You would think that the definition of an Arab political blogger was simply the sum of its parts; someone who keeps a blog, hails from the Arab world and is more than willing to express a political opinion. Yet as the Arab blogosphere slowly took shape in the past couple of years, each part slowly took a life of its own, for Continue reading “Anatomy of an Arab Political Blogger”
Father, Where Art Thou?
I have been meaning to talk to you. Oh, if I could only talk to you. If you could only see what is happening. I am sure you can, wherever you are. See how everything seems to be falling apart. Everything that you built, everything that you gave me, what you asked me to take care of before you left, what belongs to us. Nothing seems to be like it used to… Continue reading “Father, Where Art Thou?”
Small Acts of Resistance
Acts of resistance may sometimes be small, but their consequences are sometimes immeasurable.
Resistance can be national or local. It can span across years or simply months. Resistance can be characterized by its political affiliations or religious undertones. It can take place on higher ground, the high seas or the online world. Resistance can be peaceful or violent. It can earn the brave a slap in the face or push them to perform the ultimate sacrifice. Resistance can be of massive proportions, but it can also consist of a simple and small act. Continue reading “Small Acts of Resistance”
Cost Analysis of Change
While political scientists rush to give predictions on the effects of the Arab Revolution on the future of the region, and sociologists determine the most effective ways for the revolutionaries to deal with their newfound freedom, economists have now jumped on board with their calculations, equations and cost analyses of the recent developments. Continue reading “Cost Analysis of Change”
This Revolution Continues
I could say that the highlight of the past weeks was the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Yemeni political and human rights activist Tawakul Karman, the first Arab woman to receive the honor. I could also say the highlight were the worldwide demonstrations against government corruption and corporate greed, spearheaded by the Occupy Wall Street movement, as a testament to the success of the “Arab Spring tactics” they claim to follow. We witnessed the Israeli-Palestinian prisoner exchange, which despite its broader political implications, released many who were imprisoned merely for being Palestinian. Then again, how could I not mention Libya, whose people, with NATO support, did not relent in chasing their lunatic Colonel until the very last “zenga,” hiding like the rat he called his people to be. Continue reading “This Revolution Continues”
In Memory of the Children
We meet them after they have given the world their last breadth. Their bodies bearing witness to what they could fight against no longer, for those who only dared to look. Their eyes bearing witness to their innocence and youth, for those who could only see. We become surrounded by their images, their stories and their dreams. We feel we have known them and that part of us has died with them. We feel we are one and the same and that we must go on so that their deaths not be in vain. These are the children and the young revolutionaries of the Middle East… Continue reading “In Memory of the Children”
No Permanent Friends, No Permanent Enemies
The years have not been able to erase one of the first and most valuable lessons in politics and on the dynamics of international relations that I learned, only reinforce it. Continue reading “No Permanent Friends, No Permanent Enemies”
The End of a Revolution
“In a revolution, as in a novel, the most difficult part to invent is the end.”
– Alexis de Tocqueville
In a revolution, the beginning should not be marked by the first calls to mobilize against the existing order, but as the fruits of mobilization translate into concrete action to transform given the defeated order. The end, therefore, is the culmination of implemented change with a clear vision for the new, and hopefully better, order. Continue reading “The End of a Revolution”
When Bullets No Longer Kill
A lot has been written, is being written, and will be written on the 2011 Arab Revolutions: the surreal way in which one country after the other finally gave in to the will of the people, the way preemptive reform proved a futile tactic of political systems to gain the time they no longer controlled, the way dictators fled in shame as all their ill-gotten wealth could no longer buy them the power they still vied for. But more importantly, there is the People… Continue reading “When Bullets No Longer Kill”
From Man-Made Revolutions to Nature’s Deadly Wrath
As closely as I have been following the events in Libya, hoping the country will avoid falling into a civil war and manage to overthrow the lunatic colonel once and for all. As I assume it is only a matter of days until Yemen becomes yet another example of the failures of preemptive reform. Continue reading “From Man-Made Revolutions to Nature’s Deadly Wrath”
Eye on the East 