THE ARAB WORLD ATTRIBUTES TUNISIA'S UPRISING TO THE FUNDAMENTALS OF DEMOCRACY.

There are those who say democracy is impossible where Islam is the predominant ruling force. "Those" are usually naive or politically-inclined Westerners, plus the Islamic fundamentalists that the West secretly hopes remain in power. The Arab press disagrees wholeheartedly with this assumption, and they aren't being quiet about Tunisia's revolution linking to democracy. It's a good point; Tunisia is a strong model for other Arab countries that are striving for democracy. But no one explains this as accurately and powerfully as Arab journalists, who understand that democracy does not necessarily need to replace local pride with cliched and culturally-exclusive American values. Writes al-Arabiyya:

“Are the Western values of justice, freedom, and democracy suitable for Arabs? There can be no denying that they are. As the second caliph Umar bin al-Khattab is said to have asked: ‘How can you enslave people when their mothers bore them as freemen?’...If an iconic figure like Umar promoted such values as freedom, justice, and accountability, do the Arabs really need to imitate the West? ... But whereas the West translated these values into tangible laws and civil institutions, the Arabs and Muslims merely touted them without following their spirit. And this is the fundamental difference between Western and Arab civilization. But now, with the Tunisian uprising, no one knows what direction their compass will point them. In any case, those Arabs who sincerely care for their country should study what is happening in Tunisia and do what needs to be done immediately to recreate the same set of facts in
their own land.”

[More Arab newspaper quotes found in the Economist.] 

Image Source: CHRISTOPHE ENA / AP (TIME Photos.)