The Middle East is awakening to the new scent, democracy is "in the air" among other scents... I have blogged my wrist off on the importance of democracy, free speech, dignity and human rights in the Arab world, but there is another side to what's happening, and many do not want any part of it. Here's why:
Imagine there is a beauty queen living right across the street from your house, a dream come true kind of girl that recently became Miss Universe.
Miss Universe is about to make your whole neighborhood famous, you will be giving interviews to International TV channels and newspapers about your memories playing together as kids ..
Now Miss Universe needs to repaint her house to suit her new status, you see, she cannot afford to move to a higher class neighborhood, so it is decided that she will not only paint her house red white and blue, she will paint all the houses in the street with those colors to make the neighborhood suit her "new status", you like her, you like having your house re-painted, you have even been planning to refresh your house paint as soon as you can afford it, you just can't imagine living in a tri-color house, your house, you are also in for a shock when you discover that you don't even have a say about it!
Miss Universe has already deployed painters on every roof in your street merrily tri-coloring the neighborhood! Your next door neighbor started to tri-color his house long before the painters arrived, and the one next to him refused to have his house tri-colored unless he pays for it from his own pocket in full! Another neighbor is taking money to allow the painters in, another neighbor his house was taken over by a thief and will allow the tri-colors if he has a chance to win his house back, as for the rest, they cannot be bothered to even consider that something wrong is happening.. You are beginning to feel like your neighborhood is an asylum and you are the only sane one left!
Again, you want your house painted! You just can't stand someone else force painting your house, and in colors that don't suit your taste! Miss Universe is not painting your house out of generosity, she is doing it for her own interests, and forcing her tri-colors and schedule on every body else, moving out is not an option, what would you do?
1PA
A Blog about change, on many levels!
5 comments:
Keep her busy with smaller things. Make her realize her own problems, and take a gun and defend your home. Like that's going to happen in the arab world!
Stand up for Miss Universe, that is what i would do... For me as an individual, i would (will) stick to what i want, stick to my values, i never let anyone force anything on me, not in the past and not now, and i pray and hope not ever. Fight for my rights if i have to or die trying rather than not trying at all!
We must be convinced of what and who we are to be able to have a stand. That is what I personally believe in. We need to respect and appreciate who and what we are, and be proud too. Believing is the whole issue, but unfortunately many people have become multicolored, abandoning their own corlor, to the extent i believe they forgot what it was in the first place. We need to go back and think straight, and for those who are unable to, those who still remember must remind the ones who have forgotton, but in the proper way, not by force, not by violence but through moderation, and through steps. With patience and proper guidance things will work out for the best.
I Do HAVE LOTS OF HOPE And will continue to do so. Nothing will change that insha'Allah.
Just wanted to add. I really enjoy your posts. I respect the way you think alot.
I've started a blog pushing for a new Pan Arabism, come check it out. Let me know what you think.
Karim Elsahy
www.onearabworld.blog.com
I agree with Nat, another American here, and part of a growing number of Americans, that feel we can not force feed democracy to the middle East. Great thoughts
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