Is the Arab Unrest the International civil right movement
By Rmalcolmti
@Rmalcolmti (60)
United States
June 18, 2011 9:55am CST
As we look back at the unrest that happen in the middle east it makes me wonder is the middle east going through a civil rights movement. It all started in Tunisia with a cleric burning himself and violent protest and demonstrations followed. the next country was Egypt and again violent protest and demonstrations followed before leaders was removed then came a little island country called Bahrain violent protest and demonstrations began; however, Saudi came in and rest is history no removal of leadership or monarchy. all these countries had one thing in common the majority of the protesters was Shiites how were being oppressed because they Sunni government was not giving these people mutual respect and similar roles in their government. with these facts i come to the conclusion that what is happening now is a international civil rights movement and time,history, and technology is catching up to these governments. do anyone agree or disagree? Please let me know.
2 responses
@RBBantiles (347)
• Philippines
19 Jun 11
You could be right.
However, I feel that the issues and play of forces are far greater and more complicated than that, although civil rights is certain to be one of them. As one author has put it, "Islam is a belief system, a code of conduct based on a hierarchy of values, norms, standards, laws and institutions. It represents a way of life, a world system and a social movement for historical change." Thus I feel that the unrest in the Middle East has to be viewed with bigger lenses, and the lenses have to be focused not only on the Middle East itself and on the native issues and forces at play, but also on other "civilizational and cultural" forces outside the Middle East that are related, aligned, supportive, or adversarial.
Control of oil is also a dimension to consider. The nuclear drama and crisis in Fukushima has made the world aware that the present level of technical and scientific capability to harness the raw forces of the atom is still inadequate. Thus, oil and energy, geopolitics and international economics have to be presumed to be ingredients of the witch brew that the present players in the Middle East, visible and invisible, overt and covert, are mixing and partaking.
Yes, I think time, history, and technology are starting to catch up with these societies, cultures, and systems of government.
@AMANIAMIN (1)
•
19 Jun 11
Listen ,I am from jordan ,in the middle east,I know how much is the bad governments control the countries,the money is in the hands of 5%of the people,and the rest are poor or moderate.the people got enough of that so started to take action,it is nothing to do with Islam because Islam is the religion of justice and love,but few people work by Islam. Some foreign organizations may use the situation for their benefits,I guess.
@Rmalcolmti (60)
• United States
20 Jun 11
As i see it it is not Islam but the government with their controls to stay in power. they enjoy the power and the people see what the world has to offer them and are tired of not getting their basic right i hope that things change for the best and it is seen as what need and deserve not some conspiracy that has been going around.
@BalthasarTheRat (656)
• United States
18 Jun 11
I agree. This is the new insightful interprettation of current events in the Middle East. My thought is technology, specifically the internet and cellular communication, are the biggest reason as to "why now?". The suppression of many people throughout the world is nothing new, but now more people can share there stories and gain strength from the achievements of others in fighting their oppressors.
Combine that with the absence of Western meddling to keep crazy people in power just to have an anti-communist ally in the area and you have a stage set for many uprisings.
The question is: "What kind of governments are going to emerge from these fights?" Most Middle East countries are a blend of 6 or more major cultures/religions. How can they all find adequate representation in one government?
@Rmalcolmti (60)
• United States
18 Jun 11
Yes that is an interesting question. I agree that when it is all said and done there will be no good government that will come out of it . From what i have seen the cultures are so caught up on revenge that the new government will take it out on the group that was over them not the actual people that was in government alone. Also most of the culture over there are tribal so tribal loyalties will have the most influence unless a third actor comes into play. If a third actor comes in then the values of that group will have influence and it really could be up in the air. But it will be interesting. When people open their eyes and unite then there is nothing that can stop them and lets see if the people will continue to do that.
