Meherzia Maïza Labidi (محرزية العبيدي معيزة), (Meherzia Labidi 17 December 1963 - ) in Hammamet in Tunisia.[1] She is a Tunisian politician, a professional translator and interpreter.
Meherzia Labidi was born on 17 December 1963[2] in El Meziraâ in the town of Hammamet in Nabeul Governorate in North East Tunisia. She graduated a mixed high school in the town of Grombalia in 1982. She then moved south to study at the Ecole Normale Superieure in the city of Sousse[3] until 1986. She then went to France with her husband, who is a telecommunications engineer,[4] to study at the École supérieure d'interprètes et de traducteurs at the University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle. She holds a Masters degree in economics and translation of a post-graduate degree in English literature and theatre studies[5] in 1992. She teaches translation at the European Institute of Human Sciences in St. Denis.[5]
In 2004 she co-authored Abraham, réveille-toi, ils sont devenus fous! (Abraham, Wake Up. They Are Going Crazy) with Laurent Klein.[2][6]
She gives lectures on education in multicultural societies, women, religion and society. She was the honorary President of Religions for Peace in 2015.[5] Religions for Peace is a New York based NGO recognized at the UN. She is Chair of the Global Women of Faith Network since 2006.[5] In 2009, she was a member of the European Council of religious leaders. She came to international notice when she supported a more moderate position over wearing the niqab. This was during the French debates that aimed to restrict it being worn in France.[4]
On 23 October 23 2011,[1] she was elected to the Tunisian Constituent Assembly as a representative of the Ennahda Movement for the Paris 1 voting district. On 22 November she became the first Vice-President of the assembly after receiving 142 out of the 214 votes.[2]
On 11 March 2014, she receives prostitutes who had worked at a brothel in Sousse. They wanted their brothel reopened after it had been closed for over a year. She undertook to speak on their behalf to the relevant authorities.[7]
She is a French and a Tunisian citizen, daughter of a father of eight children[4] imam, her dual nationality is the subject of controversy to her critics.[3][8] She is married and mother of two girls and a boy. Her husband and children reside in Paris.[2]
She was elected to the assembly of the representatives of the people in the elections on October 26, 2014, this time in the second district of Nabeu.[1] In 2015 she was still a member of the Tunisian Government and she lead their Committee For Women, Family, Children and the Elderly.[5]