From Arab Spring to Arab Nightmare
62One by one, the despots are being killed or hounded out by the uprising of the people in the Middle Eastern Arab countries. Unfortunately this exciting freedom movement they call the Arab Spring will go the way of its Prague Spring predecessor. Extremist Islamic factions are slowly consolidating their power and their reach threatens to crush the delicate, green shoots of true democracy. It's happened in Afghanistan and Iraq and we should not be surprised if all these movements turns sour. This region has only known dictatorships and autocracies; how can they but revert back to the same form of rule but under a different guise. The suffering of people will continue and there's really not much that we in America or even Europe can do about it.
Too much is being asked about a region where the majority of people are still ignorant and uneducated, still cling to old tribal ways, and are passive in the face of injustice. The Islamists want the people to stay that way, they are easier to rule. Democracy requires, not that you are constantly fighting for your rights but a recognition that other people have rights too and it should be respected so that solutions are able accommodate them. Islamists only recognize the Muslim and even the Muslim isn't treated well so what can the non-Muslim expect but suffering.
For too long the inhabitants of the Middle East have been taught by Islam that there is no equality between Muslims and non-Muslims. For too long, women have been taught to hide and refrain from engaging in public. For too long, the non-Muslim has been forced to either convert or retreat. For too long, repressive Islamic ideology has limited imagination and growth. And the result has been a poverty of ideas, development, and representative government. The only country in the Middle East that is a modern, developed democracy is not Muslim but Jewish -- Israel.
The region will continue to seethe and resent the promises that were unfulfilled. We can only prepare for the further self-destruction that will occur.
Danny@dijitul Level 1 Commenter 6 months ago
Unfortunately I have to agree with you, whilst it's nice to imagine a Liberal, democratic arab world which can co-operate with Western countries and others all around the world, the fact of the matter is to a majority of these people, religion is absolute fact and there's no questioning it!
Even for those who want democracy, a few threats from Islamist's that God will have his vengeance if they don't grow that beard or put on that burka, and it's all quickly back to a west hating square one.