The Quest for Liberalization and Democratization in Arab Countries

The Quest for Liberalization and Democratization in Arab Countries
Main Point
One of the main points in Sadiki’s article is about the quest for liberalization and democratization in Arab countries over the past twenty years. In the first paragraph of his discourse, he notes that several Arab countries’ liberalizations have been a result of pressure from below. In this regard, the article highlights the examples of several countries that have consolidated political reforms following riots by the masses. Further, the positive consequences of the Arab riots cannot be overlooked. For instance, the Arab world witnessed more than twenty multiparty elections between 1985 and 1986. This was twice the number of similar elections for the preceding period that was twice as long. By all accounts, that was a significant leap towards democracy. However, liberalization and democratization have not necessarily resulted in an ideal democratic environment. For instance, they have not yielded properly constituted governments or the rule of law. Similarly, adverse human rights violations and abuse of office are still pervasive in many Arab countries. This is because most of them espouse the Arabic model of democracy, as opposed to the western one. According to the author, they may view western democracy with a considerable measure of apprehension but may ultimately have to embrace it wholly.[BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Larbi Sadiki. "Popular Uprisings and Arab Democratization." Int. J. Middle East Stud. 32 (2000), 71.] [Sadiki, 71.]
Changed Perspective
Indeed, I have always felt that the Arab world should be left to its devices regarding democracy. I have always concurred with the general feeling among many Arabs. The notion is that democracy, in the Anglo-American context, has no place in the Arab world. As a matter of fact, the consensus in the region is that that model of democracy is completely irrelevant and inapplicable. Those who profess this feeling predi...