The Arab revolution : ten lessons from the democratic uprising

208 Pages·2011·0.68 MB·English

by  Filiu

THE ARAB REVOLUTION
COMPARATIVE POLITICS
AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES SERIES
Series editor, Christophe Jaffrelot
This series consists of translations of noteworthy manuscripts
and publications in the social sciences emanating from the fore-
most French researchers, from Sciences Po, Paris.
The focus of the series is the transformation of politics and soci-
ety by transnational and domestic factors—globalisation, migra-
tion, and the postbipolar balance of power on the one hand, and
ethnicity and religion on the other. States are more permeable to
external influence than ever before and this phenomenon is
accelerating processes of social and political change the world
over. In seeking to understand and interpret these transforma-
tions, this series gives priority to social trends from below as
much as to the interventions of state and nonstate actors.
JEAN-PIERRE FILIU
THE ARAB
REVOLUTION
Ten Lessons from the
Democratic Uprising
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Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Pierre Filiu
Published by Oxford University Press, Inc.
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www.oup.com
First published in the United Kingdom in 2011 by C. Hurst & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Filiu, Jean-Pierre.
The Arab revolution : ten lessons from the democratic uprising / Jean-Pierre Filiu.
p. cm.
“First published in the United Kingdom in 2011 by C. Hurst & Co.”—T.p. verso.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-19-989829-9 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Democratization—Arab countries.
2. Democratization—Middle East. 3. Democracy—Arb countries.
4. Democracy—Middle East. 5. Protest movements—Arab countries—History—21st century.
6. Protest movements—Middle East—History—21st century. 7. Arab countries—Politics and
government—21st century. 8. Middle East—Politics and government—21st century. I. Title.
JQ1850.A91F55 2011
956.05’4—dc23 2011035266
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
CONTENTS
Chronology vii
Prologue 3
1. Arabs are no exception 5
2. Muslims are not only Muslims 17
3. Anger is power for the younger 31
4. Social networks work 43
5. Leaderless movements can win 57
6. The alternative to democracy is chaos 73
7. Islamists must choose 91
8. Jihadis could become obsolete 107
9. Palestine is still the mantra 121
10. No domino effect in the renaissance 135
Appendices
1. Lyrics of “Mister President” by El-General
(Sfax, December 2010) 149
2. Manifesto of the Gaza Youth (14 December 2010) 153
3. Message of the April 6th Movement
(Cairo, 15 January 2011) 157
4. Comments by Sheikh Salman al-Awda
(Riyadh, 7 February 2011) 159
5. Communiqué of the Revolutionary Youth
(Cairo, 12 February 2011) 161
v
CONTENTS
6. Charter of the National Transitional Council
(Benghazi, 2 March 2011) 163
7. Statement of the Syrian local coordination
committees (22 April 2011) 167
Notes 171
Select Bibliography 189
Electronic resources 191
Index 193
vi
CHRONOLOGY
2010
December
17 Mohammad Bouazizi sets himself on fire in front of
the governorate of Sidi Bouzid (Tunisia)
18–21 Anti-government demonstrations in Sidi Bouzid
22 Houcine Nejji electrocuted on a high-tension pole in
Sidi Bouzid
24 Clashes in Menzel Bouzayane
25 First demonstrations in Tunis
28 Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali visits Bouazizi at the Ben
Arous hospital
2011
January
1 Suicide attack on a Coptic church in Alexandria
3 Massive cyber-attacks on government websites in
Tunisia
4–7 Clashes with protesters all over central Tunisia
5–8 Riots in Algeria
6 Arrest in Tunisia of militant bloggers and of the rap-
per “El General”
8 Violent repression in the Tunisian city of Kasserine
vii
CHRONOLOGY
9 The army chief refuses to shoot at protesters in
Tunisia
10 Ben Ali denounces “terrorists”
12 Curfew in Tunis and in the other main cities of
Tunisia
13 Ben Ali declares he will not run for election in 2014
14 Ben Ali flees Tunisia to Saudi Arabia
15 Fouad Mebazaa, president of the National Assembly,
sworn in as Tunisia’s interim head of state; deadly fire
in Monastir prison
17 “National unity” government led by the former Prime
Minister Mohammad Ghannouchi
21 Launching in Algeria of the “National Coordination
for Change and Democracy” (CNDC)
25 First “Revolution Day” in Egypt, occupation of Tah-
rir Square by the opposition in Cairo
27 Cabinet reshuffle in Tunis, return of Mohammad al-
Baradei to Cairo
28 During mass protests in Egypt, the internet is blocked,
curfew is defied, Mubarak appoints Ahmed Shafik as
his new Prime Minister
29 Omar Suleiman sworn in as Vice-President
31 Return of Rashid Ghannouchi to Tunis, after a twenty-
year exile
February
1 One million protesters against the regime in Egypt,
half of them in Cairo. Hosni Mubarak announces he
will stay in power until the end of his term of office in
September. Jordan’s King Abdullah II dismisses Samir
Rifai’s government and appoints Maarouf Bakhit as
Prime Minister
2 Pro-Mubarak mobs on the rampage against the oppo-
sition and the foreign press. Yemen’s President Ali
viii
CHRONOLOGY
Abdallah Saleh promises to step down at the end of
his term of office in 2013
5 Attack on the police station at El Kef (Tunisia); man-
ifesto of Jordanian tribal leaders against “corruption”
6 “National dialogue” between Omar Suleiman and the
Egyptian opposition, including the Muslim Brother-
hood. “Suspension” of the activities of the former
presidential party (RCD) in Tunisia. Resignation of
the Kuwaiti Minister of the Interior
8 Hundreds of thousands of protesters in the streets of
Egypt
10 Mubarak transfers some powers to Suleiman, aban-
dons the leadership of the army, but refuses to step
down
11 “Farewell Friday” in Egypt, Mubarak resigns and
leaves for Sharm el-Sheikh
12 “People’s communiqué n° 1” in Egypt; repressed
demonstrations in Algeria
13 Suspension of the Constitution and dissolution of the
Parliament in Egypt, renewed protest in Yemen, res-
ignation of the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs
14 Violent protests in Iran, for the first time since
December 2009
15 First meeting of the Constitutional Committee in
Cairo
16 Riots in Benghazi
17 “Day of Rage” in Libya, military crackdown in
Manama
18 “Victory Friday” in Egypt, clashes in Yemen and Bah-
rain, army repression in eastern Libya
19 General amnesty in Tunisia, protesters back in down-
town Manama
20 Peaceful demonstrations in Morocco, tribal defiance
in Libya
ix