Spring in the Arab Spring

Abstract

Column Gert Borg | Spring in the Arab Spring

door dr. Gert Borg, onderzoeker bij Islam en Arabisch aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen en voormalig directeur van het Nederlands-Vlaams Instituut Caïro

Spring If, in Google, you type "Arab Spring" and hit the button, you get more than 14 million hits back. If you type the Arabic equivalent "al-rabî‘ al-‘arabî" you are bound to find 4 million hits, which gives it a decent second place.

The question that Google will not answer is: "Do these words really mean the same?" "Spring" evokes the idea of a new beginning, of rebirth and new fertility. But what does rabî ‘ mean? For this we go back to an Arabic saying: al-shi‘r dîwân al-‘Arab, which roughly means: poetry is the common memory of the Arabs.

What does rabî ‘ mean in Arabic poetry? First, of course, it is the season after winter; winter in the Arab desert is a dry and stormy season, that makes it difficult for nomadic tribes to survive. Draught, famine and need forces them into skirmishes, raids and battles, mainly for food.

In contrast rabî ‘ is the season of rainfall, flowing wâdî's and a green desert, enough to feed the hungry cattle. Rabî ‘ is the season of lush abundance. Rabî ‘ can also indicate the cloud that brings plentiful amounts of rain. Therefore metaphorically the word can be used to signify a generous person or even generosity itself. You'll see that there is a subtle difference from the meaning of spring in western languages.

Cynically the only ones who met generosity in the months of the Arab spring were those Arabs who did not rebel against their leaders: the governments of Saudi-Arabia and some Gulf states provided their subjects with large funds and allowances as a compensation for their willingness to oblige. And those who revolted will certainly not feel that, as a result of their rebellion, material wealth came their way. The population in Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria will probably remember these months for shortage and destitution., often more so than in the days of dictatorship. What they can be proud of, though, is their newly won freedom, liberty of speech and hope for a better future.

In spite of all the setbacks at the moment, has the Arab world become a better one for the people who live there? It definitely could not become any worse than it was before. I would even say, that the developments of these last months will change the Arab world for a long time to come. The Arab world will probably never be the same.

But why was this revolution necessary in the first place? The population obviously freed itself from dictatorship and military rule, but these were not in place since the Beginning of Time. So how did they emerge in the Arab world after colonization by western powers? Did local dictators simply replace the former foreign powers? Some in the Arab world tend to believe that, but I think it's a wrong assumption. Let's not forget that the first generation of national leaders aroused an enormous enthusiasm and feeling of optimism among the local population.

If it is true, that a leader can only develop into a dictator, when he can be certain that he will not be easily replaced, then there must have been outside factors that kept him in this situation. And it is here that I believe that the two s-words should be mentioned. I strongly believe, that the ultimate responsibility for keeping the dictators in place lies with the western world for reasons of (1) stability and (2) a steady flow of oil. But it was certainly shortsighted to believe, that dictators could contribute to political stability as dictatorship is probably one of the most volatile and unstable forms of government as can be witnessed now.

Let's not forget that in countries like Egypt, Iraq and Syria after the revolutions that freed these countries from colonialist powers there were actually parties and social organizations such as trade unions. The decades of dictatorship, supported and sponsored by the West, eliminated these necessary organizations that the Arab world so badly needs at the moment.

What went down with these organizations was social cohesion and social commitment and what remained was individual selfishness, materialism and a total lack of meaningful self-organization. The problem at the moment is: how can the Arab world regain values such as social commitment, mutual respect and dignity, transgressin local, tribal and religious interests.

Freedom can and should be conquered. Democracy, however, is an attitude that can only be slowly acquired. English