4 Causes

Over two-thirds of the Arab population is

under the age of 30. This was considered a
Demographic Time Bomb
The phenomenon had spread because of
the discontent over unemployment and low
living standards.
Political leaders were not doing anything to
aid the economic crisis.
Capitalism was put in place and this only
benefited the minority of the population.
Businesses collaborated with the regime to
make a greater fortune.


4 Figures
Mohammed Bouazizi: Tunisian street
vendor who set himself on fire in protest.
Ahmed Abdul Khaleq: blogger and activist
that was imprisoned as one of the UAE
Five
Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh: Prime
Minister of Jordan that resigned in
November 2011
Samir Rifai: Jordanian politician who was
Prime Minister of Jordan from 2009-
February 2011
4 Details
The term Arab Spring first appeared in
2003 in a New York Times article,
Dreaming of Democracy
Many consider the beginning of the
Arab Spring to be April 6, 2008
Arab Spring was a revolution/uprising of
Arabian citizens
More than 10 countries participated in
public protests
4 Effects
Arab dictators were removed by popular
revolt. The governments in Tunisia, Egypt,
Libya and Yemen were swept away.
Political activity had increased in countries
where the revolts removed dictators.
Sunni-Shiite tension had increased and
had been reinforced with the Arab Springs.
Islam and Secular divisions had occurred
concerning the role of Islam in politics and
society.
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(CNN) -- In what has come to be universally known as the "Arab Spring," in less than a year three major
countries in North Africa have effectively ended nearly 100 combined years of dictatorial rule under
despots named Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, Hosni Mubarak and Moammar Gadhafi.
Seeing the revolutions from Tunisia to Egypt to Libya, it is amazing to recall that these grass-roots
pro-democracy movements began with the "Jasmine Revolution" in Tunisia, when a 26-year-old
unemployed fruit stand owner named Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire after a policewoman
confiscated his unlicensed produce stand.
Nobody had any idea at the time that this one young man's sacrifice would motivate an entire generation
of young Arab women and men to use social media tools like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to help
overthrow dictators who had ruled their respective countries for decades.
As President Obama recently said about Libya: "In just six months, the 42-year reign of Moammar Gadhafi
has unraveled. Earlier this year, we were inspired by the peaceful protests that broke out across Libya.
"This basic and joyful longing for human freedom echoed the voices that we had heard all across the
region, from Tunis to Cairo. ... For over four decades, the Libyan people have lived under the rule of a
tyrant who denied them their most basic human rights. Now, the celebrations that we've seen in the
streets of Libya shows that the pursuit of human dignity is far stronger than any dictator."
Ten years ago, if you had told knowledgeable global observers that Hosni Mubarak and Moammar
Gadhafi would be toppled from their dictatorial perches within the same year, they probably would have
chuckled in your face. But this democracy renaissance across the Middle East and North Africa became
possible only through the grass-roots, democratic mobilization that we have seen on the streets of Tunis,
Cairo and Tripoli over the last few months.
With neighboring countries like Yemen, Bahrain and Syria in the midst of similar pro-democracy uprisings,
the possible falling of each dictatorial domino within the region should give much hope to the men and
women of the Middle East who yearn for a brighter future for their daughters and granddaughters.
With their own "Berlin Wall" moments, young people across religious, sectarian and ethnic lines are
helping to build their undemocratic Arab nations into societies that forgo the dictatorial treachery of the
past for the hopeful politics of the future.
Thomas Jefferson once said: "I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less
wehttp://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/08/25/iftikhar.arab.spring/
Page 2 of 2 May 24, 2014 10:25:56AM MDT
use our power, the greater it will be."
Let us pray that, in a region of the world fraught with cults of megalomaniacal personalities who have
spent the better part of the last 50 years oppressing, torturing and marginalizing their own people,
pro-democracy movements will inspire people to keep up their efforts to bring political change to Syria,
Yemen and Bahrain. This "Arab Spring" could turn into an "Arab Year" that the whole world can celebrate
together.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Arsalan Iftikhar.
3 Things to Know About
Arab Springs
3 of the 10 countries rulers had been
forced out of office.
An estimated 34,500 people died and
60,000 injured.
Revolts were lead by individual people
not tied with the government.
http://middleeastvoices.voanews.com/2011
/11/arab-spring-facts-you-should-know/
http://middleeast.about.com/od/humanright
sdemocracy/tp/Arab-Spring-Impact-On-
The-Middle-East.htm
http://middleeast.about.com/od/humanright
sdemocracy/tp/The-Reasons-For-The-
Arab-Spring.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/08/25/if
tikhar.arab.spring/

Websites used for information