The Middle East must do like The Beatles

Photographer : Jonathon Rashad @ Flickr
Caption : Tahrir Square

Despite the results from a generic Google search, the Middle East is not only the name of a popular Australian indie band. It's also the region encompassing Western Asia and North Africa. This may be a revelation of sorts, I’m not sure. You may also know it as a place of despair, often reflecting decades of war, conflict, religious tension, political strife, dictators, uprisings and revolutions. Travel warnings are issued for some countries, while others top the hottest travel destination lists. It's a region of contradictions and similarities, with each nation often lumped into the one basket of generalisations. But each country has its own distinctive edge and reason for existing, this does not mean they can't work together to sort out their greatest struggles.

During the Golden Age, the Middle East was a region of prominence, the centre of world affairs responsible for a plethora of new discoveries and innovations to the world regarding science, the arts and technology. The region preserved knowledge from the libraries of the early centuries of Greek, Roman and Byzantine cultures and the Phoenicians were responsible for producing the alphabet. They also make a mean felafel roll.

The Arab world was originally a great cosmopolitan civilisation, unifying the people of Spain, North Africa, Egypt, Syria and Mesopotamia. What kept them united was language, common territory, culture, customs and religion. Interestingly enough, these things also kept them divided. Rich in natural resources, the region has long been occupied, colonised and ruled by imperial forces from the French, British, Turks, Persians to the Americans, to name a few. Conflict has always come as a result of such occupations. Modern Lebanon’s very own constitution was drawn up specifically by France to ensure the political dominance of its Christian allies. The President to this day is required to be Christian and the Prime Minister, a Sunni Muslim. Naturally this has led to unrest in the country, given Muslims make up a majority of the population.

Division worked in everybody’s favour – everyone except that guy known affectionately as the ‘citizen’ or ‘everyday Joe'. No country has been as powerful in maintaining these divisions as the United States. To maintain the convenience of tapping into the region’s vast natural resources, the U.S. government propped up the most violent secular and religious dictatorships in existence, standing behind countless cover operations, sabotages, assassinations and infiltrations simply to undermine popular figures and movements attempting to resist U.S. domination. The U.S. superpower has helped divide nations, artificially creating new ones and fighting against all attempts at real Arab unity, working tirelessly to prevent any strong, independent countries from emerging in the region and doing all of the above under the guise of 'freedom' and 'democracy', a far cry from history’s version of events.

The upheaval that began in Tunisia in January has spread like wildfire within the Arab world, with no sign of stopping. Whole nations are rising in defiance of tyrannical dictatorships, marching the streets proudly in protest. There’s an echo emerging from the shadows, progressively getting louder and deafening its enemies in the process. It’s the collective and quiet roar of a formidable uprising which dominates the news headlines. A wave of revolt by the youth, a revolution against colonialism and the regimes installed and sustained by imperialism. There is hope in a land that has only known bombs, mass graves and oppression.

There is a fearless flourish in the revolution sweeping the region - from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya to Syria - as ordinary citizens take to the streets to fight against political corruption, torture, social injustice and poverty, risking their lives in the process. The fervour is spreading, inspiring everyone, even the Palestinian youth, in believing they too can bring about freedom, justice and equality. It still remains to be seen whether these nations can find a way to work together to accomplish these goals, these dreams.

I believe if we dig deep enough, we’ll eventually hit the rock that is one Arab Nation that just lost its way over time and imploded into many divisive entities. The youth have harnessed the power of technology and social media to bring about an unprecedented level of change. Foreign intervention of any kind seems to falter at the edge, much like a lost bully watching its victims stand up and walk, after years of crouching in the corner.

The Arab nations have been held back by dictators they did not ask for, born into conflicts of which they can never truly understand. The atmosphere is changing, the stars are realigning, along with the thoughts, attitudes and beliefs of a people who have had enough. Simon Bolivar, venerated hero of Latin America and liberator of the people from Spanish imperialism, believed that freedom only came when people united against invaders, no matter their disguise. It’s this very unity which could be the decisive factor in whether our future is marred by war, or celebrated with peace.

It’s time to come together, right now.

How do I know this?

http://www.adcnj.us/Arab_Americans/arab_contributions_to_civilizati.htm

http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?StoryId=8983

http://lizziesliberation.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/libya-and-the-arab-revolt-in-perspective-imperialism-has-nothing-to-offer-the-middle-east/

http://www.johnpilger.com/videos/the-war-on-democracy

http://almashriq.hiof.no/lebanon/900/902/Kamal-Salibi/

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2010-01-21-beirut-bounces-back_N.htm

http://www.facebook.com/visitthemiddleeast

http://electronicintifada.net/content/egypts-revolution-inspires-gazas-youth/9797