Arab Spring
Ciara McCloy
6 countries. Over 200,000 dead. Governments being overthrown along with protests. A cause and effect of the Arab Spring. Explanations for all of this is straight down below
What do Tunisia and Egypt have in common?
Although they have many differences, they also have very much in common. They both have young populations, lack of opportunities for the people there to have jobs, authoritarian political systems, which could partly be the reason for the police woman causing the fight between herself and the fruit seller. They also have a lack of accountability by governments that have only been tolerated by the west because of the oil there. And lastly, they both have strategic interests and the fear of Islamists
What were some of the results of the Arab Spring in some countries?
In Syria, Libya, and Yemen, revolution spawned civil war. In Bahrain, an unpopular monarchy still clings to power. In Egypt, the uprising yielded a season of violence followed by the long winter of a government crackdown. And in Tunisia, there was revolt that ended in mayhem or repression. And to call Tunisia a success would be an understatement because is set the bar in the Middle East very low
What did the Muslim-Brotherhood do while the crisis was going on in Tunisia?
They backed the government of President Mohamed Morsi and clung to its absolute majoritarian notion of democracy. The military ended up intervening and removing Morsi from power and catalyzing a wave of political violence. A new military backed government developed and initiated a crackdown that left more than 1,000 dead and thousands in prison; including some Brotherhood supporters.
What is the future like for minorities post--the Arab Spring?
Christians in Egypt are worried about the rise of the Islamists, but the Muslim Brotherhood has been going out of its way to be reassuring. Salafi groups are a source of greater concern and have featured in several bad cases of sectarian violence- mostly in the Cairo neighborhood of Imbaba.
The sectarianism are very significant in Syria, where there is a large Christian community and the regime is dominated by the Assad family's Alawite sect. Syrian Christians seem to be less involved in protests and the Syrian Kurds have been taking an active part in anti-regime protests
Which country had the most people to die?
Syria with deaths being between 230,620 all the way to 320,620
What is one of the similarities that most of the countries have in the starting of the Arab Spring in their countries?
The Arab Spring had mostly started with the government in all of the countries. None of it was good. In Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen all had an overthrow of the government. In Syria there was a civil uprising that trasnformed into the Sryian Civil War. And lastly, in Bahrain there was constitutional monarchy.
Who was Syria influenced by to Protest the government?
Their protests against the government were inspired by the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia
Is there optimism about the prospects for people gaining meaningful political participation in Bahrain, Syria, or Iran?
Bahrain is a country where hope for change have been defeated. The US and Britain have been urging the Bahrain government to pursue genuine dialogue with the opposition. The sectarian is profound- and has god a lot wider because of the events happening. Unless there are reforms to address basic political issues, tensions are likely to explode again
What have Tunisians maintained?
They have maintained a relatively wide margin of freedom of expression and pursued a messy and ongoing transition to democracy, even as its neighbors descend into violence (Syria and Libya) or reeled under the resurgence of the authoritarian order (Egypt and Britain)
What day did the Arab Spring begin?
January 14, 2011