The recent wave of developments in the Middle East and North Africa is a sociopolitical tsunami that is sweeping across the realm of Islamic civilization.
There are three common points in these movements: the awakening of nations, their popular nature, especially the active role of the youth at the center of the demonstrations, and the contributions of the elite and political parties.
There are three common points in these movements: the awakening of nations, their popular nature, especially the active role of the youth at the center of the demonstrations, and the contributions of the elite and political parties.
The recent uprisings have occurred in Muslim majority countries that also have communities of followers of other divine religions.
The use of modern communications technologies such as the Internet has helped the people realize their objectives, but we should not forget that various kinds of Islamist and resistance movements have been active in all these countries over the past few decades.
But despite these common points, each nation in the Middle East and North Africa region that is having a popular uprising has its own goals and idiosyncrasies.
Bahrain and Yemen are two examples.
Bahrain is one of the most geostrategically important locations on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf. The tiny island is home to the United States Fifth Fleet, and the Shias make up the majority of its population.
After receiving a green light from the U.S., Saudi Arabian troops and police forces from the United Arab Emirates invaded the country. This undermined the sovereignty and independence of Bahrain.
And the dehumanization of the people of Bahrain, who were peacefully calling for their rights to be recognized, led to systematic violations of human rights. A large number of people were martyred, injured, and imprisoned and some were tried in military courts.
Now the people of Bahrain are holding peaceful demonstrations to demand the recognition of their civil rights, but the continued occupation by Saudi Arabia and the UAE and the fact that the people’s demands have been ignored have complicated the situation.
In Yemen, for the past five months the people have held demonstrations demanding the recognition of their inalienable right to live in a free and democratic state.
The following developments are worth noting.
The Persian Gulf Cooperation Council did not present an acceptable plan for resolving the crisis. Foreign intervention was unable to deviate the popular uprising from its correct path. And with Ali Abdullah Saleh’s departure to Saudi Arabia, the people have advanced one step forward.
The plan to establish a transitional government council is being implemented by the people and political parties, and especially by the young protesters. Yemeni regional leaders in the north (the Houthis) and the south (the Al-Harak movement) have recognized the need for unity in the current situation. Thus, they are trying to create a national consensus in order to prevent any foreign interference meant to hijack the popular uprising.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is the director general of the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Persian Gulf and Middle East Department.
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