Marwan Muasher is a former foreign minister of Jordan, and has seen beyond his own culture to that encompassing the entire Arab, Islamic, and Jewish world, and beyond to the U.S. and Europe. He erases the stereotypes of a perpetual, warlike Middle East and brings home the realities of what is really happening over there, and demonstrates that there are solutions, but, like anything else, requires time. By this, he means decades, not months.
This is a book every Muslim should have, whether he is devoted or not, regardless of his ethnic or tribal background.
As the title states, this book is about the Second Arab Awakening, and beyond that. The First Arab Awakening occurred in the late nineteenth, earth twentieth centuries, with the realization of an Arab identity, and of their ethnic and tribal backgrounds, apart from the Ottoman Empire and the European colonizers. What followed were independence movements and the reestablishment of their own countries. Granted, many of their countries were established among European borders, ignoring their tribal and ethnic lines, but, in times, these countries established their own identities regardless, especially with the discovery of oil, and how they can use it to control the world's economies. However, this book does not discuss this.
The First Awakening, however, did not last, with kingdoms in charge, giving oil wealth to their subjects to keep them silent, repressing certain religions and ethnic groups, personality cults, and of late, the rise of Islam, with them being sworn enemies of Israel.
The Second Arab Awakening began in 2012 with event of a street vendor, constantly harassed by the police, setting himself ablaze and burning to death, and this ignited a movement throughout the Arab world. Two leaders, of Egypt and Tunisia, were ousted, and protests were held all over the Middle East. In Syria, there are battles to overthrow Assad, that continue to this day. Even in Iran, many rose up again President Amadinijad. He didn't run again, and was succeeded by one claims to be more moderate. After 30 years, a new generation is tiring of the Islamic movement and "Islam is the answer."
The reason for all this is that Islam, along with even the secular governments, haven't been providing for the needs of the people. Instead there is poverty, starvation, repression of certain religions and ethnic groups, and personality cults, with one man continuing to rule for decades.
The oil producing states are not much better. They do give oil money to everyone to keep them quiet, with no incentives to educate themselves or to work, thus leaving the rulers in power to do what they like. "No taxation and no representation."
Note that in the newspapers today, much of the youth is revolting against the values of their parents, and are turning out to be right.
What many are fighting for now, strange as this may sound to the rest of the world, are democracy, rotation of power, free and democratic elections, economic freedom, and above all, pluralism. This means that all ethnic groups, tribes, and religions, in any country, are to be accepted equally. Should one turn to Islam, or any sect of it, or decide to leave Islam for either another religion, or even be of no religion, that should be his right to do so. Many are also advocating for the equality of women.
This paragraph may seem too ideal, or like pie in the sky, but many religionists and intellectuals in the Middle East are advocating just that. This author stresses this in the entire book, and points out the sources, and the reasons for doing so.
Much of this is happening right now. A recent article in The New York Times tells of a Jewish couple living in Iran, the husband being a doctor at a local hospital. His wife decided to emigrate to the United States, but the husband stayed in Iran. He stated that Iran is his home, and even though he is Jewish, he is also an Iranian. This doctor is also doing quite well as an upstanding citizen in his community, so this is pluralism in action.
I myself first seen the author himself give a presentation in Washington that was televised on C-Span. I saw the TV presentation.
Muasher also points out that this is Israel's opportunity, also, to finally make peace with the Palestinians, either by a two-state solution, and gives some ideas here, or even a one-state solution, a bi-national state.
I myself have suggested that we redraw the entire Middle Eastern map along sectarian lines. i.e. Sunniland, Shiiteland, Kurdistan, etc. but this could make the present problem worse. Though everyone would have their own country, they would treat it like a turf war, with perpetual wars against each other. The best would be to leave the map as is, establishing pluralistic societies, with tolerance towards each other. I do favor an independent Kurdistan and Palestine, however, with all nations recognizing Israel and their right to defensible borders.
All parties must also be included to rule in a democratic country, be they Islam, Coptic, or Secular parties. No one can be excluded.
This is happening, but the Second Arab Awakening isn't happening fast enough to satisfy many people. What many don't realize is that this is not going to happen overnight. Many despots will remain in power for a long time to come, and persecutions will continue, but these tyrants will not last. Look what happened to Gaddafi, Mubarak, and what is happening to Assad.
People must be educated. The economy must improve, and it can be. Movements need outside support, both morally and financially. Most of all, we must be patient, for this may take one or two generations, but the younger segment is demanding all this to happen. All they need is to sit down and talk with others, and eventually, get elected and practice what they've preached.
Israel and the Jews must be in on this too, and Israel must take up this golden opportunity to finally make peace with the rest of the Middle East, for this chance may never come again.
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