MIDDLE EAST: Activists, Arab leaders on edge as Tunisia hangs in the balance

Emboldened Arab citizens are taking on their own leaderships as the region watches with anticipation to see whether Tunisia's recent uprising will successfully replace the oppressive regime of Zine Abidine Ben Ali that ruled for 23 years.

Most regional leaders have stayed silent on Ben Ali's flight into exile amid national riots, a reticence that many observers have interpreted as fear. But even staunch supporters of the Tunisian protest movement are cautious to call "revolution" too early.

"Right now the Arab regimes are annoyed, but they aren't afraid," said Munsif Ben Ali, a Tunisian expatriate in Beirut and the head of the local solidarity movement in Lebanon (he shares a last name but no relation to the ousted president).

Ben Ali spoke to Babylon & Beyond on the sidelines of a demonstration on Sunday as several hundred activists gathered in front of the United Nations headquarters in downtown Beirut to express support for the Tunisian protesters.

"Many of the symbols of Ben Ali's regime are still in place," he said. "When real change is completed, then [the Arab leaders] will be terrified."

While the official reactions have been muted, reactions to any perceived support for Ben Ali and his government have been swift and angry, and not just from secular reformists like the ones who made up most of the rally in Beirut.

When Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday it had granted Ben Ali and his family asylum in a heavily guarded palace in the seaside city of Jedda, there was an immediate backlash from religious Saudis who objected to granting protection to a man who oversaw the torture and imprisonment of thousands of Islamists in Tunisia.

Queen Rania of Jordan became the butt of many ominious jokes over the weekend when she tweeted that she was "watching developments in Tunisia and praying for stability and calm for its people." She was met with a barrage of Twitter taunts, including "lol Jordan is next!" and "start palace hunting in Jedda."

Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi, who is seen as a source of sad comedy even in the best of times, invited the wrath of the masses when he was quoted telling the official Libyan press that Tunisians had acted rashly by driving Ben Ali out of power.

The only powerful political body in the region to offer support to the Tunisian activists was the militant Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, which issued a statement on Saturday (Arabic link) announcing its "pride" in the Tunisian people and calling on Arab leaders to learn a lesson from the Tunisian example.

But some commentators accused the group of hypocrisy, noting its conspicuous silence when similar popular protests erupted in Iran following the disputed 2009 presidential elections. Iran is Hezbollah's main patron.

The Iranians, for their part, seemed unmoved by the events in Tunisia. In a speech before Parliament on Sunday, Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani warned Tunisia to be vigilant against the United States, which he accused of seeking to use the recent upheaval to reassert its power in Tunisia.

“The behavior of USA and some other countries is ridiculous," he said. "They were the supporters of despotism in Tunisia until yesterday and now turn out to be the sympathizers toward the nation of Tunisia."

Similar sentiments were echoed by others across the region who were not impressed with the United States and France for belatedly jumping on the Free Tunisia bandwagon.

"France and the United States only supported--and by support I mean they paid lip service to the Tunisian uprising when they realized that Ben Ali's presidency was over," said 34-year-old Zeina, who attended the rally in Beirut. "For 24 days [of protests] no one gave any comment."

--Meris Lutz in Beirut

Photo: Sympathizers in Beirut rallied in support of Tunisian protestors. Credit: Bassem Chit

Comments

[Tiera]

How? Did the arabian monarchs skip the whole inbreeding fad?

European monarchs look like deranged comic versions of ugly people, so they have to do something different.

[Mark]

Yeah, in a world without monarchies that means no hot princesses or queens to lust after. That's not the type of world I want to live in.

[Friedman's Ghost]

Intersting comments here, especially from Majdi.

Let there be no doubt that Americans could care less about Tunisia much less find it aon a map. They are more concerned that Steve Jobs might be sick again and not come up with another iSomething. Now, if you want folks to care let some of this stuff spill into the oil producing areas, then we might care. Those of us in the West have been proping up the Middle East for our bidding since the 1930s. We intend to continue to use up your national resources until they are gone, then you can have your way.

If you are interested we can have the Chinese ship some old iPhones and Mac's to the region. American Idol starts this week and we would not want you all to miss it!

[Lazulio]

It is not just the Middle Eastern Countries that are watching the situation in Tunesia, it is the World. Keep in mind that Fundamentalist Islam and Democracy cannot exist side-by-side in a country for long. They can pretend to be co-authors of a Nation's stability; but sooner or later one will need to seek supremacy over the other. Rome based Christianity proved that a millenia ago.

[Ahmed]

I am proud of Tunis, may God protect them. A message from a Palestinian

[GregB]

This is a very telling moment for the region. While the US has often mouthed platitudes about democracy in the region we have steadfastly supported the most repressive and corrupt regimes. Yes, Saudi Arabia I'm talking about you.

When there have been actual moves towards democracy, absent US military intervention which is not how democracy blooms, the US and most of the world has been hostile.

There was an election in the Palestinian territories and in Lebanon but because we determined that the results were not in our best interest they were treated as illegitimate.

The clock is ticking in the Arab world, it is the last place on earth to have had a sweep of democracy.

May it come as peacefully as possible but may it still come. More like the break up of Germany and less like the break up of Romania and Yugoslavia.

[amira potter]

How on earth Saudi Arabia is so harch on crime as we all know ( cutting thief's hand when they steel and the head when they kill) and on the other hand they welcome someone who killed hundreds and stole millions.

[MAJDI FALEH]

I am a Tunisian student, living in the US...I have been witnessing what is happening in my country minute by minute, and I feel so proud of what is happening...My people freed the country from the criminal of war and the dictator, former president Ben Ali
The concern now is about people's safety, since his Militia is spread and still threating people in the country, but the good thing is that men are grouped en masse in different neighborhoods to protect the safety of their women and properties...
Tunisians are feeling disgrace because of the Arab overall reaction, qualified by being passive and not supportive at all...only with "FAKE" words! Tunisians demand Saudi Arabia to send Ben Ali back to jail him!!! Al Saud are playing the deaf, and Tunisian anger is rising...but maybe a REVOLUTION is in the air in those Arab countries! People have been silent for a long time, but ENOUGH is ENOUGH! It is not only about oil, or money but it is more than that...the moment for a total change is here...