Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Just three years ago, it appeared that dictatorships in the Middle East might become replaced by democracies. Now, these same regimes have found ways to use the electoral process to maintain power or attain it.
Sectarianism is a local institutional governance phenomenon that needs to be addressed through political reform in the Gulf, through ending discrimination, and through greater participation in governance.
The Arab world is undergoing a phase in which delivery and performance is starting to trump ideology. Without socioeconomic programs that deal with the people’s issues, forces vying for power will pay the price.
The parameters of the Arab-Israeli peace process are known. What is needed is the political will.
The Egyptian government’s recent moves against the Muslim Brotherhood may seem like a repeat of historical patterns but in reverse. Egypt is experiencing violence akin to its darkest periods.
There have been a series of steps that have attempted to close down dissent in Egypt, but protests continue.
Democracy can flourish in the Middle East, but it will take decades and will require major political and cultural change.
Pluralism is a necessary precondition for people to move towards inclusive, democratic societies that will tolerate different points of views and lay the groundwork for prosperity and stability.
Both Islamist and secular forces should work together to guarantee the right of others to operate in a democratic system, even if they don’t agree with the other’s views.
If the second Arab awakening is to be successful, it cannot just be a movement against despotic rule. It also has to be a movement for pluralism.