Devs in Middle East

The Arab Spring and its fallout

1. Introduction. The Arab Spring is a term for the revolutionary wave of
demonstrations and protests (both non-violent and violent), riots, and civil wars in
the Arab world that began on 18 December 10. The term "Arab Spring" is an allusion
to the Revolutions of 1848, which is sometimes referred to as "springtime of the
People", and the Prague Spring in 1968. In the aftermath of the Iraq War it was used
by various commentators and bloggers who anticipated a major Arab movement
towards democratization. The first specific use of the term Arab Spring as used to
denote these events may have started with the American political journal Foreign
Policy. Marc Lynch, referring to his article in Foreign Policy, writes "Arab Spring—a
term I may have unintentionally coined in a January 6, 2011 article”. Joseph Massad
on Al Jazeera said the term was "part of a US strategy of controlling ‘’the
movement's aims and goals ‘’and directing it towards American-style liberal
democracy. Due to the electoral success of Islamist parties following the protests in
many Arab countries, the events have also come to be known as "Islamist Spring" or
"Islamist Winter".
2. AIM. To carry out an analysis of devs in Middle East Arab Spring and its
Fallout.
3. Sequence
a. Part- I--------------History
b. Part- II-------------Maj Events
c. Part- III------------Impacts
4. Part-I History .The Arab Spring is widely believed to have been instigated by
dissatisfaction with the rule of local governments, though some have speculated that
wide gaps in income levels may have had a hand as well. Numerous factors have
led to the protests, including issues such as dictatorship or absolute monarchy,
human rights violations, political corruption economic decline, unemployment,
extreme poverty, and a number of demographic structural factors, such as a large
percentage of educated but dissatisfied youth within the population. Also, some - like
Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek name the 2009–2010 Iranian election protests as
an additional reason behind the Arab Spring. The Kyrgyz Revolution of 2010 might
also have been a factor influencing its beginning. Catalysts for the revolts in all
Northern African and Persian Gulf countries have included the concentration of
wealth in the hands of autocrats in power for decades, insufficient transparency of its
redistribution, corruption, and especially the refusal of the youth to accept the status
[Link] food prices and global famine rates have also been a significant
factor, as they involve threats to food security worldwide and prices that approach
levels of the 2007–2008 world food price crisis. In recent decades rising living
standards and literacy rates, as well as the increased availability of higher education,
have resulted in an improved Human Development Index in the affected countries.
The tension between rising aspirations and a lack of government reform may have
been a contributing factor in all of the protests. The current wave of the protests is
not an entirely new phenomenon, resulting in part from the activities of dissident
activists as well as members of a variety of social and union organizations that have
been active for years in Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, and other countries in the area, as
well as in the territory of Western Sahara. Revolts have been occurring in the Arab
area since the 1800s, but only recently have these revolts been redirected from
foreign rulers to the Arab states themselves. The revolution in the summer of 2011
marked the end of the old phase national liberation from colonial rule; now
revolutions are inwardly directed at the problems of Arab society. Tunisia
experienced a series of conflicts over the past three years, the most notable
occurring in the mining area of Gafsa in 2008, where protests continued for many
months. These protests included rallies, sit-ins, and strikes, during which there were
two fatalities, an unspecified number of wounded, and dozens of [Link]
Egyptian labor movement had been strong for years, with more than 3,000 labor
actions since 2004. One important demonstration was an attempted workers' strike
on 6 April 2008 at the state-run textile factories of al-Mahalla al-Kubra, just outside
Cairo. The idea for this type of demonstration spread throughout the country,
promoted by computer-literate working class youths and their supporters among
middle-class college students.A Facebook page, set up to promote the strike,
attracted tens of thousands of followers. The government mobilized to break the
strike through infiltration and riot police, and while the regime was somewhat
successful in forestalling a strike, dissidents formed the "6 April Committee" of
youths and labor activists, which became one of the major forces calling for the anti-
Mubarak demonstration on 25 January in Tahrir [Link] Algeria, discontent had
been building for years over a number of issues. In February 2008, United States
Ambassador Robert Ford wrote in a leaked diplomatic cable that Algeria is 'unhappy'
with long-standing political alienation; that social discontent persisted throughout the
country, with food strikes occurring almost every week; that there were
demonstrations every day somewhere in the country; and that the Algerian
government was corrupt and fragile. Some have claimed that during 2010 there
were as many as '9,700 riots and unrests' throughout the country. Many protests
focused on issues such as education and health care, while others cited rampant
[Link] Western Sahara, the Gdeim Izik protest camp was erected 12
kilometres (7.5 mi) south-east of El Aaiún by a group of young Sahrawis on 9
October 2010. Their intention was to demonstrate against labor discrimination,
unemployment, looting of resources, and human rights [Link] camp contained
between 12,000 and 20,000 inhabitants, but on 8 November 2010 it was destroyed
and its inhabitants evicted by Moroccan security forces. The security forces faced
strong opposition from some young Sahrawi civilians, and rioting soon spread to El
Aaiún and other towns within the territory, resulting in an unknown number of injuries
and deaths. Violence against Sahrawis in the aftermath of the protests was cited as
a reason for renewed protests months later, after the start of the Arab [Link]
catalyst for the current escalation of protests was the self-immolation of Tunisian
Mohamed Bouazizi. Unable to find work and selling fruit at a roadside stand, on 17
December 2010, a municipal inspector confiscated his wares. An hour later he
doused himself with gasoline and set himself afire. His death on 4 January 2011
brought together various groups dissatisfied with the existing system, including many
unemployed, political and human rights activists, labor, trade unionists, students,
professors, lawyers, and others to begin the Tunisian revolution.
5. Part-II Major Events
a. TUNISIA
(1). Country where the Arab Spring began!
(2). President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, ruled for 24 years (now in exile)
(3). In October of 2011, the moderate Islamist Ennahda party won the
country’s first democratic elections
(4). President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali resigned in January of 2011 after
weeks of protests against poverty, injustice, the greed of the political elite,
and corruption.
(5). He was forced from power after nearly a quarter of a century and
flew to exile in Saudi Arabia.
(6). On June 20, 2011, the former leader and his wife were sentenced
in absentia to 35 years in jail by a court in Tunis. Some of his former
ministers have also faced trial.
(7). Around 300 people died during the unrest, which led to the toppling
of Mr. Ben Ali.
(8). In October, the moderate Islamist Ennahda party won the country's
first democratic elections. Some 80 new parties officially registered for the
polls with Ennahda winning more than 41% of the vote to secure 90
seats in the 217-member parliament.
(9). One key reform enacted even before the election was the
dissolution of the notorious political police and state security apparatus,
which were blamed for many human rights abuses.
b. EGYPT

(1). Leader: President Hosni Mubarak, in power for 30 years.

(2). Left office after 18 days of protests in the capital of Cairo.

(3). He has been put on trial (accused of ordering the killings of
protesters). He has been suffering from poor health. The military has been
running the country since President Hosni Mubarak, in power for three
decades, resigned on February 11, 2011.
 (4). As time passed since Mr. Mubarak's departure, dissatisfaction grew
with the pace of change and the refusal of the military to give a firm date
for presidential elections.
(5). Violence in late 2011 prompted a statement from Egypt's military
leader, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, in which he promised
presidential elections by the end of June 2012.
(6). Much of the unrest in Egypt was driven by poverty, rising prices,
social exclusion and anger at corruption and personal enrichment among
the political elite, as well as a demographic bulge of young people unable
to find work.
(7). At least 846 people were killed during the uprising that toppled Mr.
Mubarak and more than 6,400 people were injured, according to an
Egyptian government fact-finding panel Those figures do not include
those killed or injured in the more recent unrest.
c. EGYPT TODAY
(1). The army, led by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, is
overseeing Egypt’s transition to democracy.
(2). The new parliamentary assembly met for the first time after
elections in January of 2012.
(3). Protests and clashes between the military and Egyptian protestors
over a new constitution, presidential elections, and military oversight have
continued to plague; Egypt.
d. SYRIA
(1). Leader: Bashar al-Assad, in power since 2000 (inherited power from his
father).
(2). Since March of 2011, at least 5,000 Syrians have been killed according to
the UN.
(3). Protestors are calling for political freedom, an end to corruption, action on
poverty, and an end to the emergency law of 1963.
(4). Syrian govt. claims the protestors are ‘terrorists and armed gangs’.
(5). The U.S. and EU have imposed sanctions on Syria, but the conflict has
not ended
(6). The wave of popular unrest sweeping the Arab world came late to Syria
but since the first protests in March 2011 in the city of Deraa, at least 5,000
Syrians have been killed, according to the UN.
(7). With a leadership determined to cling to power, and a revolt that shows no
sign of easing, correspondents say any resolution looks a distant prospect.
(8). Mr. Assad has promised reform since 2000, when he inherited power from
his father Hafez, but little has changed.
(9). Events in Syria, one of Israel's most bitter enemies and a strong ally of
Lebanon's Hezbollah militants, could have a major impact on the wider Middle
East.
e. JORDAN. Leader: King Abdullah II, in power since 1999 .

(1) Protesters have been demanding better employment prospects and

cuts in food and fuel costs.

(2) Replaced his prime minister, and promised to give up his power and
appoint prime ministers and cabinet members, though he has not given a
specific date.

(3) Unrest has simmered since January of 2011 but while protesters
have clashed with the security forces, and one man was killed in the
capital Amman in March, the country has seen nothing like the deadly
violence in Syria and Egypt.

(4) Protesters have been demanding electoral reforms that would see
the prime minister directly elected and more powers granted to parliament.

(5) King Abdullah II has replaced his prime minister with Marouf al-
Bakhit, a former general and ambassador to Israel, together with a new
cabinet.

(6) In a speech to mark the 12th anniversary of his rule, the king also
promised to give up his power to appoint prime ministers and their
 cabinets, though he has not given a precise indication as to when this will
take place.

(7) A powerful Islamist opposition group, the Islamic Action Front, has
called for the dissolution of parliament and has criticized the king's efforts
to initiate reform.

(8) Jordan is a small country with few natural resources, but it has
played a pivotal role in the power balance in the Middle East, as one of
only two Arab nations to have made peace with Israel.

f. LIBYA
(1). Leader: Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was in power for 40 years. He
was ousted when rebels took the capital of Tripoli in August of 2011.
(2). After an 8 month civil war and with NATO’s help, Gaddafi was
captured and killed (Oct. 31).
(3). The National Transitional Council (NTC) which led the revolt is now
recognized by the UN as Libya’s legitimate ruling body.
(4). Libya's uprising began in mid-February when, inspired by the
revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, hundreds came out onto the streets of
several towns and cities demanding the end of Col Gaddafi's rule.
(5). The authorities responded with violence, opening fire on protesters,
as the rallies grew and spread across the country. The revolt soon evolved
into an armed conflict pitting forces loyal to Col Gaddafi - based in Tripoli
in the west - against rebel forces based in the eastern port city of
Benghazi.
(6). In March, the UN Security Council passed a resolution which
authorized "all necessary measures" - except troops on the ground - to
protect civilians. Coalition operations were largely confined to air attacks,
initially aimed at imposing a no-fly zone and later idened to include
government targets. Following six months of fighting, rebel forces took
Tripoli in late August, after gaining pockets of territory in the west.
 Thousands of people poured out of their homes in celebration at the
ousting of Col Gaddafi.
(7). After four decades in power, Col Gaddafi and his family went on the
run. On 31 October the former leader was captured and killed on the
outskirts of Sirte.
(8). Three weeks later, his son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Libya's
intelligence chief, Abdullah al-Sanussi, were captured trying to flee the
country and now face trial in Libya.
(9). Several thousand people have been killed and many more have
been injured in the conflict and Amnesty International has reported
extensive human rights abuses by both sides. The UN believes at least
335,000 people have fled Libya since the beginning of the conflict,
including at least 200,000 foreign nationals.
g. ALGERIA
(1). Leader : President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in power since 1999.
(2). Strikes and protests has pressured Algeria to change its constitution to
allow private radio and television stations to exist for the first time in 40 years.
(3). President Bouteflika has promised constitutional reforms and has lifted the
country’s state of emergency laws.
(4). President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been under pressure to change the
constitution and limit presidential terms after protests that began in January.
(5). Attempts by protesters to march through the capital, Algiers, have been
broken up by huge numbers of riot police. The trigger for the unrest appears to
have been mainly economic - in particular sharp increases in the price of food.

h. MOROCCO
(1). Leader: King Mohammed VI, in power since 1999.
(2). Morocco is facing economic crisis, but its monarchy has a lot of public
support.
(3). Protesters want a symbolic monarchy and a limit on the King’s authority.
(4). King Mohammed announced a series of constitutional reforms and can no
longer appoint the prime minister.
(5). In June, King Mohammed VI announced a series of constitutional reforms
in response to February's nationwide protests, but unrest has continued.
(6). The reforms were passed in a referendum on 1 July, with 98% voting in
favor, according to the ruling authorities. The changes reduced the king's wide-
ranging powers. Where previously he had a free hand in selecting a prime
minister, under the new constitution he has to nominate someone from the
largest party in parliament.
(7). Many protesters want a full constitutional monarchy, with more powers
transferred from the king than the new constitution allows.
i. IRAN

(1). Leaders: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (since 2005), &

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (since 1989)

(2). Unrest over 2009 presidential election led to thousands of

protesters in the streets in Feb. of 2011.
(3). Thousands of people rallied in the capital Tehran in solidarity with
pro-democracy protests across the Middle East. They wanted a recount
and another election for the 2009 presidential election which they claim
was fraudulent.
(4). Security forces cracked down on the protest. Two people were
killed and many more injured.
(5). Rallies held in the days following, as well as on February 20, were
also suppressed. The authorities have succeeded in preventing any more
large demonstrations from taking place. All forms of Iranian media were
banned from covering the protests, though the demonstrators were still
able to release information by utilizing social media like Facebook and
Twitter.
i. BAHRAIN
 (1). Leader: King Hamad, in power since 1999.

(2). Tiny island, closely allied with U.S.

(3). The monarchy retaliated harshly to the protests and was accused
of torturing and executing protestors and using excessive force.
(4). Predominantly Shia Muslim protesters have been demanding action
to tackle economic hardship, the lack of political freedom and employment
discrimination in favor of the ruling Sunni Muslim minority.
(5). For weeks, the demonstrators occupied the center of the
capital,Manama. King Hamad clamped down hard on March 16, clearing
the protesters' camp in a show of force condemned by the UN as
"shocking".
(6). He imposed a state of emergency and used hundreds of soldiers
from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to beef up security.
Security measures remain in place to stop large gatherings and the
authorities have continued to use force to break up small protests.
(7). Forty-seven doctors and nurses who treated some of the wounded
protesters have gone on trial, accused of disseminating false information
about the casualties and attempting to topple the monarchy.
(8). 8 In November an independent commission published a report
stating that "excessive force" had been used when the government
crushed the protests. The report stated that detainees had been
blindfolded, whipped, kicked, given electric shocks and threatened with
rape to extract confessions. King Hamad expressed "dismay" at the
findings and promised reforms to prevent abuses by the security forces.
j. SAUDI ARABIA. Leader: King Abdullah Al Saud, in power since 2005.
(1). One of the wealthiest and most conservative countries in Middle
East, home of the most sacred sights in Islam.
(2). The King supports the other Middle Eastern leaders and supplies
them with soldiers to put down protesters
(3). The challenge for the rulers of one of the region's wealthiest and
most conservative nations has been to address pressure for reform.
 (4). Small protests have occurred over labor rights and against anti-
Shia discrimination. Protestors have called for prisoners held without
charge or trial to be released.
(5). Women have organized demanding electoral rights and have
organized a right-to-drive campaign.
(6). The kingdom has seen no mass pro-democracy protests and
opposition movements are banned. However, there have been some
small demonstrations by the Shia Muslim minority in solidarity with
protesters .
(7). King Abdullah, 87, is regarded in the Arab world as a supporter of
wider Arab interests. If the Saudis have played a role in the "Arab Spring"
at all, it has perhaps been to support fellow governments under pressure:
Saudi soldiers were sent to Bahrain to help shore up the government and
it was to Saudi Arabia that Tunisia's ousted leader, Zine al-Abidine Ben
Ali, fled in January. The Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh flew to
Saudi Arabia for medical treatment after being seriously injured in a
rocket attack on his compound in June.
k. YEMEN. Leader: President Ali Abdullah Saleh (in power for 33 years).
(1). Poorest Middle Eastern country.
(2). Protesters wanted President Saleh to step down and hold elections, and
were against unemployment, economic conditions, and corruption.
(3). Saleh responded violently with military troops attacking protesters.
(4). Eventually he signed a deal for immunity (cannot be put in jail) and agreed
to step down.
(5). Beginning in February 2011, hundreds of people were killed in violence
between security forces and demonstrators calling for an end to the 33-year rule
of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
(6). In September, a new wave of violence broke out when about 50 protesters
were killed and some 600 injured in a two-day crackdown in Sanaa. Witnesses
say government snipers were firing on people from rooftops, while military aircraft
shelled positions held by the protest-supporting troops.
 (7). On October 21 the UN Security Council called on the president to sign a
deal brokered by Gulf states, under which he would step down in return for
immunity from prosecution. The decision to offer him immunity was to avoid civil
war.
(8). The deal eventually cleared the path for elections to take place, but many
protesters are angry that Mr. Saleh will be not face justice for the suppression of
the protests.
(9). After stalling for months, Mr. Saleh finally signed an agreement on
November 23 to begin the transfer of power to his deputy.
(10). In January 2012, he left the country, travelling to the US for a short-term
private medical visit. In February 2012, a presidential election was held in
Yemen.
l. OMAN. Leader: Sultan Qaboos bin Said, in power since 1970.
(1). Oil rich country with close ties to the U.S.
(2). Protesters want more jobs to be created, stabilized food prices, and
greater power given to the semi-elected Consultative Council that checks
corruption in the government.
(3). Unprecedented protests erupted at the beginning of March, with the
deaths of several people.
(4). Following the mass protests Oman's ruler, Sultan Qaboos, promised to
give some legislative and regulatory powers to the Consultative Council. The
extent of the new powers it will have is not yet clear.
(5). Oman has been ruled by Sultan Qaboos since he seized power from his
father, Sultan Said bin Taimur, in 1970. The oil-rich country is a popular tourist
destination and a long-standing ally of the US and UK.
6. Part-III IMPACTS. The regional unrest has not been limited to countries of the
Arab world. The early uprisings in North Africa were inspired by the 2009–2010
uprisings in the neighboring state of Iran these are considered by many commentators
to be part of a wave of protest that began in Iran, moved to North Africa, and has since
gripped the broader Middle Eastern and North African regions, including additional
protests in Iran in 2011–[Link] and opposition figures claiming
inspiration from the examples of Tunisia and Egypt have staged their own popular
protests In the countries of the neighboring South Caucasus namely Armenia
Azerbaijan and Georgia as well as some countries in Europe, including Albania,
Croatia and Spain countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Burkina Faso and
Uganda and countries in other parts of Asia, including the Maldives and the People's
Republic of China. The protests in the Maldives led to the resignation of the President.
The bid for statehood by Palestine at the UN on 23 September 2011 is also regarded
as drawing inspiration from the Arab Spring after years of failed peace negotiations
with Israel. In the West Bank, schools and government offices were shut to allow
demonstrations backing the UN membership bid in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus and
Hebron; echoing similar peaceful protests from other Arab countries. The 15 October
2011 global protests and the Occupy Wall Street movement, which started in the
United States and has since spread to Asia and Europe, drew direct inspiration from
the Arab Spring, with organizers asking U.S. citizens "Are you ready for a Tahrir
moment? “. Also, the Occupy Nigeria protests beginning the day after Good luck
Jonathan announced the scrap of the fuel subsidy in oil-rich Nigeria on 1 January
2012, were motivated by the Arab people. The Tunisian revolution also brought about
important changes to the intersection of art and politics in post-2011 Tunisia.
7. ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. In the wake of the recent events occurring in Syria,
Egypt and Tunisia, a considerable amount of attention has been focused on the
concept of democracy and collective activism, which continues to unravel in front of
Western eyes across mass media. Equally important has been the role of social media
and digital technologies in allowing citizens within areas affected by 'the Arab
Uprisings' as a means for collective activism to circumvent state-operated media
channels. Nine out of ten Egyptians and Tunisians responded to a poll that they used
Facebook to organize protests and spread awareness. The influence of social media
on political activism during the Arab Uprisings has been much debated. Some critics
have argued that digital technologies and other forms of communication–videos,
cellular phones, blogs, photos and text messages– have brought about the concept of
a 'digital democracy' in parts of North Africa affected by the uprisings. Other have
claimed that in order to understand the role of social media during the Arab Uprisings,
it must be first be understood that in the context of high rates of unemployment and
corrupt political regimens led to dissent movements within the [Link] revolutions that
were previously started on Facebook alone were rapidly quashed by secret police in
those countries, so much so that in Egypt a prominent activist group always had "Do
not use Facebook or Twitter" on the front and backs of their revolutionary
[Link] evidence that suggests an important role of social media on the
uprisings is that social media use more than doubled in Arab countries during the
protests. Some research have shown how collective intelligence, dynamics of the
crowd in participatory systems such as social media, have the immense power to
support a collective action – such as foment a political [Link] only discrepancy in
the trend is with the growth rate in Libya. The report proposes a reasonable argument
that explains such discrepancy: many Libyans fled the violence, and therefore moved
their social media usage [Link] influx of social media usage indicates the kind
of people that were essentially powering the Arab Spring. Young people fueled the
revolts of the various Arab countries by using the new generation's abilities of social
networking to release the word of uprising to not only other Arab nations, but nations all
over the world. As of 5 April 2011, the amount of Facebook users in the Arabian
nations surpassed 27.7 million people, indicating that the constant growth of people
connected via social media acted as an asset where communication was
[Link] have argued that television, specifically the constant live coverage
by Al Jazeera and the sporadic live coverage by BBC News and others, was highly
important for the 2011 Egyptian Revolution as the cameras provided exposure and
prevented mass violence by the Egyptian government in Tahrir Square, as opposed to
the lack of such live coverage and the more widespread violence in Libya. It is still
debated whether or not social media acted as a primary catalyst for the Arab Spring to
gain momentum and become an internationally recognized situation. Regardless, it has
still played a crucial role in the movement.
8. CONCLUSION. The revolutionary wave of demonstration, protests, riots and civil
wars in the Arab world have been met with violent responses from authorities as well
as from pro-government militia and counter demonstrators. These events have brought
the Arab world in the global limelight. Until and unless reforms of an humane manner
which will help the poor and oppress the unjust are not brought in place. Arab region
will further fall in peril and turmoil will be upon the region.