JUNE 2015 FIRST TUESDAY REVIEW:
“Arab Spring – From Hope to ISIS”
BASIM ELKARRA, civil rights leader and director of the Sacramento chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), active member of the ACLU, now also serving on the
Executive Board of the California Democratic Party, spoke at our June 2nd First Tuesday
Educational Forum.
He provided us with an invaluable understanding of the history of the Middle East. European
powers [i.e. Britain & France] drew lines to create separate countries regardless of populations
who had co-existed for millennia. These groups: Arabs, Kurds, Syrians, Cypriots, Persians
[primarily Shia and Sunni Moslems and Christians) were given false promises of ethnic power
and then set against each other. The West made all sorts of secret deals and decisions and
placed only certain elite families in power and provided them weaponry. France, with the
collusion of Jordan, gave part of Israel to the Jews in 1946 and displaced Palestinians living
there. The CIA and British ousted a democratically elected leader in Iran and put the Shah in
power instead. These measures were undertaken in part to prevent the Ottoman Empire
becoming a “super power” given its oil wealth. It’s oil, after all, fueled the industrial revolution in
the West. There were vast sums of money and power at stake and the West wanted to be in
control. “The consequences of these actions were equally momentous.” he said
Proxy wars between the West and the Socialists [i.e. the Soviet Union] were fought in the
Middle East. In Afghanistan, for example, the U.S. with the help of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
armed the Mujahedeen against the Russians. When the Russians withdrew these rebels came
to rule as the Taliban. Al Qaeda sprang up out of Saudi Arabia and thrived under the protection
of the Taliban. 9/11 happened and the U.S. invaded Afghanistan.
Mr. Elkarra explained how placing dictators in power created dissatisfaction and rebellion and
radicalized youth to become “holy warriors”. “It’s all about human dignity.” he said. Middle
Eastern immigrants to Europe were discriminated against and placed in ghettos which turned
their youth into hoodlums who thrive under the guise of the Moslem religion and are now often
inspired by ISIS. In Egypt, rebellious Islamists like the Moslem Brotherhood were jailed and
tortured by Mubarak only to move them closer to the left [i.e. as Socialists and Communists].
The U.S. invaded Iraq to displace its’ Sunni leader Saddam Hussein and his Baathist ruling
party. They were replaced with long oppressed Shia leadership who functioned to exclude
Sunni from power. Displaced Sunni generals from the Iraqi military now lead ISIS. Sunni Saudi
Arabia reportedly funds Sunni ISIS who also fight to displace Shia leadership in Syria. Under
attack, both Iraq and Syria rely heavily on Iranian military support to stay in power.
“Yes it is a mess but here is hope!” Widespread television, Internet and social media led to the
Arab Spring in 2011. “WikiLeaks exposed hypocrisy and corruption in government and how
religion was used for social control. Blackberry Messenger had a big impact. Word spread fast.”
he said. These new mediums educated and facilitated organized, directed rebellion, which is
often secular and pro-democracy. Mubarak of Egypt, Khadafy in Libya, the leadership in
Tunisia and Yemen were displaced with the help of Arabian and American dollars and
weaponry. Aside from Tunisia, those rebellions have been suppressed but may resurface in the
future. “The people are no longer afraid. But the ensuing instability made room for ISIS.”
“There are many different players, many different interests. The West must support the people,
the moderates. ISIS would not continue to exist if we just put in a no fly zone. Please
understand that moderates control American mosques.”
[Mr. Elkarra recommended The History of the Middle East by Cleveland to those who are
interested in a deeper understanding of this subject.]
-Michele Spencer, Communications Committee