The Arab Spring

Bodden, Valerie. The Arab Spring. Part of the Turning Points series. 2017. 48p. ISBN 978-1-60818-745-4. Available at 909.09 BOD on the library shelves.

In 2011, the Arab world was shaken by a series of uprisings that toppled one dictator after another. The anger and resentment that had built up over the previous fifty years boiled over and led to massive protests in Arab capitals. The self-immolation of a Tunisian following the stealing of his property by the government quickly spread to Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain. The dictator of Tunisia was the first one to fall, followed by the dictators of Egypt and Libya, and Yemen. Protesters were violently repressed in Bahrain, while in Syria what started as peaceful protests against the Assad regime exploded into civil war after the regime opened fire on the protesters.

The impact of the Arab spring continues to be felt throughout the Middle East. Tunisia remains the only country where protests peacefully transitioned into a democratic government. Egypt held elections but the army intervened a year later. Libya is now split into more than three hundred militias fighting each other. Civil wars continue unabated in Syria and Yemen. ISIS arose out of the ashes of Al Qaeda in Iraq and quickly took over parts of Syria and Iraq, and instaured a radical interpretation of the Koran. Terrorism spread out and impacted countries such as France, the United Kingdom and the United States with individuals claiming to be disciples of ISIS.

Despite this negative outcome, young people in the Arab world quickly realized the impact that social media, which is difficult for the government to control, could have on protests and the demand for more rights and freedoms. This part of the world continues to be plagued with corruption and sectarian conflicts, but there is also the hope that, like Tunisia, other Arab countries could one day achieve a peaceful transition away from dictators.

Other books in this series include The Great Recession.