Real reform and sought justice [Archives:2007/1041/Opinion]
By: Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Tarb
The persistent political and security events and developments in the region drew our attention away from talks on a pivotal and urgent issue, which is reforming different aspects of life at the local and Arab levels. Holding the Arab Summit, the participants resumed talks about reform projects, the possibility of discussing these projects and approving them to open a new page in the life of people in the region. Despite the troublesome developments, the everyday life urges calls for reforms and democracy, thus generalizing its methodologies amid sterile controversy about the democracy's form, color, nature and means of its application.
Matters appear as if they are a healthy phenomenon informing us of good bless and prosperous future since reform is a political demand agreed by all the Arab groups, organizations, and communities despite all their differing cultures; intellectual, social, and economic levels; as well as attitudes and ranks. Additionally, democracy has changed from a dream into an urgent necessity and reality, which is impossible for people to evade or refuse to acknowledge its existence. They have to work and deal with this reality in an extremely apparent manner away from the external U.S pressures on Arabs to carry out reforms and achieve democracy which are glittering slogans, meant for a purpose in Ya'akoub's Soul. They pressures show mercy but hide torture.
Having a glance at the situation of Iraq and the deformed newborn under the name of imported democracy, which has come from the U.S. as a transparent cover concealing what is greater than the cover itself, the Arabs regret the repeated tragic mistakes they commit. No two Arabs have different viewpoints about the necessity of reform and democracy with all their meanings, positives and principles, which are based on equality, fair participation, equal opportunities and respect for human rights. But the difference remarkably appears in the objectives and goals, as well as the means of ideal application and implementation.
It is impossible for reform to succeed unless it originates from within and through a strong national will under the frame of harmony, understanding and self-confidence because 'Mecca's residents know well their area'. The required democracy must be in line with the situations of every state and take into consideration the social and religious privacies in every state. The U.S. should quit its arrogance in this respect if its calls for democracy are authentic. It should be convinced that success can be reached by dialogue and understanding, not by imposition or the import of principles. What is good and successful in the U.S. may not work well in Yemen and the Gulf states and what applies in Europe is not necessarily applicable in the west, Algeria, Syria, or Egypt.
If the U.S. should deeply concentrate on real-life situations, it will realize the areas of risk. And, if President George Bush deliberated to save billions of dollars, which have been sent on Iraq war and allocate them for development, productive projects, and settling debts, he would reach commendable achievements, overcome the failed policies and grant his country good and limitless reputation in lieu of the current situation that makes the whole world hates the U.S.
Admitting the mistake is a good deed. So, we should start from the zero point after a march of mistakes to install practical projects to carry out reform, generalize democracy, and build the great Middle East. Concentrating on the Israeli aggression, which is responsible for the repeated crises and oppressions in the area, we have to acknowledge the bad conditions of Arabs that are based on oppression, malice, division, hatred, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, corruption and other social and cultural gaps. Yemen and the other Arab countries should concentrate on reforming the economic system and narrowing the gap between nations and people of the same nation, as well as to suggest solutions to debts, absence of balanced development, lack of job opportunities, and backwardness in the areas of science, education and technology.
Admitting such a bitter situation necessitates the Arabs to work hard at their conferences and summits, which are supposed to be responsible for reaching the ideal goal represented by reform and the democratic participation the Arab regimes haven't agreed on.
There are several urgent issues and numerous factors behind the sufferings of Arabs as agreed by the Arabs during their conferences and summits. These factors include the situations in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan and Somalia, coupled with the phenomenon of terrorism and foreign interventions in the Arab internal affairs. The foreign forces have introduced the concepts of occupation into the region.
The issues multiply and overlap with the external factors to put an end to corruption, fanaticism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, absence of institutions, poverty, consequences of occupation and sectarian, and ethnical conflicts that prevailed the region. There is no deliverance without the return to harmony and participation at all the levels from top to bottom in order to give top priority to the democratic solution, which is in line with privacies without an imposition, threat or foreign interventions. In addition, the Arab regimes have to depend on the principle of justice, equity, self-confidence, transfer of power, and resort to the law and poll boxes of free, fair, and transparent elections which lead to well-represented councils according to the principle of real democracy and respect for the rights of minorities.
Nowadays, the expression of opinion requires good reason, wisdom, kind words, and controversy away from exaggerations and fomenting seditions in order to reach a new social decade and compromise solutions based on reality, privacy and interests of people.
This can help the Arabs to avoid confusion, negligence, indifference, and standing at the doors of foreign embassies. The ideal justice is the base of judgment and life, as well as the core of reforms in the Arab states away from useless analyses and foreign evaluations. If we apply justice and pass laws on everyone without an exception, we will take the first step in the march of reform and shaping the prosperous future for our generations. Can we benefit from lessons of the past and return to our originality and principles of our religion? This is the persistent problem.
Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Tarb is an economist and a professor in Political Science. He is the head of the Arab Group for Investment and Development.
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[archive-e:1041-v:14-y:2007-d:2007-04-12-p:opinion]
