In his article “The Arab Spring at One: A Year of Living Dangerously”, Fouad Ajami concentrates on the discussion of the main peculiarities of the phenomenon of the Arab spring which became widely discussed recently. To present his vision of the problem, Fouad Ajami provides the observation of the situation in all the Arab countries where the phenomenon of the Arab awakening could be observed. The main reasons for the process are the desire for political freedom in these countries and the focus on the possible economic progress with references to the growth of opportunities for people (Ajami).
These movements which characterize the Arab spring can be discussed as the attempts to reorganize the despotic regimes and provide the democratic principles at these territories. From this point, it is also important to pay attention to the role of the USA in overcoming the questions of the despotism of the Islamic regimes in the region. Thus, Fouad Ajami presents his opinion on the role of the USA in the process and states that the events connected with the situations in Iraq and Iran can be discussed as the possible causes for the public’s further reaction realized at the other territories of the Arab world (Ajami).
Providing the arguments for his point of view, Fouad Ajami focuses on the general overview of the details of the situation in all the Arab countries in which the violent rebellions became the main approach to stating the principles of democracy in 2011. The first wave of rebellions was associated with the events in Egypt. The author states that the situation in Egypt provoked the development of the tendency with referring to the idea of rebellions as the pan-Arab affair.
The wave of the movement against despotism and democracy also developed in Yemen and Bahrain, but because of the aspects of governance, it was not as successful and significant as in Egypt. Thus, the most important effects of the revolt were realized in Libya where it became possible to rebel against the regime of Muammar al-Qaddafi. Syria with its focus on the ideas of sectarianism also became the center of the anti-despotic movements.
Despite the fact the general visions of the elements of democracy were almost the same in all the countries which participated in the Arab spring, the approaches to their realization were rather different. However, Fouad Ajami also accentuates the combination of the notions which can be discussed as the most influential causes for stimulating the beginning of the rebellions. Thus, it is the problem of despotism and sectarianism which influences the terror and discrimination which are typical for these Arab countries.
Having determined the situation in the Arab countries as the third great awakening, Ajami also indicates the main points of the current situation in the countries which suffered from violent rebellions and the government’s opposition. Thus, today such Arab countries as Egypt, Syria, and Libya only begin to adapt to the new situation and make their further path in the Arab world.
Works Cited
Ajami, Fouad. “The Arab Spring at One: A Year of Living Dangerously”. Foreign Affairs 91.2 (2012): 56-65. Print.