THE ARAB SPRING AND THE WORLD TODAY Commemorating the 9th Anniversary of The Arab Spring You cannot buy the revolution. You cannot make the revolution. You can only be the revolution. It is in your spirit, or it is nowhere. -Ursula K. Le Guin As we commemorate nine years since the Arab Spring happened, it is incumbent upon us to not only laud the spirit of revolution but also to celebrate the heroes, who have, time and again, sacrificed their life for greater good. Standing up to tyrannous regimes has been a significant part of the history, from the French revolution (18th Century) to the Indian War of Independence (1857), revolutions and insurrections have existed in multiple forms. In the present-day context, it has become all the more necessary to hold our government accountable in the face of an increasing wave of rightwing politics across the global spectrum insinuating gross human rights violations and minority persecution. The Arab Spring too, has been one of such movements that have glorified the exigency of civil mobilization and action against the oppressive state. What began as a dissatisfied produce vendor setting himself on fire in front of a government office for having his license cancelled, sparked a revolutionary pro-democracy uprising against Bin Ali’s corrupt Government. This came to be known as the Arab Spring. The Tunisian revolution was led by discontented civilians suffering unemployment at the hands of the state who used internet as their biggest weapon to spread this protest worldwide. This became the torchbearer of all the pro-democracy protests that followed in the Middle east, i.e., Libya, Syria, Egypt etc. The primary stakeholders in this particular issue were essentially the working-class citizens of Tunisia and the rebel groups that took control post the overthrow of the governments in subsequent countries. It was the first time that a citizen-led protest of such a large scale was making headlines around the world, grabbing global attention towards the crucial economic and social problems that plagued the middle eastern societies. It was a positive outcome as citizens of various other countries under similar regimes were inspired to call for nation-wide strikes and protests against their exploitative governments. However, what stood as a big threat to these societies was the replacement of fundamental religious rebel groups like ISIS in place of the collapsed governments creating an atmosphere of perpetual hostility in the region. These rebel groups then started to use this social capital to further their agenda of religious fundamentalism/ Jihaad that has led to a state of constant disruption of peace in the middle east. While the Arab Spring showed the world how fast and far reaching a revolution fueled by technology could be, it also portrayed the problems of political instability, economic stagnation and refugee crisis that continue to plague these countries. Nonetheless, with all its strengths and shortcomings, the ulterior message is to gain cognizance of the state of affairs and participate in its shaping to whatever extent possible. Quoting the Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by rule of law. There is revolution inside all of us and the only step is to actualize it and rise up for action.
