It is now two years after an eruption of uprisings, violence and political turmoil that spread across North Africa and parts of the Middle East in what has been named, the ‘Arab Spring’. We could not help but be drawn into the clashes between civilians and government forces as slowly but surely the people overcame the majority of the leaders they were attempting to force from power. It was quite remarkable how quickly it all happened, and the role that social media played in events.
It seemed that by the end of 2011, the spread of democracies in the region would be a feasible outcome and the desires of the peoples for free elections and fairer representation would become a reality. However, as we have seen, since the elections last year in Egypt there have been disruptions across the country frequently and earlier this month in Bahrain similarly violent clashes. Most horrifyingly in Syria there was a fully-fledged civil war with catastrophic consequences.
Two years on things have clearly not been sailing smoothly. What can we say about the recent reoccurrence in violence and what may happen in the future?
Egypt, one of the biggest countries under current confusion, had ousted Hosni Mubarak within 18 days of encampment in Tahir Square, Cairo. After a free election which saw the Muslim Brotherhood quickly rise to prominence to much national support. There are however still critics claiming that the party are trying to use leadership as a way of spreading Islamism, the subsequent turbulent first six months and protests at the controversial December 2012 constitution has resulted in a dire economic situation. Egyptians have proved themselves strong opponents and as Elijah Zarwan of the European Council of Foreign Relations said, “Two years on, a real sense of disenchantment has settled on Egypt.”
Bahrain has suffered increased outbreaks in 2013, with escalating fighting between police and government forces in opposition to civilians. It is especially complicated because the country is divided between Shiite and Sunni Muslims; the majority Shiite are unhappy with the Sunni ruling. They are openly seeking a more influential political voice and the main opposition party, Al Wefaq are calling for them to relinquish much of its vast authority, as well as have an elected prime minister to replace the current King. There must be a referendum to decide this declares Al Wefaq, which is something the current leadership seem to be delaying.
[PAGEBREAK]
It is not just these two countries that are suffering from drawn out political and cultural unrest, Libya is still unsteady on its feet as well as the Assad regime showing no sign of stepping aside, whilst the rebels are also struggling to control enough of the country to really force him to do so. The Middle East is a volatile area of the world, and with such religious, political and military divides it is an incredibly sensitive place for protests to take place. As we saw with the quick overthrowing of Ben Ali in Tunisia in 2011, the same passion and confidence for one nation can spread like wildfire.
This has implications for the rest of the region which can be troubling on an international scale. Bahrain with its strong divide between Shiite and Sunni Muslims is “a barometer for the Gulf”, (Jeremy Bowen, BBC), meaning that tension could easily spill into other nations exacerbating the situation. There is no doubt that the feeling of revolution and hope for democracy is very much present within the Middle East. It is just a question of how long and how much bloodshed will take place before free elections are introduced across the region. It is only then we can say that the Arab Spring is finally over.
Image Credits: MiddleEastVoices.voanews.com, The London Evening Post