The new millennium, 2001-2999, started with adisturbing year that produced a chaotic situation throughout the world, threatened world economy and paralysed the most powerful nation in the world. The aerial attacks in New York and Washington D.C. rendered the most powerful army helpless and clueless. Those terrorist acts not only defied the conventional war tactics but also through use of crude methods burned down books on military techniques, tactics and strategy in the fires that brought down the World Trade Centre Towers. The politicians of America had no idea as to how to cope with the situation created by these aerial attacks; chaos and confusion reigned supreme.
To show to the world that the United States is the most powerful nation, it rained hundreds of bombs from planes on the training camps of Al-Qaida located in Afghanistan and bombed headquarters of Taliban, cohorts of Al-Qaida. The stunned and confused US military formulated plans to attack Iraq after the clueless politicians of Washington made decision to destroy and annihilate Iraq because they could not think of anything else. These politicians were under the impression that the Iraqi people would come out in the streets and greet the American occupying forces with open arms for liberating them from the clutches of Saddam Hussein. This did not happen and the world economy started sliding into the deep ditches of decline.
At a time when the US Military General and corrupt politicians were using the technological advances to indiscriminately kill and murder thousands of Arab civilians in Iraq and the brave people of Afghanistan, the cable television and Internet was providing the ghastly details of war crimes by these Pentagon General and politicians of Washington. The Arab population of the neighbouring countries kept on watching on Cable Television destruction of cities and became horrified onlookers of killing of hundreds of thousands of Arab brethren by American bombs and artillery. The Arab population continued to listen to cell phone horror stories and sufferings of widows and orphans. Most of them were already suffering from the oppression of Middle Eastern Pharaohs and dictators – cowards and slaves of the US politicians. They saw the Iraqi people’s struggle to end American occupation of Iraq. At the same time these people wanted to liberate themselves from the clutches of their own oppressors, and a vast and corrupt bureaucracy, in each of their own and neighbouring Arab countries.
It should be noted that the Americans including the politicians of America mourned the death of more than 3000 people who perished in the collapse of the World Trade Centre Towers. Later, when the same American politicians ordered invasion of Iraq, the US army put together a plan to employ “Shock and Awe” – a spectacular fireworks and firepower show of how Americans are capable of killing innocent people in various cities of Iraq. These killings were broadcast in every home in the US. The war mongers, conservatives, extremists and ignorant Americans applauded actions by US fighter planes and bombers and happily and gleefully watched bombs falling on the population of Baghdad and other cities in Iraq. The devil was also dancing with these politicians and ignorant Americans and kept on applauding their hypocrisy, bigotry and demagoguery.
In the Arab countries, horror and passivity gave way to yearning, and this yearning urged the Arab population to liberate themselves from the clutches of their own dictators, Pharaohs and war mongers. This set in motion a new momentum for political reforms, safety for all citizens, better services and opportunities for employment. In other words, this yearning was to get respect, honour and dignity, and to live a respectable existence without the fear of persecution and arrests. In the spring of 2005 budding signs of democratic reform in states throughout the Arab world convinced the news media that a new beginning was coming in those countries. They called it the “Arab Spring”. The people in the Middle Eastern countries began watching these developments; they just kept on watching and did not get involved to help those struggling, and the end result was that the movements fell apart. In the coming years this changed.The Arab Spring of 2005 was only delayed and arrived again in 2008 to stay for good and speed up the fall of the dictators in the Arab world. It was also the fall of western powers’ influence that continued to involve themselves in supporting these Pharaohs and corrupt rulers.
Hosni Mubarak, former President of Egypt, was sentenced to life in prison for failing to stop the killing of protesters during the uprising. Zaine el Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisian leader, fled to Saudi Arabia. He has been convicted in absentia by a Tunisian court for corruption and other crimes during his 23-year authoritarian rule. Moammar Gaddafi led Libya for four decades. He spent his final days moving from hideout to hideout in his hometown of Sirte City in Libya until the freedom fighters of Libya captured him and killed him.
Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of Yemen, clung to power for nearly a year while mass protests continued against his rule. At one occasion his palace was bombed. He was still hanging on to presidency even though the bomb blast left him with burns over much of his body. He finally relinquished power to his Vice President and is still living in Yemen.
Bashar Assad, President of Syria, is clinging to power despite an uprising against his rule. The freedom fighters in Syria and the common citizens are victims of bloodbath and killings. Bashar Assad’s naked dance of barbarism and ruthless killings by his military machine is still continuing. The end to murder of hundreds of thousands of Syrians and destruction of various cities by Bashar Assad, the corrupt and brutal despot, is still not in sight.
Now is the time to concentrate on rebuilding Arab countries that were ruled by ruthless rulers who forced the Arab populations to wear shackles of oppression for decades. This rebuilding could be achieved by tackling the economic challenges the people are facing along with a desire to work for the establishment of a civil society to bring tranquillity and peace in each country. This may also involve empowering the Arab women in handling issue that concern their wellbeing. In this age of instant transfer of information each country must build a media that counts and the one that takes into account the aspirations of the people and informs people in power to resolve the issues as soon as possible. The biggest concern of the people in the Arab world now is unemployment.
Greed and corruption at the highest level of the governments in the Arab countries have condemned millions of citizens in those countries to poverty and hopelessness. The people must demand for an end to corruption. The people must show a degree of political pragmatism in putting an end to the corruption culture, because it is not going to be solved immediately or end hundred per cent. Each country must take measures to dissuade and discourage those in power to engage in corrupt activities.
The people must organise themselves in doing whatever they can to build and mobilise grassroots contingents of Arab citizens to defeat the forces of greed. They must demand transparency and accountability to keep the wealth of the country in the country itself. The corrupt and greedy have deposited millions and millions of dollars and euros in Swiss Banks depriving their respective countries from enjoying the benefits of the circulation of that money in the countries themselves. This will protect the national wealth of each Arab country that could be channelled in areas responsible for the growth of the economy and ending unemployment.
Reforms in education system and efforts to reducing unemployment should be given top priority. Those already holding higher degrees and qualified must be given employment to help streamline the economy and help it grow. Increased productivity by the workers in the industrial sector can help improve the economy. The educated class can help in identifying new areas of investment and formulate plans to start new industries which in turn can provide employment for hundreds and thousands of citizens and may encourage foreign investments. This immense potentiality in the field of agriculture must be exploited to the hilt.
The governments should make efforts in improving existing and constructing new infrastructures and making available electricity in rural areas. This will provide employment for millions and millions of people. The money earned by these working class people will remain in the country and will not be deposited in Swiss banks, because people will use their earning to make a living, thus allowing the money to circulate in the country and encourage others to start more small industries.
These Arab countries should take a fresh and new look at attracting tourists to their countries. They should specially encourage Muslims living in the US, Canada, UK and European countries to visit their countries as tourists and experience the Islamic and Muslim cultural side of those countries. These countries must provide incentives and discounts for those Muslim groups and extend hospitality to them. This will give reasons to Muslim groups to come to those countries and enjoy their hospitality and enjoy the Islamic heritage of those countries rather than visiting other European countries.
Mohammad Ali, Professor of Diniyat, Osmania University, Hyderabad-Deccan, South India, said more than 50 years ago, “We have to work for the improvement and welfare of humanity.” Each and every Arab country can work towards improving the conditions of human being on this planet by giving freedom, empowerment and dignity to its own people.
[Mohammad Yacoob is a retired Industrial Engineer and Engineering Proposals Analyst who lives in Los Angeles, California, USA]