Following a decade of conflict in the middle east focused on guerilla warfare, nuclear weapons, and terrorism, the general tone for the Arab world in the United States has been off-key in the face of the recent uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, and other nearby countries, collectively known as the Arab Spring. Last thursday, author and guest speaker Juan Cole delivered to students at the USU Beach Auditorium a primer on the political nature of the Arab World.
The ninety minute speech focused on the postcolonial era of the Arab World following World War II. Much of the revolutions then were sparked by military coups that promised democracy, a promise that would slowly degrade over time. The policies used to supress the public and legislative voices, such as the State of Emergency, were carried over from their nation's colonial history. The current uprising, spurred much from the younger generations, will bring on new challenges as well as innovations. After the speech, a lively Q&A session discussed the concerns of specific nations, and how one solution for Tunisia may not be applicable to another nations like Syria.
Juan Cole's regular commentary can be found on his website, Informed Comment, at http://www.juancole.com/.
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