Magharebia (Washington DC)

Tunisia: Govt Cracks Down On 'Harlem Shake' Craze

25 February 2013
Tunisian students perform their own rendition of the Harlem Shake. ( Resource: Gangnam Style and Harlem Shake Tunisia Version Père Blanc

Tunisian authorities ordered a probe into a "Harlem Shake" dance video filmed at a Tunis high school on Saturday (February 23rd), AFP reported.

"The ministry of education has demanded an investigation and the department will take appropriate measures," Education Minister Abdellatif Abid told Radio Mosaique.

He said there could be possible "expulsions" of students or "sacking" of educational staff involved in the staging of the dance. (Click here to see the Tunis Harlem Shake video).

The YouTube video features students from the Menzah 6 district of Tunis. Some are seen dancing in shorts, while others wear fake beards and tunics to mimic radical salafists.

"What happened is an insult to the educational message and whoever contributed will be held responsible," Abid said.

Facebook users reacted to the minister's statements by launching a call for a mass "Harlem Shake" in front of the Ministry of Education this Friday, Tunisia Live reported.

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