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Written by Samira Ali Gutoc
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Friday, 30 January 2004 |
It was a liberating picture to see – Arabs in their jeans, unveiled women in sawalls, speaking both in Arabic and English and criticizing (in their traditional shouting volume) their own. Saying the Arab League (established in 1947) has failed to face the challenge of Israel, one panelist Abdulnabi Alekry articulated, “The Arab failure in development, good governance, unification, human rights, modernization, ending the Palestinian plight and curbing Israeli expansion is clear,” Alekry pointed out at the “Obstacles to Development in the Middle East” workshop at the World Social Forum in Mumbai, India on Jan. 19. Alekry also compared Arab states to European “successes in that the latter had democracy and popular participation.”.
Arab activists spoke of “despotic” Arab governments and the challenges to democratization in their own countries stating the need for “radical reform.” “The issue of reform, democratization and human rights have become center of debates and concerns in the Arab world,” said Alekry who saw “stagnation in both Arab societies and the ruling regimes.” Elkry traced the “legacy of subjection” to Arab characteristics of “clannishness, difficulty to lead and individualist, Bedouin roots and tribal bondage that defy urbanization.” The roots of despotism he traced that defied modernization also include Otomman backward rule, colonial legacy, the fragmentation of the Arab world for centuries, repeated devastating invasions and the creation of Israel as an antagonistic body.”
Acknowledging some governments to be facing reform moves from “civil society,” one group from monarchical Bahrain issued a pamphlet inviting debate on holding its National Constitutional Conference this year, a “breakthrough” seen by the local National Democratic Action Society (NDAS), a WSF delegate. The NDAS also reports other updates in the Arab world - the Local Arab Lawyer’s forum also raised concern on “reforming the judiciary” with respect to concerns on “incompetence, partiality, lack of independence and bureaucracy.” In Saudi Arabia, the call is to issue a constitution and to hold free elections for the national and district assemblies, with the participation of women in elections and candidacies. In Egypt, the National Party held a crucial national conference to adopt proposed reforms of both the party and state – ensure citizens rights and human rights, bridge the gap between the citizen and the state, among others.
Media was also a concern as most Arab states “control” their media,”used to brainwash the population,” said Alekry. In Bahrain for instance, the NDAS reports that the opposition could not use “any available channel to put their opinion forward and lobby support for their view.”
The prospects for democratization are in the offing, said the speakers. But most Arab states, Alekry acknowledged are coping with US pressures of “superficial” democratization.
The Arab delegates proposed to formally organize the Arab World Social Forum as a regional counterpart of NGOs promoting civil society participation.
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UZMAN of Florida, USA