It is another Friday in the Arab world. People took to the streets, blood shed followed, and the Arab tyrants vaguely repeated their promises of reforms. Some of my European friends argued: Why not giving them a second chance. After all, it is safer to transit toward democracy without violence or chaos. .. Well .. History itself argued otherwise. As well as, ironically, the month of February.
EGYPT, FEBRUARY 1954
On February 28, 1954, almost one million Egyptians surrounded the late President Jamal Abdul Nasser in Abdin Palace. They demanded the end of the military rule, the release of all political prisoners, reinstatement of the parliament, and the return of the army to its barracks. Nasser appeared on the balcony of the palace, promised reforms, and declared that he would hold free elections in June 1954. A leading figure in the demonstration, asked the protesters to leave, and they did. In June, Egyptians had their promised reforms, Nasser abandoned his military suit, and stuck in the office of presidency, with his civilian jacket and tie, for 16 years up to his death. It is true that Nasser turned to be one of, if not the only, greatest Arab leader in our modern history (compared to the rest). His regional and international pan-Arab policies are still popular up to now, and his portray is seen in today's protests. But the atrocities of his regime internally was unjustifiable. Egyptians have to rise again 57 years later to claim what they had been promised in 1954.
SYRIA, FEBRUARY 2000
After the death of president (King) Hafez Al Assad in June 2000, and the ascending to power of his son (Prince) Bashar Al Assad, a period of intense political and social debate started in Syria. Reforms and political rights were the core of these debates, which is known as "Damascus Spring". The debates were initiated by president Bashar Al Assad himself as part of his promises of reforms. The spring was characterized above all by the emergence of numerous forums, in which people gather to exchange opinions on political and social policies. However, in February 17, 2001, security forces stormed most of these forums, and many influential Syrian intellectuals had been detained, and the Damascus spring officially ended by November the same year. In March 2011, Syrians took to the streets demanding what they had been promised a decade ago. Assad replied:
"We are still keen to reform, we postponed it because of ... you know ... the "conspiracy" .. We will reactivate our reform program, though, we won't accelerate on it ... you know ... because of the "conspiracy" ...
BAHRAIN, FEBRUARY 2002
From 1994 up to 2000, Bahrain witnessed an uprising, in which leftists, liberals, and Islamists joined forces in demand of democratic reforms, end of suspending the 1973-constitution, and the return of parliamentary political life. In February 1999, King Hamad (Emir back then) ascended to the throne after the death of his father, and in order to put an end to a six-year long uprising, he initiated a "National Action Charter", in which he asked the people of Bahrain to mandate him to amend the 1973 constitution and transformed the State to a constitutional monarchy. The mandate was approved in a national referendum in February 2001, in which 98.4% voted in favor. In February 14, 2002, Bahrainis were shocked by a constitution transforming the state into a Kingdom, and constitutionally, legitimized the establishment of a tyranny. In February 2011, Bahrainis took to the streets demanding, again, a constitutional monarchy. Saudi troops had been brought to crush them.
I say:
"Fool me once, shame on you ... fool me twice, shame on me"
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