Arab Spring: Is it?

Since the self immolation of an unemployed Tunisian in December 2010, to protest his ill-treatment by the police, people in the Arab world have started pro-democratic demonstrations. The world media, as usual, have cnnized the whole process and gave this movement a name- ‘The Arab Spring’. The term is adopted from ‘The Prague Spring’, the eight month liberalization rebellion in former Czechoslovakia in August of 1968.

We entered the seventh month of the so-called spring this past 17^th. So far this rebellion has achieved its goal of overthrowing the dictatorial governments in Tunisia, Egypt & more recently, Yemen. Protests in Bahrain, Oman & Jordan were crushed and I think spring is over for the people of these nations. Demonstrators are on streets against there respective authoritarian rulers in Syria, Algeria & Morocco. There are protests in almost all of the Middle East and North African countries, but there activities are over shadowed by the high profile rebellion activities going on in Libya. Libya’s rebels have been recognized by Germany & Canada as the legitimate government of Libya, although Tripoli is still controlled by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Why NATO and particularly, US decided to get involved in Libya and no other country, is still a mystery.

The protests in Tunisia and Egypt, as far as bringing democracy is concerned, were a success (although I am still debating if success is the right word to use at this junction). But it is just the first step in the right direction. Democracy is not ‘The Answer’ to all the questions a nation faces. True, it helps to be a democratic society but remember, ‘with power comes responsibility’. Tunisians and Egyptians have the power and now, God forbid; if they fail they can’t blame anyone. The recent Christian & Muslim riots in Egypt were just the thing I am worried about. These nations have no experience in running a government on democratic values and one misstep will tarnish all the good that was done by removing the dictators.

Middle East and North Africa have for long been viewed from a prism of radical Islamism, but status quo is changing. It’s a brave new world in the Middle East. Although I sincerely hope that the young Arabs understand that overthrowing the current regime is just one step and the work of nation building will be there true test. The Prague Spring was crushed by Soviet tanks; I wish the ending is different this time around.