The Jasmine revolution in Tunisia has given courage and hope to masses in many Arab countries where arbitrary rulers continue to be in power. .After Egypt, winds of change blowing from Tunisia have reached Yemen where 16,000 protestors took to the streets in Sanaa on Thursday. The protestors demanded the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh who has been in power since 1978. Both Egypt and Yemen are ruled by regimes that lack legitimacy and employ force and coercion to continue to stick to power. As the rulers are not responsible to anyone, they have neglected the development of their countries where poverty and unemployment complement the lack of freedom.
In Egypt, where Hosni Mubarak has ruled with an iron hand for thirty years, protests on Friday became violent. Hosni Mubarak hopes to crush this movement as he did the one in 2005 demanding fundamental rights and widespread reforms. This time members of civil society and youth are in the forefront of the struggle making use of modern gadgetry to organise the protests. This has led the government to ban Twitter, and restrict internet and cell phone connections in Cairo and other centers of unrest. Gradually, common people are also coming out to join the movement defying the interior ministry directive to arrest and persecute anyone found taking to streets against the government. The police has failed to deter the people despite recourse to water canons, tear gas and rubber bullets. From Cairo the protests have spread to Suez city and Ismailia.
The three countries presently in the grip of protests have had governments supported by the US, yet another important reason to make America unpopular in the Muslim world. While the repressive governments deterred the growth of modern democratic parties, they allowed the vacuum to be filled by religious parties with extremist views or terrorist networks affiliated to Al Qaeda. Thus, the US failed to achieve the goal of making the region secure. With the absence of political freedom, the movement for democracy lacks credible leadership. One wonders if Mohammed El Baradei, who was doused by the police on Friday with a water cannon, can fill the leadership gap and if so whether he has the ability to do the job. The success of the movement in Egypt and Yemen depends on the involvement of the masses. One can only hope that the Arab streets have finally awakened.