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The Spring Uprising MiddleEast

The document summarizes the Arab Spring uprisings that began in 2010-2011 across several Middle Eastern and North African countries. It describes how the self-immolation of a Tunisian street vendor sparked protests against authoritarian regimes and economic stagnation. These protests toppled long-standing leaders in Tunisia and Egypt through sustained, social media-coordinated demonstrations. While some countries experienced democratic gains, the uprisings also resulted in violence, mass displacement, and worsening repression in parts of the region influenced by factors like youth unemployment, political repression, and new communication technologies enabling organization.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
30 views9 pages

The Spring Uprising MiddleEast

The document summarizes the Arab Spring uprisings that began in 2010-2011 across several Middle Eastern and North African countries. It describes how the self-immolation of a Tunisian street vendor sparked protests against authoritarian regimes and economic stagnation. These protests toppled long-standing leaders in Tunisia and Egypt through sustained, social media-coordinated demonstrations. While some countries experienced democratic gains, the uprisings also resulted in violence, mass displacement, and worsening repression in parts of the region influenced by factors like youth unemployment, political repression, and new communication technologies enabling organization.

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The Spring Uprising in the Middle East

Introduction:

The recent uprising in the Middle East astonished the entire world when volcano of human pa-

tience erupted in the strategically most important region of the World – the Middle East. It is also

known as The Spring Uprising or The Arab Spring.

The Arab Spring was a series of uprisings and protests that spread across much of the Arab

world in the early 2010s, beginning in Tunisia in response to corruption and economic stagnation.

The movement challenged some of the region's entrenched authoritarian regimes, resulting in the

toppling of some long-standing leaders. The effects of the Arab Spring movement were felt else-

where throughout the Middle East and North Africa, inspiring similar attempts in other Arab coun-

tries. The movement produced modest political, social, and economic gains for some of the region's

inhabitants, but also sparked horrific and lasting violence, mass displacement, and worsening re-

pression in parts of the region.

Spontaneous, unforeseen, and contagious, the uprisings of the Arab Spring took everyone - par-

ticipants included - by surprise. Like revolutions in other times and places, they seemed impossible

beforehand and inevitable afterward. In mid-December 2010 the desperate act of a young Tunisian

barely featured on the global news agenda. But it set off a chain reaction of extraordinary events

that would unseat dictators, reshape the political landscape of North Africa and the Middle East,

and affect the lives of millions of people. "The Guardian" has been running, often breathlessly, to

follow the story and to explain it ever since. This is a tale of many chapters, told by the journalists,

bloggers, and citizens who have lived through this incredible time. (T. Manhire, I. Black, 2012).

The significance and relevance of the topic lie in its impact on the region's political and social

landscape, as well as its influence on global politics. The thesis statement outlining the main argu-

ments to be discussed could be: The Arab Spring was a transformative movement that challenged

authoritarian regimes, inspired democratic aspirations, and brought about significant changes in the
region's political and social landscape, but also resulted in violence, displacement, and worsening

repression in some parts of the region.

Historical Context:

Looking back at history, it is found that since the end of WW II, this region has been ruled by

monarchs, sheikhs, and other despotic rulers. Enjoying the unflinching support of the major powers,

these autocrats established their empires to carry out their agendas. They kept throwing their oppo-

nents in jail and misusing public exchequer for personal gains and to preserve their hold on power.

Strengthening their powers in their realms, they were negating political, democratic, and various

civil rights to the citizens. A number of rulers with revolutionary slogans garbed power but did not

try to devolve it to the masses. A lot of individuals did not change at all. They were reduced to the

status of aliens. At the end of the Cold War, hopes were raised about freedom, equality, and human

rights but the people of the Middle East did not feel any positive change in their destiny. They were

still in the clutches of history. The US was following a two-pronged strategy in the region; extend-

ing unflinching support to the state of Israel and supporting the status quo in the region by endors-

ing the despotic regimes. Democracy was not on the US card. (M. Muasher, 2012).

The Arab Spring began in Tunisia with the dramatic suicide of Mohamed Bouazizi in December

2010. Bouazizi was a street peddler whose produce was arbitrarily confiscated by a police officer.

In reaction to that measure, and also probably in reaction to the poor living conditions forcing edu-

cated young people to sell fruit in the street to survive in Ben Ali's Tunisia, Bouazizi committed sui-

cide in the public arena by self-immolation. In the days following this dramatic event protestors in-

vaded central squares in most Tunisian cities. The protest rapidly spread throughout the country un-

til Ben Ali fled into exile on January 14, ending twenty-three years in power. The story could have

ended there but did not. On January 25, protestors took to the streets in Cairo to push Hosni

Mubarak (an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the fourth president of Egypt

from 1981 to 2011) out of power and sustained action for eighteen days, despite violent repression.
Waves of protest continued to develop throughout the Middle East. After Tunisia and Egypt,

protests emerged in Bahrain, Algeria, Libya and Morocco, Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Oman,

and Saudi Arabia. Protests are still in motion in most of these countries. ( C. Dupont, F. Passy,

2011).

So the main factors that contributed to public disconnect were, at first political repressions. Re-

gions in the East have long been dominated by dictatorial regimes that lacked political participation

and freedom of expression. Citizens craved basic rights and representation, but many countries used

emergency laws to stifle dissent and silence opposition, creating an atmosphere of fear and frustra-

tion. Police also cracked down on peaceful protests and made arbitrary arrests, which obviously in-

flamed anger and a sense of injustice among the population. Especially in the light of successful

democratic transitions in other regions, such as Eastern Europe, which gave people hope for change

in the Middle East as well.

There was also a high rate of unemployment, especially among educated youth, which led to a

sense of hopelessness and lack of opportunity. Economic hardship and affordability problems fur-

ther aggravated the situation of citizens, especially the middle class. The financial crisis of 2008

further exacerbated the economic problems in the region, contributing to the growing discontent.

(Kali Robinson, Will Merrow, 2020)

The socio-economic grievances described briefly above were inextricably linked with and fu-

elled political demands. More than anything else, the rebellions were a call for dignity and a reac-

tion to being humiliated by arbitrary, unaccountable, and increasingly predatory tyrannies.

In asking how and why, at that particular moment, socio-economic and political discontent in the

Arab world erupted into such powerful and focused collective action. a possible explanation is that

the unprecedented widespread use of social media and other means of communication made the up-

risings possible and increased their strength and inclusiveness. The rise of social media platforms

provided a space for citizens to connect, coordinate, share grievances, and organize protests, by-
passing traditional media censorship. It’s definitely played an important role in keeping the protests

going by spreading the word and making people see things that perhaps many didn't believe in.

Globalization had familiarized the youth with the world abroad. Looking at the sharp contrasts in

their political systems, they started thinking of change. Facebook and Twitter brought them together

and provided them with the opportunity to exchange views and join hands. It can rightly be called

the gift of the prevalent trends in globalization and rapid growth in communication technology.

(J.Khan, M. Ahmad, Z. Shah)

Case Studies of Key Countries:

As stated earlier The protests in Tunisia began with a young Tunisian who not only set ablaze

himself but also sparked the whole region. Demonstrations erupted and spread to neighboring cities,

leading to repression but a slow political response from Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali’s regime (a

Tunisian politician who served as the 2nd president of Tunisia from 1987 to 2011). Popular mobi-

lization in Tunisia was largely spontaneous, but sections of the country’s main trade union, the

Union Générale des Travailleurs Tunisiens (UGTT), and professional associations subsequently

played a part in organizing it. Police repression increased but then receded by 10 January 2011, as

the army signaled it would not take action against the protesters. As a general strike unfolded on 14

January, Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia. Within days, a temporary president and national unity gov-

ernment were in place in Tunisia. The latter included opposition members but was headed by the in-

cumbent prime minister, Muhammad Ghannouchi. He was too close to the old regime, however,

and political and popular opposition led to his resignation on 27 February. He was replaced by Beji

Caïd Essebsi, who had no links to Ben Ali. On 5 April the ‘Instance supérieure pour la réalisation

des objectifs de la révolution, de la réforme politique et de la transition démocratique’ was formed.

Comprising representatives of a wide range of political and social forces, except the extreme left, it

acquired a central role in driving the transition process (K. Dalacoura, 2012).

The overthrow of Ben Ali in Tunisia galvanized popular political action in Egypt. Demonstra-

tions organized for 25 January by civil society and opposition groups unexpectedly brought out
around 20,000 participants. Protests spread in Cairo and throughout the country. They gradually

snowballed, gathering speed after calls for a ‘day of rage’ on 28 January. They resisted police vio-

lence and their fear, and progressively crowded into Tahrir Square. On 29 January President Hosni

Mubarak announced a new government and on February 11, Mubarak stepped down and turned

power over to the army. The military enjoyed high public approval in the interim before a new gov-

ernment, but its apparent prioritization of stability over democratic transition at times dampened op-

timism. (C. Dupont, F. Passy, 2011)

Encouraged by protesters’ rapid successes in Tunisia and Egypt, protest movements took hold in

Yemen, Bahrain, Libya, and Syria in late January, February, and March 2011. Unlike in Tunisia and

Egypt, however, the outpouring of popular discontent in these countries led to bloody—and often

protracted—struggles between opposition groups and ruling regimes. A few days after Mubarak’s

fall, protests against Muammar Qadhafi broke out in Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city, and

quickly spread ‘across the whole of the east and to some parts of the west’, although they remained

relatively small-scale in the capital, Tripoli. The rebellion was led by the National Transition Coun-

cil (NTC). The UN Security Council sanctioned military intervention by NATO from March, but

this did not trigger a popular uprising in the West; outside intervention may even have hardened the

attitude of some pro-regime loyalists. However, by early September 2011, after months of apparent

deadlock and a war that cost tens of thousands of lives (the figures are as yet unverified), Qadhafi’s

regime imploded and he was brutally killed on 20 October. (K. Dalacoura, 2012)

In Bahrain, simmering tensions between the Sunni monarchy and the Shi'a majority erupted in

February 2011. Protests demanding political reforms and greater representation were met with a

harsh crackdown by security forces. The storming of Pearl Square, a central protest hub, marked a

turning point, solidifying the opposition and fueling calls for a republic. However, seeking to quell

the unrest, King Hamad invited intervention from neighboring Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia.

This move effectively crushed the uprising but at the cost of deeper societal divisions and ongoing

discontent.
In Yemen, the uprising initially focused on ousting President Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose

decades-long rule was marred by corruption and economic stagnation. Protests grew in size and in-

tensity, uniting youth activists and established opposition groups. Initially hesitant to join calls for

Saleh's downfall, the latter eventually switched tack, embracing a more confrontational approach.

However, Saleh clung to power through a mix of brutal repression, political maneuvering, and eco-

nomic enticements. Though forced to step down eventually, he maintained significant influence,

leaving the country teetering on the brink of civil war.

The Arab Spring ignited the flames of discontent in Syria as well in the southern city of Deraa.

Protests demanding democratic reforms and an end to President Bashar al-Assad's authoritarian rule

erupted in March 2011. However, unlike other countries, the Syrian regime responded with excep-

tional brutality, unleashing a violent crackdown that spiraled into a full-blown civil war. Assad's at-

tempts at limited concessions rang hollow, further alienating the population. As the conflict intensi-

fied, regional and international powers became embroiled, fueling the bloodshed and prolonging the

crisis.

The six cases of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Syria, where popular uprisings led

either to the overthrow of dictators or to serious internal fracturing and contestation, are separated

by a sharp divide from the rest of the region, which experienced comparatively minor fallout from

those events. In Morocco and Jordan, ruling monarchs diffused pressures by announcing reform

measures. (K. Dalacoura, 2012)

Challenges and Future

It is still too early to ascertain which states or actors have emerged as strategic winners and

which can be considered balanced strategic losers. According to Graeme P. Herd, three potential al-

ternative strategic pathways appear as models and offer road maps to the future, if not necessarily

viable, and sustainable governance systems.

The first way is the orderly transition. The implicit assumption here is that the political system

will be radically restructured through free and fair parliamentary elections, and the constitution will
be rewritten to reflect the shortcomings of merit. Internal debates will focus on how far and how

fast the reform process should progress, rather than on the overall strategic orientation and ultimate

goal. The demonstration effect of revolutions turns out to be a powerful driving force, reinforced by

media reports and increased public expectations.

A second potential pathway, bureaucratic persistence, lies through the previous regime's appara-

tus and bureaucracy, its institutions, and personal ties of common interest, surviving like a phoenix

to dominate the post-revolutionary distribution of power and resources. This path draws its strength

from experience and the weight of political culture. Historically, the Egyptian military has mixed

national interests with those of the defense-industrial complex. Why shouldn't the Supreme Military

Council do the same? The calculation here is that autocracies are indeed adaptable: they can be-

come even more autocratic.

The third potential path that the states of the Middle East and North Africa after the upheavals of

the Arab Spring is State chaos - the rise to power of Al Qaeda, chaos, anarchy, and civil war, or an

Iranian-style Islamist takeover in 1979

The specter of a descent into anarchy is currently most evident in events in Libya, Yemen, and

Syria, where dire predictions are the order of the day:

I see a river of blood and a plunge towards the abyss

(G. Shabril, 1 August 2011)

In Tunisia and Egypt, the current official narratives have been further delegitimized precisely be-

cause extremist religious ideologies have not (yet) proved to be the default alternative to the status

quo. (G.P.Herd, 2011)

The Islamist factor

None of the 2011 uprisings in the Arab Middle East were led by Islamist movements or had a p

Islamist agenda. In Tunisia, this was inevitably so because the major Islamist group, Al-Nahda, was

banned. In the case of Egypt, however, many young Muslim Brothers joined the protests, initially

against the wishes of their leadership, which was reluctant to participate until it became clear that
the movement was unstoppable. In other parts of the region, the role of Islamist groups varied. In

Yemen, the JMP, of which the Islamist Islah was an important member, eventually became active in

the protests. Despite their limited role in the uprisings, Islamist movements will benefit from them

politically. Before 2011 one could observe the spread of a personal, apolitical religiosity throughout

the Middle East. This trend may now be reversed. (K. Dalacoura, 2012)

Conclusion:

The Arab uprisings of 2011 were diverse events with various outcomes. While some saw dicta-

tors ousted and reforms enacted, others remained in conflict or under repression. These changes af-

fect regional power dynamics, US foreign policy, and the appeal of Islamist models. Democratiza-

tion across the region is uncertain, with some positive steps in Tunisia and Egypt, but instability in

others. Governance, economic and religious issues, foreign interference, and the formation of an

Arab block are key concerns. Future governments may impact Israel, Palestine, and global energy

politics.
Bibliography:

Al Jazeera and News Agencies (2020, December 17)


https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/17/what-is-the-arab-spring-and-how-did-it-start (retrieved
10.02.24)

Al Jazeera, T. Lageman (2020, December 17)


https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/12/17/remembering-mohamed-bouazizi-his-death-
triggered-the-arab# (retrieved 10.02.24)

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, December 8). Arab Spring pro-democracy protests.
Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Jasmine-Revolution (retrieved
11.02.24)

C. Dupont, F. Passy (2011). The Arab Spring or How to Explain Those Revolutionary Episodes

G.P.Herd (2011). The Arab Spring: Challenges, Obstacles and Dilemmas

J.Khan , M. Ahmad, Z. Shah (2014). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and
Social Sciences Vol. 4, No. 9. Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan.

K. Dalacoura, International Affairs (2012), Volume 88, Issue 1, pp. 63–79

K. Robinson and W. Merrow (2020). The Arab Spring at Ten Years: What’s the Legacy of the Up-
risings?

P. Jones (2012). A New Agenda for Peace pp. 447-463

T. Manhire (2012). The Arab Spring: Rebellion, Revolution and a New World Order Paperback

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