Revolutionary Uprisings in the Middle Eastern countries: Lessons & implications

Against all these uprisings and revolutions Western nations have to review its foreign policies with Middle Eastern nations: Arab people no longer like to live as subjugated people either by their leader nor by western leaders: Western nations should once again reviews its unconditional support to Israel.

by Dr Rifai

(March 04,London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Much has been said and written about recent revolutionary uprisings in the Middle Eastern countries. No doubt that a new era of hope has already begun in the Middle Eastern countries. These revolutionary uprisings should be evaluated and analysed form socio-economic, geo-political and religious and historical perspectives. People in the Middle East have been suffering for many centuries. One of the main reasons for these suffering is that Middle Eastern countries lack the honest and genuine political leaderships for many years. Dictators/corrupted leaders ruled over the Middle Eastern people for many years. As a result of this, People in Middle Eastern countries have been living under the ruthless dictatorship for many centuries. Even in the medieval Islamic caliphate Muslims in the Middle Eastern countries were subjugated to different types of discrimination and intimidation. Unlike Non- Arab Muslim countries people in the Arab countries do not enjoy the freedom of expression and democratic rights as expounded by Islamic teaching: It is not new that even many of so called Islamic caliphates subjugated the people. People’s aspirations and wishes were never materialised in many occasions. Islamic history tells that many popular uprisings were suppressed by Muslim caliphates in the past: Unfortunately, so called Muslims rulers have inherited bad habits of political despotism & autocracy in Muslim lands. Political leadership was inherited by family members for many years. Some times from fathers to sons or elder brothers to younger brothers for many years. This method of inheriting power has been for many centuries in Muslim countries as a result of that long tradition ruler in Muslim countries still believe that they could rule over the people for ever until they die or become very old. This traditional political system is undemocratic and un-Islamic system. Islam does not encourage or permit this undemocratic monarch system at all: Islamic teaching does not represent this political hegemony at all. This is rather an Arab cultural tradition that Arab tribal societies inherited: In the formative period of Islamic history all rightly guided caliphates of Islam were nominated in democratic ways that acceptable for all. Yet, after the period of these rightly guided caliphates Muslim territories were ruled by different groups of caliphates and dynasty. Some of these caliphates did not rule over people in accordance with Islamic values and morals rather they inherited the reign by revolt and wars. Political unrests and revolts were brutally suppressed since the early periods of Islamic history. Often clerics and scholars who agitated against the Caliphates were brutally tortured and imprisoned for many years in the Islamic history. Unfortunately, most part of political history of Muslim marred with violence and internal disputes: It is argued by historians that wars and invasions have been the way of life in old and medieval age. Kings and emperors engaged in constant war for their survivals. That was the way of life until more recent human history. While all other nations in the world went through the process of democratization in recent times Arab world left behind in the process of democratization. Arab rulers managed to hold the grip of power over their people for many years. Still they would like to hold to power in an old fashion without taking into account all changes that have been taking place in modern world in the sphere of politics, economy and other fields. People now feel that they have had enough with Arab rulers and they now want to get ride of them through democratic ways.

Unlike other countries, rulers in the Muslim countries are greatly influenced with power addiction. This political power addiction is not a new trend in Muslim political history: from the early period of the Islamic caliphate Islamic political system was dominated with family rulings and authoritarian political hegemony: It has been very difficult to challenge or change the political map of Muslim countries and the political system of Muslim countries has been under strict control and grip of dictators sometimes under family dynasties: This mentality of “ chair psychology” has to be wiped out from the heads of Arab leaders. People should teach Arab leaders a lesson that power inheritance in family lineage is not acceptable and they have the fundamental rights to choose any one as and when they like.

With the dawn modern technological era and revivalism Muslim people in the Middle Eastern countries are intensifying their uprising for their freedom, political right, equality, social justice and human dignity: unlike in the past people now live in a global village: People have more access for information and a large numbers of middle eastern people now live in the western countries and they have been enjoying the democratic freedom of expression in the western nations for sometimes: People in the Middle Eastern countries are no longer ready to live under ruthless dictatorship: people are no longer to accept this type of tyranny in the Muslim countries. Muslim intellectuals, academic, clerics and professionals have been marginalised and sidelined for long times in Muslim countries and particularly in Arab world; With population explosion in Muslim world the percentage of Muslim youth under 25 are all times high now and most of them are unemployed mainly due to mismanagement of politicians. Though Muslims countries are blessed with natural resources such Gas and Oil the majority of public and ordinary people do not benefit from the national resources and only ruling families and their cronies have monopoly over the wealth and asserts. 70% of public have to struggle to find end meets in these countries. People live in semi-slaves status and they do not have freedom to express their views freely and openly. They never enjoyed a free-election and never had multi-political party systems: Political opponents are badly treated and very often tortured and brutally killed:

For many decades western nations have been supporting these dictators and tyrants simply because of their national interest: As long as their national interests are secured western nations really do not care about democracy, human rights, freedom of expression in these countries: That is why they have been supporting the ruthless Arab dictators in the middle eastern countries: It is a well known fact and every one knows that. Yet, now people in the Middle Eastern countries have waken up and it appears that people centred political system soon will emerge in these countries. With the success of Tunisian & Egyptian revolutions, other Middle Eastern countries monitor the developing political trends with caution and concern. Some countries have already proposed some political reforms in dare fear of uprisings. Countries such as Saudi, Kuwait, Qatar, Algeria, Morocco, and other Muslim nations no longer could afford to oppress and suppress aspirations of people. Moreover, rulers in these countries no longer afford to rule over the people in an old fashion with intimidation and subjugation. On the hands, western diplomatic people, academics and politician have failed to read the ground situations. They have failed to appreciate aspiration and sentiments of people in these countries rather they have angered Muslims with their arrogant attitudes. Western politicians have been blindly supporting the Israel: The ruthless attacks on Iraq and Gaza still vivid in the minds of people in these areas: It is a general perception among Muslim people that without support of Arab leaders Americans and Israel would not be in position to attack Muslims in the Iraq and Gaza: Thus, many internal and External factors have contributed these uprisings in the Muslims world: Muslim all over the world feel that they have been humiliated by western political influence and interference in Muslim world: Muslims have been humiliated with unconditional support of Western nations to Israel:

With this background people have now waken up and they no longer want to wait any more and have decided to topple the regimes in their countries: So far Saudi ruling family has been lucky enough to have the support and help of Wahabi Ulama. Since the establishment of Saudi Kingdom Saudi ruling elites have been supported by some Wahabi Clerics. Although many hard line Wahabi clerics do not agree with Saudi political elites they have been compelled to support the ruling elite for some dogmatic and theological reasons: For Wahabi clerics to impose their version of Islamic dogmatic doctrines and principles they need the political support of the ruling elites and for the ruling elites they need the support of Wahabi clerics for their political survival. For this reason it is very difficult to see any uprising in Saudi: Moreover, Saudi elites will suppress any revolt promptly. In 1979 they did that in the Holy City of Makka. More recently many Islamic clerics who spoke against regime have been detained and arrested: Moreover, the Saudi elites are custodians of the Holy cities in Saudi and people do not want to see any uprisings holy cities as Millions of Muslims gather in these cities for annual pilgrimages: I think that Saudi elites will be compelled to do some political reform sooner or later with changing political trends in the Middle Eastern countries: With political reformations in the entre Middle Eastern nations Saudi elites morally obliged & compelled to do some type of reform on its sail. This could happen without any revolt or uprising. It is interesting to note that finally Saudi has announced some sort of social welfare system for poor people in line with social security system of western nations; Saudi is about to introduce Housing Benefit/ social fund for poor families in the kingdom. This is indeed, done in response to revolutionary uprisings in the Middle Eastern countries. Saudi could have done more proper welfare system in line with Islamic teaching long time before when they discovered oil & Gas. This Oil and Gas are public asserts and incomes and dividends from them should go to public but royal families so far have been getting maxim benefits out of these natural sources: They have been living in luxury while most of poor suffer from poverty and unemployment: Now people waken up and demanding their due rights. Saudi government no longer suppress aspiration and hopes of people and at last decided to propose some types of reformations. Still it needs to do a lot to avoid any revolutionary uprisings.

It is interesting to see that revolution in each country in the Middle East has its own ways and methods: In Tunisia the dictator fled the country and in Egypt people fought a long battle and made many sacrifices. People of Egypt are really inspiriting models: Egyptian army played a vital role in this revolution. Armies in the Middle Eastern countries should follow the example of Egyptian army in time of political unrest and upheavals. It has been a professional beauty of Egyptian army to maintain such a neutral position for a long time specially when the dictator had all his cronies in his side. Egyptian revolution has given many lessons for modern political leaders both in the West and East: particularly Muslim political readers should wake up and reconsider their behaviours and dealing with public.

This revolutionary uprising is not limited to Middle Eastern countries leaders in Non- Arab Muslim countries should learn lessons from these revolutions: Leaders in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and other Muslim countries should learn many lessons form these uprisings; whether we like or not youths in Muslim countries have waken up and they have taken responsibilities on their shoulders to reform their countries and no force and no power could stop them from Islamic revivalism and uprisings:

In Libya Qadafi may have oppressed aspirations of people in the past and now every thing has changed and people have wakened up and it is time now for him to leave. It is a legitimate right of people to choose their rulers. He should be accountable to all these killings and he and his family members should be punished in accordance with international court of justice. At least if this happens many other leaders will learn lessons. We do not need Americans to come to our countries to dispose dictators from their seat rather people in our countries have legitimate and democratic rights to unseat these dictators from the seats. The majority of people in Libya are against this dictatorship and many diplomatic people of Libyans in European countries resigned their post in protest against Qataris’ rule. Many parts of Libyan rural areas are under control of anti-government people: yet, Qadafi is adamant to cling into power.

Western nations have been supporting Middle Eastern countries to suppress moderate Islamic voices rather than bothering about some real extremism and despotism It is now high time for western nations to speak to moderate Islamic groups in the middle Eastern countries such as Muslim Brotherhood movement: We would be more appropriate to talk to MB now than any other groups today for many reason: first of all MB has dramatically changed its international attitudes in dealing with international communities and other faith groups: It has changed its past mentality and it has modernised its approach to contemporary issues and it always welcome dialogues with Non- Muslim communities and groups. He always accommodates other faith group’s rights to live in peace and harmony in modern global village; moreover, whilst most of other Islamic groups are literalistic groups BM is more flexible and more rational groups than any other groups. It would be better for western nation to talk to intelligent group of people rather than extremist elements. Whether western nations like or not the majority of people in the Middle Eastern countries are deeply influenced with MB’s ideologies and principles. It is a matter of years that they will gain the support of people from all walks of life: Because they present Islamic teaching in more viable and practical way than any other groups:

Against all these uprisings and revolutions Western nations have to review its foreign policies with Middle Eastern nations: Arab people no longer like to live as subjugated people either by their leader nor by western leaders: Western nations should once again reviews its unconditional support to Israel. Yet, just last week US used its veto in support of Israel in its rejection to dismantle illegal resettlements: This impartial and bias attitude will further alienate Arab and Muslim population from supporting western nations: Today Arab people are rising up against their leader and tomorrow they will rise up against western nation in line with Iran.

Already China and India are economically dominating the world and with decline in American Economy and with the lost of Arab support in near future Americans may compel to reviews its unconditional support to Israel. Therefore, these uprisings are beginnings of Arab and Muslim liberation struggle rather than liberation of certain countries in the Middle East.