Marwān Bishārah

In this extended essay, Marwan Bishara chronicles the social and political history of the Middle East from the 20th century to the present and explains how these roots have led to the current uprisings and revolutions (or attempted revolutions) in the region. For decades, strongly militarized governments have violently repressed their citizens from the democratic process often with the help of, and in some cases under the direction of, Western countries. For close to one hundred years, citizens of these countries have died trying to change things; some becoming outspoken opponents of the repression, some becoming radicalized and militant themselves.

Today, in almost every Arab country, there is a population bulge of people under 30. With an unemployment rate anywhere from 25% to 45% in some countries among the educated youth, they cannot afford to marry and have children. Bishara makes the case that these conditions caused an extended period of youth that allowed this generation in particular, with their faster communications, shrinking distances and anytime-anyplace connectivity, to take risks and become publicly visible and outspoken in a way that previous generations dared not do.

Bishara continues with outlining the uprisings and revolutions in specific countries, discussing the reasons why some were more successful than others. He then elaborates on the portrayal of the uprisings in American and European media and posits that the rise of satellite television and Al Jazeera particularly in the Arab world has allowed a sense of Arabism to arise, further connecting once disparate populations. Lastly, he examines Islamists and their current and future role in democratizing the region.

While reading this book, I was occasionally perplexed. The writing was clear and concise, but my lack of education about the specific socio-historical events considered led to a less-than-complete picture of the author’s points. I will appreciate reading a more in-depth study of this topic in the future, especially after more of the dust has settled.… (mais)