The Arab Spring Uprisings are political protests against the governments of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Morocco, and Jordan. (Manfreda, ) The protests began in Tunisia when a vegetable vendor set himself on fire in protest of the actions of the government. This incident is said to have been the “spark” that fueled the action of the people to overthrow their governments. This region is being watched by every country in the world. The world is watching to see how it will affect their political and economic relationships with one another. Will the areas become democratic nations or will they become shell states where terrorism runs rampant?
December 17, 2010 was a day like any other for Mohamed Bouazizi. Mohamed was a 26 year old man having trouble finding work in his home country of Tunisia to feed his family of eight (8). (Sanford) Mohamed never graduated high school because the family did not have the money to send him to university. (Ryan 2, ) He gathered his vegetable cart and went to work in the market. Mohamed became the primary worker in his family at the age of 10. (Ryan 2, ) He did not have a permit for his cart, like many others. (NPR Staff) According to Hamdi Lazhar, head of Sidi Bouzid’s State Office of Employment and Independent Work, a person does not need a permit to sell items from a cart. (Thorne) It was not uncommon for him to be harassed by the local police. The local police would come by the vendors and demand bribes. (Fahim)The police would say that since they did not have a permit they would need to pay them money for them to allow the vendor to keep their wares. According to a vendor in the market, they had three (3) options when the police arrived. (Fahim) They cou...
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The authoritarian regimes of the Middles cycled through a pattern of anti-western policy until the globalization effects of economics and information demanded reform. As conservative Arab states try to maintain the autocracy they relied on after gaining independence, their citizens, affected by information and education expansion, challenge their resistant governments as typified by Syria’s unwillingness to capitulate. The proliferation of information and education underscored the protest movements of the Arab Spring because citizens’ contempt for their obstinate governments grew to large under economic pressures, as the current situation in Syria demonstrates.
Early 2011 uprisings swept across the Middle East and North Africa, and many rebellions are still going on today. The Arab region has seen revolts and conflict since the 1800‘s, but only recently have these revolts been redirected to the problems of Arab society (Ghannam, J. 2011 pg 4-5)The Arab Spring Uprising was first sparked in Tunisia and eventually struck Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen and then spread to other countries. Citizens throughout these countries were dissatisfied with the rule of their local governments. Issues like human rights violations, political corruption, economic decline, unemployment, extreme poverty, dictators...
BACKGROUND: In March of 2011, the unrest in Syria was just beginning, with protests g...
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“A-28- year old construction engineer, Maher heads the April 6 youth movement, which began as a Facebook group in spring 2008 to support a workers’ strike in a northern industrial town in Egypt. This youth opposition coalition was the main organizing force behind last week’s demonstration. Their demands included the departure of the interior minister, an end to the restrictive emergency law, and a rise in the minimum wage. The member, who include many young well-educated Egyptians, have shown a greater willingness than others to risk arrest and start public protests. The group uses popular social websites to alert its networks about police activity and organize demonstration.”(Branch of the China Daily)
As the Arab Spring enters its second year, major uprisings and revolts have occurred all over the Middle East, pushing for an end to the corrupt autocratic rule and an expansion of civil liberties and political rights. Most recently, images from Syria have emerged, depicting the government’s use of force to suppress the voice of its people. One might ask, “Is this the beginning of a revolution? Is the country on the path to democracy?” To assess this question and examine the future trends in the region, one must look back on the country’s somewhat tumultuous history, the relationship between the citizens and the state, and the political economy.
So far, some Arabic countries are still in Arab Spring due to the influence of international media and other global human right activists. Recent survey further confirms that the ideologies communicated by local and international media played a decisive role in facilitating political, social, and economic transformation in Arabic countries and most specifically Egypt. As observed by South America and European national media, lack of development in Arab countries was because of poor leadership and governance. Poor leaders and dictatorship also led to the creation of unnecessary tension among professionals and business executive hindering individual growth and economic development. In their coverage, international media emphasised on the importance of teamwork among all Arab
Overall the protests succeeded in President Mohammed Hosni Mubarek’s resignation but even before the government was overthrown, a 2008 comment from Wael Nawara, an avid blogger and vice chairman of Egypt's El Ghad opposition party speaks true about the situation and what it became. "I think the time for censorship is gone," he says. "The government realizes this but they are trying until the last minute to slow the wheels of change. Forces of technology, changing cultures, changing modes of communication... This is a phenomenon that no government or alliance of governments can block. This is evolution and no one can stop evolution."
"Victims' Stories." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. .