Middle East is going through a chaotic transitional phase following the 'Arab Spring'
The Arab Spring that erupted in the Middle East and North Africa two years ago was an inspiration for millions around the region and, indeed, the whole world. Dictators were deposed and a new dawn was in sight. But two years later, the region has yet to pull itself together and many are questioning whether empowerment is all it is cracked up to be.
The Egyptian economy is still a shambles, yet to lift the country out of its awful state. In Libya, an end of Muammar Gaddafi has been replaced by tribal feud that shows no sign of ending. And in Syria, more than 70,000 have been killed in an ongoing uprising.
For many people, including national leaders, the Arab Spring has become a cautionary tale because the movement has been equated to economic collapse and national instability as political and ethno-religious divides takes a toll on respective nations and society across the region.
Entrenched monarchs in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar appear to be backtracking on earlier promises of openness and inclusiveness.
And with the absence of a successful model to look to, people fall back on their ethno-religious identity for political affiliation. Sectarian leaders looking to carve out political space for themselves, for example, have also relied on the historical rift between Sunni and Shiite Muslims to further their agenda.
The same disturbing argument can be made in the armed uprising in Syria where a proxy war between Iran and the US, with the help of Turkey and Gulf State countries ruled by Sunni kings, is brewing.
In Bahrain, the stand-off is still as tense as ever because the Sunni rulers dismissed the idea of power sharing with the Shiites for fear that they would serve as an unwanted entry point for Iran.
Many in the region and around the world gave the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt the benefit of the doubt when they came in power, promising to embrace democratic values and principles for all of its citizens regardless of race and religion.
But weak government and unrest continue to bog down the much needed progress, as well as posing a major challenge for the inexperienced Islamist party.
The problem with empowerment is that it comes with a great deal of knee-jerk reactions. Everybody wants their voice to be heard and many are willing to take their cause to the streets.
But without real leadership and proper strategy at the national level, as well as institutions to help bring these dreams and demands into reality, turmoil is the likely outcome. In chaotic situations, an authoritarian figure is likely to emerge or re-emerge in countries affected by the Arab Spring.
Life under Hosni Mubarak and the like of him may not be ideal but at the least his regime offered a degree of stability, some might say.
Institutions, however, take time. People in this region must stay the course because there is no quick and easy way to form democratic and open societies. The burden is on the people to create such a society, not the few ruling elites with selfish interests.
Foreign powers, especially the US and Russia, needs to stop acting as if they are still in a Cold War and help the region get through this important period.
And when the people of this great region do get over this phase, they will remember their friends, who were with them in times of trouble, and who helped them build democratic institutions.
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/04/21/democracy-will-take-time-to-emerge-blossom/
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