The revolution must continue

By: Salah Zeghidi

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The successive events that have been taking place in a number of Arab countries give rise to intense debates and important questions.

Nobody is left unaffected by the “Arab Spring”.

The fall of dictators such as Ben Ali and Mubarak, the collapse of Gaddafi under the battering of NATO aircraft, the difficulties surrounding the Syrian regime, and the endless agony of Ali Salah’s regime in Yemen, are all indicators that confirm the actual end of the long-standing political deadlock in the region…

It must be noted that three out of five Maghreb countries were not affected by this wave of radical protests. There was no “groundswell” in Mauritania, nor in Morocco and Algeria despite some attempts…

Although the fall of despots does not guarantee a profound improvement in human rights, nor a major change in the job market, it is indisputable that this almost universal tidal wave can’t but have a major impact on the Maghreb…

The first question that we have every reason to ask is: Does the fall of despots necessarily mean the collapse of despotism?

It is known that dictatorships last for decades, especially those based on an all-round indoctrination of the population, particularly under a one-party rule, on all levels of society: State, government, institutions, and governance systems in tune and in line with the dictator’s power.

Thousands of small and medium dictators form the political “fabric” of the country… Overthrowing the big dictator does not mean the immediate disappearance of the small and medium ones.

In fact, major obstacles hinder the great work of the drastic transformation that some people hastily call the “Arab revolutions”.

Isn’t one of the most striking paradoxes this extraordinary surge of fundamentalist forces, including the most “radical” ones, in the events taking place in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and Syria?

Who can believe that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Ennahda in Tunisia will be transformed thanks to the “Arab revolution” into builders of democracy, scrupulous supporters of human rights, and committed advocates of gender equality?

The democratization of Maghreb countries:

The democratization of states and societies necessarily requires a real cultural revolution challenging the dominant value systems, which are largely pre-democratic and even hostile toward democratic values…

A real revolution is needed in the relationships between the state and citizens, between the administration and the general public, between men and women, and between one another in the world…

Even in the economic field, a genuine policy of sustainable development that creates real jobs, and not just livelihoods, needs a profound change of mentalities and a shift in values. These two requirements are necessary for a real and final integration in the era of modernity, democracy and universal values.

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Anonymous About 8 months ago

This is not a revolution, but rather an uprising. Only the future will prove that the tyrants were not replaced by similar ones. I am rather inclined towards the Arab fall; leaves are falling to be replaced by green or wilted ones. It’s not easy, you can’t magically transform a nation that lived all its life under the grip of dictatorship, into a democracy. This requires the challenging task of changing their mindset, as some people believe that democracy means total freedom and that everything is allowed. Nothing will change, bureaucracy will remain, the rich will get even richer, and the poor will remain poor like in all pseudo-democracies, where homeless people sleep under bridges, and ushers throw people in the street. The term “democracy” sounds hollow. We need another appropriate term, like justice.

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This man is mentally deranged; he obsessively hates Islamists, tarnishes their image, and intimidates people about them. Ennahda movement has proved, day after day, that it’s more democratic than those parties that have always accused it unjustly and falsely of being regressive and obscurantist. Ennahda movement is closer to the concerns and aspirations of Tunisians, and especially to their Islamic identity that people like this idiot consider to be obscurantist and backward. Such people do not offer any convincing alternative. When they insult Ennahda movement, they only intimidate people about it, and consider its presence a threat for democracy. Ennahda members have been in prison for 23 years, did Ben Ali build the alleged democracy in their absence? Quite the opposite, he established an odious dictatorship that he garnished with the claim of modernity; I don’t even understand what they mean by this word.

To Mr Salah Zeghidi: Amidst poverty and ignorance, it’s impossible to establish a democratic regime or a fair State, and it’s hard for the law to have any consideration other than the idea of the strong prevailing over the weak. Therefore, for us Moroccans to lay correct and sound foundations for a democratic regime in a fair state, with an effective and honest law, we should first achieve a technological and economic renaissance through self-reliance. It’s not possible, by any means, to establish a democratic regime without ensuring security, safety, and good living standards.

Zawaya