The Italian Marxist, Antoni Gramsci, in his magnum opus the “The Prison Notebooks” defined a crisis as consisting “precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born”. This is, indeed, the case in the Arab world, where the second wave of the so-called “Arab Spring”, is facing similar challenges as the first wave that washed over the region at the end of 2010. This is with the notable exception of Sudan - keeping in mind that it is too early to call Sudan a success story.
In Iraq, the popular protests against corruption and worsening public services is taking a deadly turn, with increasing violence meted out by the security forces against the protestors. This has led to the death of at least 350 people so far, with 40 dead in 24 hours. An ominous sign for a country that has struggled with decades of civil strife.
In Algeria, which is ignored by the international media, protests have been ongoing since February to demand the postponement of the presidential election, and the complete overthrow of the regime, not just its figurehead. In Lebanon, the protests that erupted after the government attempted to impose a new tax on Whatsapp calls, are still ongoing. They morphed into a protest against the sectarian system that has plagued the country for decades. The demands of the protestors are strictly legal and constitutional, as they demand the instilling of a technocratic government, followed by early elections. However, the spectre of sectarianism is never at bay in the country. Even though the protestors have been successful in avoiding falling into the sectarian trap, there are incidents of protest being attacked by members of Hezbollah and Amal.
