and the group was forced underground. Ideology The Young Tunisians focused mainly on domestic issues such as education and economy. They aimed to address the French government and the French population to advocate for reforms in the country. Not to seek a complete and total independency, but to obtain a greater autonomy. For that reason, Le Tunisien was written in French . Their main goal was to offer a public and free education to all Tunisians. In the first issue of Le Tunisien, the Young Tunisians wrote:"Une réforme complète de l'Enseignement s'impose. Il appartient à la France, dans un élan digne de ses traditions et de son idéal démocratique, de décréter l'instruction primaire gratuite et obligatoire dans toute la Régence. En outre, le gouvernement du Protectorat devra faciliter aux indigènes l'accès de l'enseignement secondaire et encourager l'élite à aborder l'enseignement supérieur." ("A complete reform of education is essential. It is up to France, in an effort worthy of its traditions and its democratic ideal, to decree free and compulsory primary education throughout the Regency. In addition, the government of the Protectorate should facilitate access to secondary education for the natives and encourage the elite to approach higher education.")This goal was opposed by some colonizers who wanted to prevent any idea of freedom, independence and equality between the colonizers and colonized. In 1910, for the 4th year of publication of Le Tunisien, Ali Bach Hamba wrote "tout musulman est par définition panislamiste" ("all muslims are panislamist by definition"). The quote refers to the strong links of friendship and brotherhood between the Muslim world. Ali Bach Hamba underlines after that these links are only spirituals and should not be used to unify Tunisia with the Ottoman Empire for example. Influence and legacy The Young Tunisians's demands found their audience in the French deputies (a.k.a. Members of Parliament in English) and senators. Some of them recognized the importance of the instruction of the Tunisian youth like Auguste Bouge, who recognized and proclaimed "equality of French and natives regarding instruction" and wrote in his report on the Tunisian budget in 1910:"Ce n'est que par l'école que nous parviendrons à former chez les jeunes générations une âme nouvelle et moderne, susceptible de s'affranchir des préjugés de race et de se garder de toute intransigeance religieuse." ("It is only through school that we will succeed in forming among the younger generations a new and modern soul,