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March 08, 2005

Kifaya!

ENOUGH! Say the Arabs:

The recent protests in Cairo and Beirut have been organised with the chant of a new Arab movement kifaya, Arabic for enough.

Could this one word be a harbinger of a muscular popular Arab revolt such as the movement that guided millions of people in Eastern Europe in shedding their tired old despotic regimes after the fall of the Soviet Union?

Could this be early warnings of an Arab political tsunami? If so, which ruler or what Arab policies are next in the line of fire?

Certainly across the region, kifaya is now addressed to concepts of government including dynastic tyrannies handed down from father to son, massive theft of public funds, the prevalent lack of transparency in business and the conduct of the affairs of state and mental retardation spread by imposters posing as religious leaders.

To all of these, Arabs have for some time now said kifaya.

This kifaya tsunami has done damage in Egypt already. Its rumblings were strong enough to persuade Mubarak into a hesitant declaration that he would contest his fifth presidential term against some opponents instead of running alone in a referendum.

Whether he means it or not remains to be seen, but the kifaya folks will not let up.

In truth, these internet Saudi critics were saying kifaya. Either we have free elections or we don't. There is no such thing as being half-pregnant with democracy.

It may be early days for Arab liberation to blossom, but hopefully all Arabs will remain tuned to Lebanese, Egyptian and Iraqi scenes of people's power unfolding before our eyes.

This is the beginning of an underground revolution happening not only in the streets of Arabic lands, but more importantly in the hearts and minds of the Arabic peoples. Like a desease it spreads, but the symptoms are liberty, free speech and equality.

Kifaya will soon spread to non-Arabic countries, as well. The Persians will no doubt be next. The flame has been lit, and it will not be extinguished.

Posted by bubba138 at March 8, 2005 04:28 PM