A Tsunami of Change Sweeping the Middle East
17 Feb 2011
Global American Series
A Tsunami of change is sweeping the Middle East. Protests are spreading like wildfire across the region: from Bahrain, Algeria, Yemen, Syria, Jordan, Libya and even Iran. It’s the most dramatic scene I’ve seen in my 30+ years of experience in the Mideast.
Should Americans fear the calls for democracy and freedom in the Middle East?
That is the topic of this week’s Global American radio show Saturday at 9 am Central time. My guest is Dr. Nivien Saleh, an Egyptian-German-American (German mother/Egyptian father) who is a Professor of International Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Ironically, she wrote a dissertation “whether the information technology empowered Third World citizens” which will soon be published. Egypt provided the answer.
Bahrain, home of the U.S. 5th fleet, has been controlled by the same family for 200 years. Libya has been controlled by Gaddafi for 41 years, even longer than Mubarak’s 30 year reign over Egypt. The “President” of Yemen has been in power 33 years and the military has controlled Algeria over 20 years – see a trend here?
We discuss several key questions:
What now happens in Egypt, a country Arabs call “The Mother of the Earth”?
Is the Muslim Brotherhood a real player in Egypt? How does it differ from Al Qaida?
Did Mubarak’s prisons lead to 9/11?
Is this a religious uprising, or is something else driving this wave?
Is Sharia Law a real possibility? (Get ready for a surprise here)
What happens if and when these creaky autocrats fall? Who or what takes their place?
What can the U.S. do?
Are we seeing an Internet-driven desire of people for freedom and democracy – or something else?
This is a very fluid situation. Bahrain has crushed the demonstrators, including women and children, who were camped out in protest. Iran has seen a new wave of protests, which it brutally put down. Libya is doing the same. What’s next?
Egypt has captured Americans’ interest. It holds the key to the future of the Middle East. Tune in Saturday and find out how different these countries are – and how similar the demands by the people are.
The Global American radio program airs at 9 am Central, is streamed on www.Business1110KTEK.com and then podcast 24/7 at www.GlobalAmerican.org (Click on “Favorite Programs” and look for the above title).
America’s future is on the line. Tune in. Find out what you are not hearing from other radio commentators who do not have “on the ground” experience in this part of the world.
Pass it on to your friends.
Michael Fjetland
Global American Series
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