In Honour of Mohamed Bouazizi

Last night I slept a happy man. The news of the day left me and millions of other Arabs reflecting on events we thought we would never see. The brave Tunisians’ protests finally cracked the dictatorship that had ruled them for well over two decades. The president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, was forced out of the country flying from place to place until he finally found refuge in Saudi Arabia. Before going on any further, I think we have to pause and pay tribute for the brave man who gave his life, and started the revolution.

Mohamed Bouazizi’s story is similar to the story of millions across the Arab world, a young man full of potential, let down by his country and forced to make ends meet by way of street vending. He had purchased a farm which was confiscated by corrupt officials. He then turned to street vending where his fruits and vegetables were confiscated repeatedly. Desperate to feed his family, he had borrowed money to buy fruits and vegetable to sell, this time after the police confiscated his wheelbarrow, he went to complain to the Governor. No one listened to him. Enraged, he decided to set himself on fire, dying from his burns on January 4^th. How desperate, and powerless does someone have to feel before going to such measures?

The bravery of Bouazizi was in no doubt the catalyst to the unimaginable change we’re witnessing today. A sweeping change that no one expected. After Tunisia’s protests, others started to protest in Algeria, and Jordan. Could this be the awakening that many had thought, and dreamt about?

Unlike me, the handful of corrupt leaders across the Arab world most likely had a little trouble sleeping last night. The lessons from Tunisia’s revolutions are simple and clear. With today’s technology protests can be organized, documented and broadcasted across the world, by individuals. There’s no need for official media organizations to cover a story, as clearly demonstrated with this revolution. I can’t speak for European media, but North American media stayed largely silent during the past few weeks, a stark contrast to the coverage that Iran’s protests received just months ago.

The second lesson is that the people are not far from the boiling point. This was clearly demonstrated by the protests that erupted in several other countries. Once the protests develop a certain critical mass, it becomes next to impossible to stop them without a massacre. While history shows that massacres are not far from the imagination of certain dictators, the development of technology which I talked about earlier makes their actions impossible to hide.

Another important consequence of the revolution is setting precedence. As Tunisia develops a democratic government, neighbours will want the same. An example has been set now, the steps have been laid out by the brave Tunisians, all that’s missing is the catalyst.

Lastly, Tunisia now serves as a prime example that freedom is not an American export. What the Tunisians did with the deaths of 66 brave protestors, America still hasn’t done with tens of thousands of civilian deaths. Freedom and democracy are not cars and Hollywood movies.

When we reflect on the events of the past few days, let’s not forget the bravery and sacrifice of Bouazizi and the other protesters. You will never be forgotten. You have entered history books from grandest gates.