This post is due by Tuesday, April 1 @ midnight for full credit.
Email late posts to rwilliamsATchamplain.edu for partial credit.
Read the assigned chapters above, and then:
1. Provide 3 SPECIFIC observations about the Arab Spring you learned from EACH chapter of our book, using 2-3 sentences combining the book and your own IYOW analysis.
2. Finally, ask ONE specific question you have of the Arab Spring after completing our reading.
Chapter 6
ReplyDelete1.) “That is not how the ruling Al Khalifa family or many Sunnis see it. Like the other Sunni rulers in the Gulf, Bahrain’s monarchy has long painted Bahraini Shi’ites as a potential fifth column, more loyal to their co-religionists in the Gulf’s Shi’ites power Iran, than they were to Sunni fellow Arabs.” (138)
2.) “Here was a king who was mixing with ordinary people, listening to their needs, and who appeared genuinely determined to turn a page on the bitter past. The people of Sitra and Shi’ites around Bahrain were jubilant. To many Bahrainis, it seemed the new king was serious about implementing reforms that would restore political life to the country and address the grievances of Shi’ites.” (143)
3.) “For the Shi’ites, reforms had been bestowed as royal privileges, not as formal rights, and democracy had not been enshrined in the constitution. In the years leading to the 2011 uprising, Bahrain witnessed repeated outbreaks of rioting that saw young Shi’ite protesters burn tires in the streets. The number of activists and bloggers in jail or exile was mounting again.” (150)
Chapter 7
1.) “That regime was born on 1 September 1969, when a group of young army officers took control of strategic buildings in what was then Libya’s capital city, Benghazi. Their declaration of a Libyan Arab Republic meant that King Idris, the county’s first and last monarch, who was in Turkey at the time, would never again set foot on Libyan soil.” (166)
2.) “Tourism was faring even worse than energy. New rules introduced in 2007 required all non-Arab nationals to carry a certified Arabic translation of their passport details, and by 2009 visitor numbers had almost dwindled back to their pre-sanctions levels. When asked in 2010 for the latest figures, a government official said they had been told not to release them because they were so bad.” (174)
3.) “Unlike in Tunisia and Egypt, the vote produced a fractured parliament with no single dominant group. This was partly because of how the GNC was structured, with 120 seats set aside for independent members and the remaining 80 for political parties, but also because Libyan voters were not polarized along the same lines as their neighbors. For better or worse, Gaddafi left little or no ideological legacy to shape politics after he had gone.” (188)
Question: Why can’t political leaders or monarchies actually do as promised instead of letting the power and money get to their heads?
Chapter 6:
ReplyDelete1. In 2011 a Bahrainan, Abdulaziz, was shot by police during a peaceful protest. He was not able to receive proper medical attention because his neighbors knew that if they took him to a public hospital, he would be arrested. They brought him to a private hospital where he was still found by Bahraini security forces that took him alive and returned him home dead. Wounded protestors and the doctors that treated them were under threat of being arrested in hospitals. (135)
2. Bahrain’s finances relied heavily on Saudi Arabia. More than 75% of the country’s oil came from a Saudi controlled field. This oil contributed to 80% of the government’s revenue. In 1986, a bridge was built that connected Saudi Arabia to Bahrain. Thousands of cars crossed into Bahrain from Saudi each day, increasing tourism and providing more revenue. (140)
3. The king of Bahrain, Hamad al Khalifah, promised individual freedoms, equality, to restore the rule of law, and separation of powers in 2001 under the National Action Charter. However a new constitution in 2002 that seemed to give all power to the Al Khalifah disappointed many Bahrainans. (144)
Chapter 7:
Libya’s regime was created in 1969 on September 1st when army officers took control in the capital at the time of Benghazi. They declared the Libyan Arab Republic and banned King Idris from the country. (166)
2. The self-appointed commander in chief and leader of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, created his own political philosophy in his “Green Book.” His democracy that he described as a collection of republics was built of fear and funded by oil. (166)
3. Gaddafi appointed himself as the “King of Kings” When he became president of the African Union in 2007. Two years afterward, Libya was removed from the UN Human Rights Council, only one year after entering. (167)
How can these nations gain a leader that isn’t corrupted by money and power, creating a true democracy?
Chapter 6:
ReplyDelete1. Sunnis who began 2011 believing reform could resolve political tensions, ended it believing the Shi’ites would only be satisfied with the overthrow of the monarchy (137). I feel like Bahrain differs from other countries we have studied because they are divided between Sunni and Shi’ite. Both have different beliefs, so to get on the same level proves to be a challenge.
2. The United States was reluctant to jeopardize its relations with Saudi Arabia or the Bahraini royal family and see the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet evicted from an island that lay just across the water from Iran (155). The United States was in a very sticky situation because of their interest in their naval base in such a prime location in the gulf.
3. Its financial reliance on Saudi Arabia meant that its monarchy could not always act independently and the economic impact of the 2011 uprisings had only reinforced Bahrain’s dependence on oil and on Saudi generosity (162). Saudi Arabia has more influence on the situation than I thought at first. They have control of Bahrain as well as the United States in some respects because of their much wanted resources.
Chapter 7:
1. Gaddafi was initially blind to the implications of both of the monumental events that had cleared out his neighboring leaders. He seemed to regard his country as immune to protests (177). The blindness Gaddafi showed to possible revolutions in his country eventually came to bite him in the ass.
2. It became clear that the disorganized rebels had neither the firepower nor the nationwide popular supports to hold off the advance of the better trained, better equipped, and more loyal military brigades (180). Reading this chapter I was very surprised at how much support Gaddafi had in multiple cities even though he was only in it for himself.
3. Several different rebel groups, now better organized but still suffering huge casualties, were moving towards Tripoli with increasingly robust air support from NATO (185). I am curious if Libyans would have been able to overthrow the Gaddafi regime and kill him if it were not for the help from international support.
Question: With such a divide between the Sunni and Shi’ite communities in Bahrain, is there a possible solution the two groups can agree upon?
ReplyDeleteChapter 6.
1. On page 136 the author says that the Shi’ites in Bahrain have more to be disgruntled about and less to lose when talking about the citizen’s demands for equal citizenship, but then says the divides were not religious. I find it interesting that religion becomes power and the main identifying point for political groups.
2. It’s unfortunate that when the new constitution was put into place in 2002 that it turned out to be an effort to keep power in the ruler’s hands. (Noueihed & Warren, 145). The upper house was still able to block laws by the elected house. I can’t imagine the disappointment Bahrain citizens must have felt when their new constitution only appeared to create equality.
3. Bahraini television was a main antagonizer in what the authors refer to as an “information war.” (156). They accused Shi’ites of prompting riots and starting fights with Sunni students and schools and universities. They then went even further to say that Shi’ites were being loyal to Iran and accused Iran of interference with martial law. I get a sense that the Bahraini government was paranoid about the protests and were starting to throw out accusations without evidence.
Chapter 7.
1. On pages 166 and 167 the authors talk about Gaddafi and refer to him as being the global face of rogue leadership. I am glad that they give us this background knowledge on Gaddafi because I was not aware that he was behind some of the attacks they talk about like the disco in Berlin that was bombed or Pan Am flight 103, which I had learned about in high school. It explains why Libya is the way it is now that I know Gaddafi was their leader.
2. “Tourism was faring even worse than energy. New rules introduced in 2007 required all non-arab nationalists to carry a certified Arabic translation of their passport details…” (Noueihed & Warren, 174). Many of the other countries we have talked about had a decrease in tourism because western citizens were concerned about the uprisings, but I find it interesting that in the case of Libya, it was the government that was the leading cause of the decrease in tourism.
3. Between 30,000 and 50,000 Libyans had been killed by early September 2011. (184). It’s unfortunate that this statistic exists when talking about Libyan uprisings, but since Gaddafi was killed and Tripoli was captured, some people could argue that he bloodshed was worth it.
Chapter 6:
ReplyDelete-By 2008 an average of 50,000 cars were crossing the bridge each day into Bahrain from Saudi Arabia. This is due to the banning of bars, clubs and cinemas and the gender segregated malls, coffee shops, and fast food restaurants. This being very good for the Bahrain economy.
- In 2000, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa named himself king when his father died and created this illusion that he was going to look out for all the people by visiting some of the poorest areas. He gave people hope that he was going to bring back some political life and bring equality to Bahrain. In 2002, he came up with a constitution which seemed to give himself much more power than a person should have.
- Those Bahrani's seeking major reform have realized that they will not see any changes until there are changes in Saudi Arabia and a shift toward western policy. It seems they are a more weak state as a result of being a parasite of Saudi Arabia.
Chapter 7:
- “Customs officials wielding a stamp in one hand and a cigarette in the other…families returning from their trip to Europe breezed right through the desks reserved for Libyans only, while western businessmen in the queue marked foreigners muttered expletives under their breath.” (page 163) A lot of the airport officials were corrupt as you would expect many of them simply letting drug mules right through and collecting drugs in the bathroom.
- Gaddafi’s regime was failing to build real bridges with the international community. Either they did not know or did not care about the norms of international diplomacy. Overall Libya was becoming a great commercial disappointment as many businesses lost patience with them.
- Infrastructure was way behind the urban growth with new areas of cities having unpaved roads and housing development way behind schedule. People started to become uneasy about the way things were being done and how the government was not moving along with improvement.
Question: How can a county such as Libya run when the government is behind and all the officials are corrupt? How could you feel safe?
Chapter 6
ReplyDelete1. Thousands gathered in Bahrain for the funeral of Hani Abudulaziz, who was brutally murdered by the police. I believe this shows an importance in the deaths of key people. Mohamed Bouazizi, Khaled Said, and Hani Abudualziz were all “normal” everyday people before their deaths sparked rage in the citizens of their respective countries. The Arab Spring wouldn’t have been the same without them (134).
2. “Here was a king who was mixing with ordinary people, listening to their needs, and who appeared genuinely determined to turn a page on the bitter past. The people of Sitra and Shi’ites around Bahrain were jubilant. To many Bahrainis, it seemed the new king was serious about implementing reforms that would restore political life to the country and address the grievances of Shi’ites” (143).
3. The United States was scared to interfere with the Bahraini protests because they didn’t want to upset relations with the royal family or Saudi Arabia. Politics played a big part on how other countries reacted to the protests in Bahrain. While the United States criticized how violent the protests were they did very little to help the citizens free themselves from their leaders (154).
Chapter 7
1. “In theory, his political system meant the direct rule of the masses, an ultimate democracy that Gaddafi described as a Jamahiriya, or a ‘collection of republics’, comprising people’s congresses at the local and national level and in which virtually the entire economy would be nationalized.” It’s interesting to see where Gaddafi’s political ideals were at the beginning of his reign and where they ended up at the end (166).
2. Initially Gaddafi felt that Libya would be immune to the protests that were breaking out in different Arab countries. He believed that Libyans had what the protestors in Tunisia and Egypt were demanding, so his citizens had nothing to be upset about. However, the Libyans were starting to become restless (176).
3. “With hindsight, perhaps Gaddafi’s biggest error was the language he used to threaten the rebels. His now infamous pledge to go ‘zanga zanga, dar dar’ or from ‘alley to alley, house to house’ to ‘cleanse’ the ‘rats’ and ‘cockroaches’ carried echoes of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, when Hutus described the Tutsis in similarly insect-like terms” (179).
Questions: Would the uprisings in Bahrain and Libya play out differently if the US decided to act differently than they did?
Chapter 6
ReplyDelete1. “It was a drop in the lake of blood that would soon be spilt in Libya and Syria, but a national crisis in a country of just 1.2 million.” (136). Bahrain’s population may be one of the smaller in the Arab world, but it was still greatly affected by the events of its Arab spring.
2. Bahrain’s issues that lead to the uprisings go back much further and are more deeply integrated into society than countries’ like Egypt’s and Tunisia’s. the regional conflicts were associated with long struggles for power.
3. Part of Bahrain’s struggle was Iran making claims to ownership of the island nation which fuel its long history of political activism
Chapter 7
1. While Libya achieved the most changes in its spring, it also has the highest risk of descending into violence and instability.
2. British political leaders considered being able to harvest oil in Libya as a diplomatic victory.
3. Jamahiriya= collection of republics. Gaddafi’s government was supposed to be based off of the direct rule of the masses.
Chapter 6
ReplyDelete1. “Yet the notion of belonging to a territory that predated the modern borders imposed on them by successive conquerors is a cornerstone of the Bahraini narrative of an oppressed native identity that is inherently hostile toward the established Sunni dynastic rulers. (138)
2. “More than 75 per cent of Bahrain’s oil comes from the Abu Safa field, which is under Saudi sovereignty and administration but whose revenues are shared as part of a contract that has left the Bahraini monarchy beholden to its wealthier neighbor.” (140) Additionally, the bridge built to connect Saudi Arabia to Bahrain bolster Bahrain’s economy but enforced the influence the nation has.
3. “In 2001, Hamad put forward the National Action Charter. This constitutional declaration promised to protect individual freedoms and equality, to restore the rule of law and to work towards a constitutional monarchy…” However in 2002, “many Bahrainis were disappointed by what appeared to be an effort to concentrate power in the ruler’s hands…” (144 – 145)
Chapter 7
1. [The] regime was born on 1 September 1969, when a group of young army officers took control of strategic buildings in what was then Libya’s capital city, Benghazi. “(166) They declared the old monarchy over and banned King Idris from returning to the country.
2. “Libya’s neighbors in Tunisia and Egypt were too preoccupied with their own internal strife to get heavily involved…” “There was evidence that both contires, but Qatar in particular provided military, financial and logistical support to the NTC from an early stage”(181)
3. “For better or worse, Gaddafi left little or no ideological legacy to shape politics after he had gone.” I would say this is good; it leaves little opportunity for one group to seize control of power of the country
Question?
The division in Bahrain between Sunni and Shiite is very similar to the division in Iraq, where the minority (Sunni) are feeling disenfranchised by the majority. I wonder if a set number of representatives from the sects would resolve this issue.
Chapter 6: Bahrain: an island divided
ReplyDelete1. Police fueled Pearl revolt due to the killing of the Protestants. Police shooting caused anger among Protestants. The government opposition was involved in uprising.
2. The need for identity, recognition, and sovereignty led to Bahrain protest and unrest. They wanted self-preservation. This would improve their relation.
3. Unrest in the neighboring nations precipitated the Bahrain protests . They wanted changes. The external wave gave them motivation.
Chapter 7: Libya’s revolution from above
1. Neo-imperialism regime supported the Libyan revolution. They got inspiration from Tunisia and Egypt. Protestants were incited.
2. Qaddafi had a soaring relationship with the western world leaders He incited Arab nations against tolerating the west. This made west to plot his removal.
3. Qaddafi undermined the implication of his relationships with the west. This followed the Arab uprising. He did not know that the west was behind the revolution.
Why has the Bahrain protesters not received the same media coverage like Egypt and Tunisia?
Excellent questions and reflections here, Arab Spring'ers.
ReplyDeleteShukran!
Dr. W
Chapter 6
ReplyDelete• Opposition activist said more than 100 people were missing and believed to be in custody. Many more activist had gone into hiding or fled into exile. P. 136 This was in Bahrain and people were getting afraid and leaving to Saudi Arabia. By putting activist in custody, it gave people fear and had to leave the country.
• “After this we want to bring down the regime. We want nothing else” p.137 At every revolution it seemed that there was just a point where people just had enough of being pushed around and have little to no rights at all.
• By 2008, an average 50,000 vehicles were crossing the bridge each day. With bars, clubs, and even cinemas banned in Saudi Arabia and shopping centers” -.141 I don’t think that many people in the US could live without these common shops or lifestyle that we have.
Chapter 7
• “A portrait of Muammar Gaddafi used to hang in the customs hall at Tripoli International Airport, head wrapped in traditional cloth and eyes masked behind reflective sunglasses” p. 164 Under Gaddafi Libya was dominated and Gaddafi wanted to remind upcoming outside visitors that HE was in charge.
• “This was Gaddafi’s Libya in the final years of his marathon rule” p.165 I like how the book refer to Gaddafi’s ruling as a marathon because for the people living in Libya under Gaddafi’s rule, felt like an eternal ruling.
• “In theory, Libya has achieved the most far-reaching change of any country in the Arab Spring” p.166 I think this is a bold and interesting fact that the book is throwing here as many Arabs from different countries might agree or disagree.
Which country in fact has achieved the most far-reaching change in the Arab Spring?
Chapter 6
ReplyDelete1.) “Bahrain also remaind closely tied up with the strategic interests of the United States, keen to maintain stability in the world’s largest oil-exporting region and keep the US Fifth Fleet based on the island.” (page 137) – I wasn’t aware, or always am surprised when I remember just how connected the US is with the Arab World. One of the reasons we are connected is for the oil, but it sounds like they, being Bahrain, have some reasons of their own to maintain close ties with the US.
2.) …“It was the third Gulf country to strike oil, in 1932, and the first to start running out of oil and diversifying its economy. From the mid-1970’s, when Dubai was still a small port, Bahrain was the Middle East’s financial capital, taking on the mantle lost by Lebanon as it slipped into civil war.” – (page 140) – It was interesting to read that Bahrain became successful before Dubai, and now everybody knows Dubai, and Bahrain, although known, isn’t known for the same things.
3.) “An average of 50,000 vehicles were crossing the bridge each day. With bars, clubs, and even cinemas banned in Saudi Arabia, and shopping centres, coffee shops and fast food outlets gender-segregated, Bahrain became a regular weekend haunt for Saudis, making regional tourism a mainstay of it’s economy” – I know other people have used this quote, but I had to use it as well. I can’t even fathom that amount of cars EACH day crossing the bridge. For one, as it said, it must be great for the economy, but it also separated it from Saudi Arabia even more it seems, due to the cultural differences and the things just mentioned. It took away business from Saudi Arabia.
Chapter 7
1.) …“The ensuing political, social, and economic experiment was partly built on fear, with a pervasive military and security apparatus suppressing opposition and publically executing those behind the many failed attempts on Gaddafi’s life over the years. It was also funded by oil. Flush with cash during the 1970s price spikes, Gaddafi spent billions on the military and on grandiose projects like the Great Man-Made River, as system of giant underground tunnels deigned to pump water form desert aquifers to the populous coastal towns. Oil was what allowed Gaddafi to so aggressively assert his independence and helped set his regime on a course to international isolation.” (page 167) – This whole section was interesting. I included the first part to give some background. It seems like oil played a major role in many rulers. Such as President Saleh of Yemen as an example, who made billions off it oil. It goes on to say that within a year of the coup, which occurred on September 1st, 1969, he had evicted the US and British military presense from Libya and nationalized the Libyan branch of Barclays bank. – Even from that, you could see that he was clearing the board of any possible obstacles.
2.) “Washington, Paris and London had effectively burned their bridges with Tripoli at this time, with all three calling for the Libyan leader to ‘go’ – if he had not already gone to Venezuela, as British Foreign Secretary William Hague claimed in February.” (page 181) – again, I am surprised, pleasantly, how other countries are reacting, not only the United States.
3.) It’s scary to think that the numbers 30,000 – 50,000 Libyans dying was more than the death toll in Iraq, when measured as a percentage of Libya’s populations, and in that time period. All those deaths were just from when the intervention as launched. (page 185)
Focusing on Chapter 6 in particular, Why did Bahrain fall behind as the financial leader, was it perhaps the corruption that followed the rule of Sheik Isa Al Khalifa?
Ch 6
ReplyDelete1. The circumstances for the Bahrain revolution were much less favorable than other Arab states. Even though it was inspired by the 2011 uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt this revolution occurred over a power struggle that has been occurring for centuries, and is hostage to its geography and the wider regional power struggle between the Shi’ite Muslim and non-Arab Iran and Saudi Arabia (Warren 137).
2. By 2008 Bahrain had developed a high level of regional tourism into their country. 50,000 vehicles were crossing the bridge daily between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, with bars, clubs, and even cinemas banned in Saudi, and shopping centers, coffee shops, and even fast food outlets gender segregated, many would visit Bahrain for the day (Warren 141).
3. By the time that martial law was declared on March 15, 2011 power had already been transferred to Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed, the commander of the Bahrain defense forces. The next morning the pearl roundabout encampment was cleared by a thick lair of tear gas, and over the next few days the Pearl monument would be destroyed. As this power swapped things quickly began to change and look much less promising for the people (Warren 157).
Ch 7
1. In 2007 Libya became a member of the UN Security Council, a year later took on its rotating two year rotating presidency. Then in 2010 it was elected to the UN human rights council, a status that was quickly removed in 2011. Gaddafi became president in 2009, and persuaded 200 tribal leaders to anoint him as ‘king of the kings’ (Warren 168).
2. Gaddafi was initially blind to what was occurring to neighbor countries, giving speeches saying it was a “great loss” to the Tunisian government, and felt that his country was immune to protests and nothing like that would occur, he would soon quickly learn he was wrong. Initial success for the uprisings took place in the north east in Benghazi (Warren 177).
3. On March 18th the French joined the battle against Gaddafi by launching air strikes in Benghazi, with other armed forces soon joining after. The US and Britain militaries dropping bombs on military depots, enforcing a no fly zone and setting up naval blockades. All of this intervention could have been avoided if Gaddafi had not used such emotive language, Bernard-Henri Levi not persuaded Sarkozy to recognize the NTC, and the Libyan regime courted more powerful Arab friends (Warren 182-183).
Question
1. What would happen if anything like this happened in the US? How would our citizens react to having something like this happen on our soil? Seeing in the movie people casually just launching missiles at each other, how would we handle this?