circled over the rally, and youth and security forces clashed.

As night fell, Jihad returned to his tent in front of the Government Palace in the Kasbah. The next morning the demonstrations started up again. For Jihad, 26^th February would be etched on his brain forever. The confrontations turned violent; the security forces used live bullets.

“A whole lot of us went to Habib Bourguiba Avenue. We were aware of what we might face, but the moment we arrived, the security men started firing tear gas, so people scattered in all directions. Me and my friends, we took shelter near a military brigade. But the security men were chasing us. Members of the brigade told us we should run away. They had no desire to get involved. They weren’t prepared to fight the security forces in order to protect us.”  

Jihad bites hard on his finger to stop the pain, “I ran to the next street where I could hear the sound of bullets and frightened protesters. I saw this young man who was wounded in his leg.  I went to help him but the sniper was quicker than me. He shot him in his head and killed him.  I was shocked. I could hear the army officers shouting, “Stay back, they will shoot you.” I looked up and saw a masked man on the roof of the building opposite. I felt something on my neck.  I stooped down; then I stopped hearing anything and fell.” 

At first Jihad didn’t realize he had been hit. He tried to stand up and grabbed onto a nearby tree for balance. As his hearing came back it was clear that the shooting was still going on, but after 20 minutes there was quiet. Jihad got down on his hands and knees in case it started up again. He crawled to a nearby car park. Only then, as he put his hand to his neck, did he realize that he had been shot. The bullet had gone in through his neck and out through his shoulder. There in the entrance to the car park Jihad blacked out. 

Surgery kept Jihad alive but left him in considerable pain. For a while he was addicted to morphine. And to dull the pain Jihad took to drink and drugs. Even on his salary of just 150 dinars a month (US $93) he was able to afford spirits and hashish.   

All done in vain?

Jihad laments the situation that many young people find themselves in. “Like many people my age, I do not see that we have a future. Before the revolution, I was a technician with a salary of around 2000 dinars (US $1, 237). Today I work in a canteen in a secondary schools in Ariana governorate where I earn just 150 dinars. I try to cover all my expenses from this amount but the cost of the medicine alone is 750 dinars (around US $464).  I live with a kind family.  I don’t pay them rent because I can’t and they want to help me.”

As well as the physical pain there is also the mental anguish as Jihad recalls the three years of sacrifice and bloodshed. Was so much pain worth the price of freedom he muses? Not when the political parties exploit the young activists. For the politicians, young people are little more than a mob to use for their own ends: to pressure the government and improve their negotiation terms.  And when it comes to any decision-making the political elite are more than happy to abandon the youth. 

“If we do anything, the parties want to influence us. They want to mold our objectives according to their own interests. On the night when the MP, Mohamed Brahmi, was assassinated, my colleagues and I started a sit-in demanding the end of the government. It has shown itself powerless to protect the people from terrorism. We mobilized hundreds of people, all those who were still inspired by the revolution. Suddenly a number of opposition politicians appeared showing support for our demands. But, as everybody knows, the leadership told their members to join us. They joined our protest but later on they excluded us and started to raise their own demands; whatever serves their political interests.”

But Jihad has not lost all hope. He still actively supports the causes he believes in. In early 2012 he founded the Youth Wants Movement, despite his ongoing health condition.  He participated in the revival of the ‘Revolutionary Youth Movements’. Now he and a group of like-minded young activists are trying to create an independent youth movement. The idea is to be politically active but free of all other parties and ideological organizations. “We have one aim,” says Jihad, “getting rid of injustice and moving towards freedom and a decent living which we have been dreaming of for so long.”

Another of Jihad’s fears is that certain influential sheikhs want to send the youth to fight in Syria. “What would be the future of the country if this happens?” he wondered. He says he feels ashamed that so much blood was shed in order to bring about change in Tunisia but in fact the conditions in the country have only gotten worse.

 Jihad zips up his jacket to hide the scar. The wound took two weeks to heal but after three years he is no closer to finding out who fired the bullet. However the other wound, the disillusionment and disenchantment of the youth, bleeds still.