Faida Hamdy: Why a Tunisian council worker blames herself for the Arab Spring

'Sometimes I wish I’d never done it… I feel responsible for everything,' Faida Hamdy says

Protestors clash with security forces in 2010, days after Mohammed Bouazizi's death (Getty)

A former Tunisian council inspector who confiscated a vegetable stall from a man who set himself on fire - ultimately triggering a revolution that brought down the country’s dictator – has described how she feels personally responsible for turbulent aftermath of the Arab Spring.

Versions of the altercation between government worker Faida Hamdy and Mohammed Bouazizi five years ago are hotly disputed.

It was alleged at the time that Mrs Hamdy had hit the 26-year-old vendor. Despite the fact Ms Hamdy has denied striking him, the apparent incident became dubbed as “the slap that sparked a revolution”.

Since then, Mr Bouzazi’s suicide began a chain of events that led to revolutions across the Arab world. Within weeks of his death he had inspired a wave of protests and President Ben Ali had fled Tunisia after overseeing a dictatorship that had spanned 23 years.

While she did not clarify the exact nature of her interaction with the vendor, Ms Hamdy spoke to the The Daily Telegraph about her general role in the historic changes that swept the region.

She said: “Sometimes I wish I’d never done it… I feel responsible for everything… sometimes, I blame myself and say it is all because of me.

"I made history since I was the one who was there and my action contributed to it but look as us now. Meanwhile, Tunisians are suffering as always.”

Mrs Hamdy said she felt both she and Mr Bouazizi were victims, saying he lost his life and hers was no longer the same.

“When I look at the region and my country, I regret it all.” she added.

“Death everywhere and extremism blooming, and killing beautiful souls.”