On Tunisia
I watched with great excitement the events as they unfolded in Tunisia; in all honesty I had very little hope that the events will evolve and reach where it reached today. No matter how much research I carry out I still can’t understand how the Tunisian were able to overthrow a regime in a month’s time.
All that is beside the point, what matters is that the people of Tunisia earned what they wanted. The blood of the 68 didn’t go in vain.
I lived to see an Arab dictatorship overthrown without major bloodshed and by new weapons including social networking giants Twitter and Facebook.
المضحك المبكي في الموضوع هو ردات فعل الحكومات العربية المجاورة، كنت متشوقاً لقراءة البيانات التي ستسطرها دوواين الحكم في وطننا العربي الكبير. هل ستعترف هذه الحكومات بإرادة الشعب التونسي وانتفاضته؟ هل ستقر بشرعية ماحصل؟ هل ستهنىء التوانسة بإنجازهم وتحررهم من براثن الدكتاتور سيء الذكر؟ هل ستتفهم وتستوعب منطق ما تستطره في دساتيرها إعتباطاً بأن “الشعب هو مصدر السلطات جميعاً” ؟
Sadly, it didn’t..
Our local and regional mass media portrayed the whole thing as an uprising, and focused more on the aftermath. Front pages on newspapers showed pictures of violent protests and coverage of crime waves and civil unrest. But that’s a different story altogether..
There is this great sense of excitement going around the Arab World over what had happened, news agencies and political analysts are all of a sudden talking about how Tunisia is just the beginning to what is expected to have a domino effect and extend to other Arab governments in the region, which I think is highly improbable due to the following:
1. The international political climate of Tunisia is unique. It doesn’t have a lot of weight in the regional turmoil and doesn’t have much to do with the big boys (Iran, Israel and Saudi Arabia).
2. Tunis is too much of a secular country; religion in the Arab world is a very efficient anesthetic to the suffering of the people. After all, it’s not the government’s fault that you are poor! God just wants you to be this way! God also wants you to obey the orders of those who are in power, I have came across a lot of forum threads and blog posts calling for “ the followers to obey the rulers” in an idiotic word-to-word translation/interpretation of the holy Quran.
3. Poverty in Tunisia was so immense that there was no privileged sect, community or people. It was either that you are related to the ruler and his wife and will therefore be eligible for a piece of the cake, or you are a commoner who will have to work their way to material comfort.
4. The people of Tunisia are united, undivided and see one reason to their situation. They gave huge sacrificed and not one wanted change, but saw no other way for their salvation but change. Ben Ali had to go; it was just a matter of time.
5. No matter what others are saying, Ben Ali left early! Any other Arab ruler would have used brute force to defend his “throne”. News agencies have reported 70 deaths, I wouldn’t be surprised if that number doubled to even tripled and executed either while in protest or in a comical courtroom with preset outcomes.
6. The internet offers a unique space -a cyberworld- for the testosterone driven teens fueled by hatred, neediness and full of hope of a pink future. It is one thing to tweet poetically about wanting change, it’s another to go out in the street willing to fight and risk your life demanding it.
I have nothing but respect to the Tunisian people after all, and as they say VIVE LA TUNISIE!
في تونس لو لم يقف الجيش على الحياد لكان بن علي يسرح ويمرح في قصره وهو أمر صعب في كثر من دول المنطقة وبالذات في دول الخليج حيث أن نسبة كبيرة من الجيش وقوات الأمن من جنسيات مستوردة
Finally you wrote again. I was really glad to see your post in my feed reader. your posts are always something. While your about-me says it’s your daily rants and rave, your latest 2010 post was in March!
Strangely one quote from a really old post of yours passed by my mind earlier this week. I have been a loyal reader, and this is a special request, please, Please keep on writing.
I like your analysis On Tunisia, yes, VIVE LA TUNISIE!
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[...] Emoodz broke his blogging silence vow to chant VIVE LA TUNISIE! He remarks: I watched with great excitement the events as they unfolded in [...]
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