چکیده:
The fall of the Tunisian and Egyptian rulers as a result of the popular uprisings in the Arab World was the harbinger of vast، surprising developments، which rapidly restored self-confidence to the Arab Street، attracting the attention of international actors and observers to the revived power of a new player affecting developments in the Middle East. Although in contemporary history، Arab public opinion has been tense at most times and always been present in the margins or core of developments، it failed to be involved in developments as extensively as it recently did. In addition، in contemporary Arab history، this is the first time that rulers have been dismissed as a result of popular pressure and street protests. This article examines the developments and uprisings in the Arab world in 2011 in light of the change in behavior and increased capability of Arab public opinion. In particular، this article assesses the reasons for the lack of democracy among the Arabs، and differences between the recent uprisings، and protests and movements in the past decade. The main argument of this paper is that the change in political behavior of the Arab youth and new political elites is a result of change in their political outlook and redefinition of the self and the other in their relationship with domestic rulers and foreign powers. The article tries، using an epistemological approach، to portray the character of the new Arab uprisings; arguing that they are different from other uprisings in contemporary history in terms of form، content and people's demands. In this picture، Arab nationalism and Salafist Islamism، which promote transnational ideals، are declining on the horizon of new uprisings. Instead، a new Arab political identity with an anti-despotic، pluralist and democracy-seeking approach is expanding.
خلاصه ماشینی:
The Nature of 2011 Arab Uprisings: A Comparative Analysis Mohammad Farazmand Abstract The fall of the Tunisian and Egyptian rulers as a result of the popular uprisings in the Arab World was the harbinger of vast, surprising developments, which rapidly restored self-confidence to the Arab Street, attracting the attention of international actors and observers to the revived power of a new player affecting developments in the Middle East.
Deep belief in the effectiveness of peaceful struggle, avoiding resorting to violence, non-ideological demands, search for democracy, absence of a charismatic revolutionary leadership, the traditional opposition following the youth, and use of novel two-way media are new characteristics that have emerged in the political behavior of the Arab masses.
Nonetheless, people's demands are almost identical as categorized below: -terminating life-time personal authoritarian governments, - emphasis on democracy as the most appropriate solution for forming alternative political systems, -ending corruption, discrimination, and political and economic prerogatives of the ruling elites, -enjoyment of equal rights, ending sectarian and religious disputes and emphasis on the rights that every human being should inherently enjoy including freedom, equality, justice and welfare.
However, if the process of democratization starts in countries which have experienced revolutions and in the Arab World in general, radical Salafists and al- Qaeda will face serious problems in defining their own status in Arab- Islamic societies and adapting their ideological beliefs to people's new demands.