Free elections in the Arab world take a turn for Islamic radicalism

PanARMENIAN.Net - It is natural that Tunisians and Egyptians, and the entire Arab East live too badly, almost on the verge of poverty. And, who knows, perhaps they deserve better presidents than those of today. But one important fact is not taken into account: the Arabs treat tribal relations to be most important in hierarchy, and little will change in the country from the discharge of Hosni Mubarak. There will come another “Mubarak” and everything will remain as it was, with a small amount of democracy from Obama in the form of “Muslim Brothers”. On the other hand, it is very difficult to say anything definite about the latter: free elections in the Gaza Strip showed what this very democracy may turn into. The answer was clear to everyone except for the U.S. administration. Alas, the administration shows growing unawareness of the subject and, either out of naivety or cogitatively, it is convinced that American democracy is the best achievement of mankind. Almost like Levi’s 501. The danger of complete Islamization of the Middle East has grown in gravity; there is the growing role of Iran as the primary conductor of this very Islamization; even Saudi Arabia, the pillar and center of Islam, passes into the background. And here David Cameron’s statement that “it is necessary to once and for all turn the page on the failed policy of multiculturalism and more actively promote Western liberal values” can play a positive role to prevent the Islamization of Europe. “There should be a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism,” said British Prime Minister in his first speech at the Munich Security Conference on radicalism and origin of terrorism. Cameron also offers a tougher policy against the groups promoting Islamic extremism.

Neither should we forget about the “Greater Middle East”, the leader of which Turkey is so eager to become. This also explains the rising tide of unrest and disturbance from Tunisia to Yemen. However, there is one more point to be taken into account: all these countries were part of the Ottoman Empire in its heyday, and Prime Minister Erdogan’s harsh statements addressed to Mubarak show that Turkey has not yet given up the idea of “accumulation of land”. Neo-Ottomanism of present-day Turkey is very actively fueled by the U.S. in the hope of consolidating its position. In this case the Obama administration is obviously looking forward to playing the role that the British Empire played at the time of the World War I. However, it is a long shot.

Lastly, President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak announced on February 8 about formation of special a commission whose mission is to make amendments to the Constitution. At the same time a committee was formed for introduction of political and economic reforms. The Government also opened a dialogue with the opposition, but as a jack-in-the-box appeared Mohamed ElBaradei, who least of all suits the position a country leader, this opinion being shared by everyone, including the Muslim Brotherhood. Apparently pre-election struggle will flare up between Vice President Omar Suleiman and Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa. Neither of them is going to impose Islamism in Egypt, and it pleases. Either extreme radicalism or a purely secular state, not excluding the Islamic traditions of clothes and way of life is acceptable to the Arabs. And, what is most important, the protesters’ demand - immediate resignation of Mubarak himself - remained unheeded.