From Terhan To Tunis

     Followers of this blog will remember the summer of 2009 when we reported on the Iranian uprising, and how social media, namely Twitter, had been influential in spreading the message of dissent. Youtube videos of protesters being beaten, or worse, were all over cable news. While many predicted the end of the Iranian theocracy, it never came to pass. Instead, the authorities crack down hard, and little has been changed in the months following.
     Then came the protest this month in Tunisia. For some time now, discontent has been rising in Tunisia. Prime Minister Ben Ali, who has been in power since 1987, had always been an authoritarian leader, but the national economy was growing. GDP tripled under his administration. Yet, northern Africa, and much of the Arab world, was changing. Unfortunately for Ben Ali, Tunisian youths were getting mobile phones and creating facebook accounts just at a time when employment was slowing. They were seeing the modern world, but were left with only despair. Then a young, unemployed Tunisian named Mohamid Bouazizi set himself on fire after he was slapped by a police officer for selling fruit along the road. As the protest grew, fueled by groups created on facebook, Ben Ali came under increasing pressure. On January 15th, he was declared "absent" by the Supreme Court, and fled to exile in Saudi Arabia.
     Comparisons to the "green revolution" in Iran are probably unavoidable, with one big distinction. These protest were successful. It remains to be seen what kind of government Tunisia will create, but it seems everyone knows (or thinks they do) the politics of these protesters. First of all, their politics are not religious. They are based on freedom of expression and creating opportunities for all. From the western viewpoint, this seems positive. Now, protest are spreading to Egypt, and the government has blocked Twitter. Acts of self-immolation have taken place in Algeria. There are unconfirmed reports of protest in Yemen. Today, Iraqi citizens attacked police after a car bomb killed dozens. This could be the beginning of true self-government in the Islamic world.
     We should not get our hopes to grand, however. The West, Europe and the United States, have been colonizing Africa and the Middle East for centuries, and this will not be quickly forgotten. While human rights watchers will be pleased at new democratic governments, these new voters may not be eager to follow directions.