Batto Sfez Affair

Samuel "Batto" Sfez (Arabic: باتو سفس) (Hebrew: באטו ספז) was a young Tunisian Jew who worked as a cart driver for Nassim Shamama, the caid or officially recognised leader of the Jewish community in Tunisia.

[1] His execution for blasphemy in 1857 was a test case for the status of Jews and Christians in Tunisia and of the claim of the European powers to exercise jurisdiction over non-Muslims in the country.

[8] In an interview with Consul Wood a few weeks after Sfez's execution, Muhammad Bey commented: 'If a rapid introduction of innovations and reforms created an apprehension that our Faith was in danger, the people would rise to a man and my government would fall...

In the case of a Musulman (sic) who was condemned for Blasphemy, was not my relative obliged by the ulemas and the people to sanction the sentence and sacrifice the Blasphemer in order to avoid an insurrection and the effusion of the blood of thousands?

Nevertheless for six days and nights I and my Minister revolved the matter in our minds in the hope of finding means of saving the accused whose life I call God, who will judge me hereafter, to witness, I would have spared if it had been in my power.

'[11]These events caused great concern to the local Jewish community as well as to European businessmen and hence the French and British consuls, Léon Roches and Richard Wood.

In response France sent a naval squadron of nine ships and seven hundred cannon[13] to La Goulette to insist that Muhammad Bey promptly adopt a series of reforms modelled on the Ottoman Tanzimat.

[14] Muhammad Bey therefore agreed to what became known as the Fundamental Pact (Arabic: عهد الأمان) ('Ahd al-Aman or Pledge of Security) drawn up by Ahmad ibn Abi Diyaf, on 10 September 1857.