Tunisia does the Harlem Shake

Students of Père Blanc (c) Nourhène Landa via Carthage FM

Following the assassination of a major political leader and resignation of their Prime Minister, Tunisia is threatened by perhaps its most subversive political conspiracy yet: the Harlem Shake.

The North African crack down on this social media phenomenon began recently in Egypt. Four students were arrested on Saturday for stripping to their underwear in a middle class area of Cairo while making the video. Egyptian sightseers at the pyramids were also shocked to witness dancers similarly relieving themselves of outer garments and riding camels to the Shake’s electro soundtrack around the ancient monument.

Tunisia’s Education Minister Abdellatif Abid has now demanded an investigation into the performance of the dance in a school in the capital Tunis. Abid has threatened the students of “Père Blanc” lycée with expulsion and hinted at the sacking of educational staff. He also stressed that the video, in which students jump around in their underwear, is not in line with educational objectives.

Supporters have subtly expressed their opposition by posting an internet meme with a troll face asking “YOU MAD?” on the Ministry of Education website and dedicating it to the students of Père Blanc.

While Père Blanc students, who angered conservatives by dancing dressed as ultra conservative Muslims, have also inspired thousands of other copycat videos, designed to needle the Ministry of Education.

Recent Posts on Notebook

• Justice for sale but who pays for the cost?
• The Road to the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc - Majorca 70.3 Ironman
• The Retail Ready People project means the future of the high street is in your hands
• Don't get mad about Amazon and make the right ethical choice
• Chagos: Conservationists are swimming in murky waters

• http://twitter.com/Kiljoy616 Kiljoy616

  ROFLMAO

• Waltermorgan

  I first saw some Harlem Shuffle videos from Morocco just the other day and thought what a great way for the youth of North Africa and the Middle East to stick it to the Salafist murderers, head choppers and cultural philistines that are blighting them at the moment. Fun, dressing up, bawdiness – it may hurt the mirthless morons more than violence. Brilliant.

• http://harlemshakeoriginal.com/ Harlem Shake

  I guess somebody forget how to have fun.

• Dinsdale_Piranha

  Brilliant
  Irreverent and funny and the only threat it poses is to the establishment – people who need to go and find a sense of humour.

  Give them a Nobel Peace prize for showing just how similar we are –

  as opposed to those who constantly emphasise the divisions between us.

• TMDIVO

  WTF is that??

• http://www.facebook.com/PeddRaam Pedd Raam

  Tunisian seculars have to do more than Gangnam
  Style and Harlem Shake to shake off the Islamic chains and guns, but
  still I say, have fun mocking the Islamic state. In Iran those dancing were rounded up and many killed.

• Gunluvr

  Let them do their perverted and lascivious dance, soon the Ayatollahs and Imans will set things straight. Do they think they’re westerners?

• bibou

  not gonna happen you bigot ! cant stand this religous fan

• http://twitter.com/kerfluffer Michael Slavitch

  The kids are alright.