Shattered hopes

By Zerougui Abdelkader

The fear of change is a normal state of mind for people and countries that seek to modernize. It can be used as a force to opt for the best choices, and avoid any misadventures. However, doctrinal fear, and its misuse by politicians definitely harms the processes of socio-political development.

The failure of the so-called Arab Spring is a clear indication of how states' can manipulate people's fears to become impediments to social and political transformations. Libya, Syria, Iraq and Yemen sank into anarchy for the simple reason that the "citizens" were made to believe that "democracy" would be harmful to their interests. With the collapse of traditional tribal-authoritarian states, sectarianism took over the people's fears, and each tribe or sect became paranoid that it would be subjugated to extermination. Thus, civil wars and annihilation became the norm.

The states' and governments' policies in these war torn-countries basically favor one group over another, thus deepening the tribal-sectarian divide. Inclusiveness, the essence of democracy is thus abandoned in favor of a continuity of authoritarian regimes. Moreover, the wealthy regional states ― for fear of change, came to the rescue of their sects, tribes and ethnic groups, thus further reducing the possibilities of the emergence of modernism and true citizenship.

Whereas the world is in a state of modernization and economic development, the Arab and Muslim world is sinking deeper into the abyss. To survive, people are forced to choose between food, and false-sense of security or incarceration. The rulers are unwilling to give up power through ballot boxes or guns. The keep invoking world conspiracy against the "Sultans," at the same time they are don’t mind sharing their sleeping quarters with what Iran's Mullahs calls "Big Satan."

It is a norm to see Arab intellectuals pointing at America, Russia, Israel and Iran of being the cause of the decadence in the Arab world. It is true that regional states are motivated by their interests, however, it is erroneous to brush aside the responsibility of both the rulers and the "citizens" of the Arab world for their misfortunes.

It is the only place in the planet that is plagued with senseless violence. The culture of destruction, the rejection of dialogue and the total distrust of the other are ingrained into the cultural patterns of this region. Willingly sharpening the cultural differences and stratifying societies on the basis of ethnicity and religion have created an atmosphere of distrust and fear, and fragmented social cohesion.

The pulverization of the notion of citizenship is the core to these social ills. There has never been a minister who resigned from his post following a scandal. You never see a head of state or a public servant standing trial for mismanagement of funds of abuse of authority. Arab states rank the lowest in transparency, respect of human rights and due process. Arab states not only failed in creating a technological and scientific basis for industrialization, but seem to have become fertile grounds for superstition and shamanism. A 2003 U.N. reports indicates that on average, only 4.4 translated books were published between 1981 and 1985 in the Arab states, while the corresponding rate in Spain for instance was 92. Moreover, all Arab states combined registered only 370 patents in the United States between 1980 and 2000, while South Korea for instance registered over 16,000.

The state is only present when it comes to repression, but it is totally absent when it comes to upholding the law. Clientelism, abuse of power, fraud, deception, misrepresentation, misappropriation, bribery and other social ills are symptoms of dysfunctional societies that are heading towards further destruction. The surge in immigration and asylum seekers to Europe from Syria, Iraq, Morocco, Libya, Afghanistan and Pakistan are clear indications of the hopelessness of the people in the region to have a decent life, as reforms and modernization are becoming a myth, and a virtual dream.

The writer is an adjunct professor at American University. Write to zerouguiabdelkader@yahoo.com.