Symmetry Abounds in Arabian Revolutions

Noah Curtis
February 16, 2011

In the young year that is 2011, the world has seen two Arabic states have their rulers
ousted from office as massive amounts of protesters took to the streets. The trend only ceases to
continue as many other Arab states are experiencing similar reactions from their people.
The chain of events started in Tunisia on January 5 when a young men reportedly set
himself on fire over unemployment and harassment. Nine days later on January 14 President of
Tunisia, Ben Ali, who had ruled Tunisia for 23 years, fled the country amid mass protests calling
for his resignation and a change in government. Many sources cite that social network websites
helped organize the protesters. When the nine days of revolt had climaxed and sent then
President Ben Ali out of office, shock waves were sent around the Arab world.
Dissension broke out in Egypt ten days after the fall of the Tunisian dictatorship in
symmetrical fashion. Social network websites helped organize protesters, until the Egyptian
government found a way to shut down the internet for an entire country. For 18 days there was a
nationwide revolt as the people of Egypt cried out for a change in government and called for the
ousting of then President Hosni Mubarak, who had a similar grip on Egypt as Ben Ali of Tunisia.
President Mubarak ruled for nearly 30 years. The events in Egypt captured the world’s attention.
More so, it ignited identical emotions among many other Arab states.
Now there are reports of symmetrical events playing out throughout the rest of the Arab
world. As of now there are seven other countries that are considered part of the Arab world that
have seen its people dissent against rulers who have ruled for exaggerated periods of time. In
Yemen there are similar protests which are being organized by youth via social network sites
against a depositional ruler, President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled for 32 years. Algeria is
also seeing the same events unfold as waves of protests have swept the country against President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been in power since 1999.
Jordan and Libya are are experiencing similar shock waves of protests, yet are managing
the protests in identical ways. King Abdullah II of Jordan and Moamer Kadhafi of Libya are
both openly expressing support of the Arabic revolts after initially expressing regret for the
events. Both are now using the Arabic revolts as fodder for their power. Yet in both countries
groups using the internet are still speaking out against the regimes. In Libya in particular, there
was a call for a “day of rage” on Thursday via the internet.
Clearly the symmetry in the events that have and are continually unfolding in many
Arabic states is startling. While it seems that in some cases the battle has been won, the future
still looms over the horizon. And for others dawn has not even broke yet for the new age they
call for. What all this Arabic symmetry means for the world’s political, economical, and social
geometry though, is still uncertain.

ncurti3@uic.edu
West Taylor Tribune © 2011