Fire in the Hole

There was an era when the Islamic nations were so much synchronized in their ideologies that we gave them the ‘Islamic nations’ tag. There was a time, when the rulers of the Islamic world lived as absolute monarchs ruling their land for decades smoothly. People say that the time moves slowly in the Middle East, that Mubarak has ruled Egypt for 30 years, that Saddam had ruled Iraq for 24 years and that nothing has changed in Yemen since the times of Sindbad. But well, time is not a static phenomenon.

It started with immolation of the Tunisian street vendor, who burnt himself alive protesting against the corrupt government officials. It brought about the fall of a 23 year old presidential rule. Then we saw a similar revolution in Egypt. The unrest has been so strong that most of the Islamic leadership is vary of seeking another term in their office or have started to send across promises of democracy.

It is important to note that bringing about a revolution in a world like that is a huge accomplishment. Imagine a world where everything from your clothing to your ethics are decided by autocratic leaders, where men can be killed for the smallest of the reasons and women are lost behind veils. The law (?) here is enforced through relentless force and oppression. Hundreds of protestors have been arrested in Saudi Arabia for creating unrest against the ruling family. Not to forget the recent violent crackdown in Libya, where the army guards used knives, assault rifles and heavy weapons openly on the civilians. But still, the fragrance of jasmine is spreading unabated.

It is actually this oppression of decades that is the main reason behind all the unrest. When severe physical torture becomes a way of life for the public, the threat of a violent army action would do no good against a rebellion. The revolution seems to be primarily for throwing out an autocratic rule. But will the middle-east stand up to make the most out of their revolution ? Will the rule pass on from one monarch to another or are we seeing a subcontinent of people standing up to claim their democracy.

However, I must say that they need it desperately. The Islamic world needs to throw away their ignorance and wake up to find avenues of development. They need to make internally strong nations who care for their citizens and who can safeguard themselves against the ones who want to drive them off their oil wells. It is a huge part of the world population cut off from the main stream global culture, and it is time they claim their place in good faith.

A change it is, for good or for bad, but inevitable. As for us, let’s wait and see if we see another gulf war or do we plan our next vacation in middle east !