Springs are characterized by blossoming. The Arab spring is no honorable exception. Nations stand still, in anticipation of what the blossoms may bring forth. We stand still, in fear of what the spring fields will look like. Will the fields embrace all existing colors? Or will they be spread out in all shades of intolerance? Will roses, lilies, irises, and carnations bloom into full flower, or will our eyes be stabbed by the thorny brown-grey of mutated colorless flowers. Will our deserts explode into multi colors, or will they be barren except for a single color, a single slogan, a single creed, a single oppressive and color-phobic rule.
Will the flowers bend and dance with the gentle spring breeze? Or will their thorns deem them to heavy to sway and too proud to accept a dance offer from a playful breeze? Will their thorns point in accusation? Will their thorns puncture people’s hope of a better tomorrow? Will the newcomers be brothers to their brothers, but not to their sisters?
Those with naïve optimistic apprehension might be disappointed by the birth of another tyrant out of the Arab womb, maybe this time around, a tyrant with a license; a non human license, a license from God all mighty to rule and reform. A god appointed “righteous” group, placed on earth to carry out a divine doctrine to fix that which is broken. First fix the political system, then fix those who are “broken”; those who need fixing.
In such case, will we be able to uproot a double elected representation; once democratically by the people and once divinely elected by the word of God?
Will they protect our money but steal our freedoms? Will they free Palestine but occupy our minds? Will they feed us bread but starve us from literature? Will they free our political prisoners and replace them with our free-thinkers? will they unite us amongst ourselves but isolate us from the rest of the world?
Are the Arab revolutions hiding thorns beneath a spring-cloak?
hippielu 