Please find the link to our final paper and PowerPoint presentation below:
Arabian Peninsula Protests Final Paper and Powerpoint Presentation
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Yemeni Youth Form the Arab Spring Party
Members of the Yemeni Youth Movement formed the Arab Spring Party this month in order to gain access to the political process and lobby for reform. This is a positive development for the movement and a wise decision as the transition process has now shifted entirely to the elite political level. While their collective voice was formidable, with Saleh out of power, they will need to organize politically in order to afford themselves an opportunity to realize their proposed reforms. Though how much access they will have depends on the true will of the ruling elites to reform the political system in the Post-Saleh era.
Opposition Demands and Talks With the Government
In early February and March, the Bahraini opposition demanded only constitutional reforms and a fully-elected parliament.
However, since these demands were not met, the leading Shia opposition party threatened to pull out of the government sponsored talks. The talks were set up to be inherently unfair. Out of 300 representatives, only 25 were from Shia groups, and the only 5 of these members were from Al-Wifaq. Protesters demanded that opposition parties not even participate in the talks because they were inherently unfair and the political process was corrupt. The monarchy was not involved at all in the talk and the discussions never even came close to the root causes of the protests. These talks took place throughout the summer but stalled with the opposition of Al-Wifaq.
Economic Concerns in Bahrain Before 2011
Professor O’Donnell mentioned credit crunches in Bahrain in class the other day. Here is an interesting article about how the credit crunch in Bahrain effected the economic growth of the country and actually caused many private and state run projects within the country to be cancelled. Clearly, the protests this year will cause the economy to decline further.
As was mentioned in an earlier post, the Bahraini government was forced to sell a large Islamic bomb in order to make ends meet with its budget deficit. Bahraini tourism also dropped 80% over the past year. These factors, with already high unemployment with the country, will make it harder for the regime to appease its citizens.
Recap of the Original “Day of Rage” in Bahrain
These two articles from the Financial Times here and here provide a great recap of the first protests in Bahrain and the economic concerns facing the country. The “Day of Rage” started the protests in Bahrain that have simmered throughout the year and have since been rekindled by the issuance of the BICI report. The “Day of Rage” in Bahrain brought about a harsh crackdown from the regime, which brought in foreign troops and destroyed the Pearl Roundabout in an attempt to quell the protests.
Poverty in Saudi Arabia
It is widely known that Saudi Arabia is a wealthy country bringing in billions of dollars a year due to its extensive oils reserves (second largest in the world). However, it is not a widely known fact that there is a huge discrepancy between the wealthy majority and those living in abject poverty in Saudi Arabia. While Saudi Arabia is a welfare state (and tax free!) there are still huge numbers of citizens living in poverty within the kingdom.
This video was made by a young activist who was actually jailed for the creation of this documentary. He has since been released.
Saudi Arabia proposes a new Anti-Terrorism Law
A proposed anti- terrorism law in Saudi Arabia is causing quite a stir in the international community. The new law would basically allow the Saudi government to detain security suspects indefinitely and without trail. Amnesty International accuses the law of a way for the royal family and the security forces to silence dissent. The law includes a deliberately vague definition of terrorism ranging from “destabilizing to society” to “harming the reputation of the state.” Continue reading
Recent unrest in Qatif could lead to more Saudi crackdowns
With violence erupting in Qatif in early December, the royal family is not taking any chances. Saudi Arabia has barely been touched by the Arab Awakening, at least not to the extent of any other places in the region and this is due in large part to the strength of the royal monarchy. Being home to the two holy places of Mecca and Medina, the royal family confers much of its legitimacy in being custodians of these holy sites and through the Wahabi Clerical Establishment. Continue reading
United States and Saudi Arabia Plan for the Future
As we have learned this semester, the United States and Saudi Arabia have a long, and more often than not mutually beneficial relationship. While their neighbors in the region have criticized Saudi Arabia as being a “pet” of the US, the two countries have maintained friendly and close diplomatic and economic relations. Continue reading
Religious High Council fears the ramifications should Women be allowed to Drive
The highest religious council in Saudi Arabia, the Majils al Ifla al Aaala has recently issued a statement concerning the issue of granting women the right to drive. Recently women have been driving in protest of this ban, and if caught, are subject to public lashings, time in jail and ostracism from society. The statement from the council alleged that if women were allowed to drive it would “provoke a surge in prostitution, pornography, homosexuality and divorce.” In addition to these claims, the council asserts that within ten years, there would be no more Virgins in the entire Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
http://bikyamasr.com/50109/no-more-virginity-in-saudi-if-women-drive-says-council/
Geopolitics and the Arab Spring in the Gulf 