January 26, 2011
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A Simplified Timeline of the Jasmine Revolution
By admin in Middle East, Politics
By Sarah Alaoui
For those of you who haven’t been following the protests in Tunisia closely (or at all), I offer a simplified timeline below to break down what’s going on in the country and surrounding areas…
Some basic facts about Tunisia you’ll need to know before you read about why its people had a revolution:
People: About 10.4 million people; languages are Arabic and French; Islam is official state religion, but government supports a secular society.
Economy: Profitable tourism industry; agriculture, mostly
olive oil and oranges. Unemployment is officially at 14 percent, but
jobless rates are much higher among educated youths and in rural areas
away from the coast.
Politics: After the French protectorate gained its independence in 1956, Habib Bourguiba became its first president. In 1987, 84-year-old Bourguiba was deemed medically unable to fulfill his presidential duties and was overthrown in a bloodless coup by former interior minister Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Ben Ali was “re-elected” in 2009 for a fifth term with “89 percent” of the vote (he is known to quell his opposition through the use of force and violence).
Life under Ben Ali: Media is tightly controlled (including Youtube and other video sharing sites. The first independent radio station did not start broadcasting until 2003. Email is monitored, according to some. According to Amnesty International, human rights organizations are harassed by authorities). Ben Ali lived a disgustingly lavish lifestyle with his family (think: caged tigers, beach homes with elevators, frozen yogurt shipped in from St. Tropez, a first lady that showered family members with exorbitant gifts). And so, the people naturally had reason to be angry…enough to fuel a full-fledged revolution.
December 27, 2010:
The protests spread to Tunis, the nation’s capital. Over 1,000 people take to the streets. The protests are kept afloat via social media (similar to Iran’s Green Revolution, the protests were organized through Twitter and Facebook).
December 28, 2010:
Ben Ali condemns protests and warns that those using violence will be punished.
January 13, 2011:
66 deaths, if not more, are reported since protests began. Government estimates only 23. President Ben Ali pledges major reforms and says he will not stand for re-election in 2014.
January 14, 2011:
A state of emergency is declared in the country. Ben Ali dissolves parliament and promises to hold legislative elections within six months. That same evening, he steps off his tainted “throne” and flees to Saudi Arabia.
January 15, 2011:
Speaker of Parliament Foued Mebazaa is sworn in as temporary president and begins discussions with opposition parties on the formation of a new government.
U.S. response? After Ben Ali’s fall, Barack Obama and State Department officials voiced their default wishes for fair elections in Tunisia. Media coverage of the revolution, however, was sparse and the administration was nearly silent about the killing of protesters–“aside from voicing its “concern” to the Tunisian ambassador in Washington”.
NOW?: ““Our revolution is your revolution,” the military leader, Gen. Rachid Ammar, yelled through a megaphone to more than 1,000 demonstrators in a square near his office, according to several witnesses. “The army will protect the revolution.”
General Ammar was trying to placate protesters who are demanding the dissolution of the interim government because of the continued dominance of officials from Mr. Ben Ali’s old ruling party. His remarks are significant because he is playing an unseen but potentially decisive role in the Tunisian government. Many here hope Tunisia will be the first Arab democracy, rising from the first popular overthrow of an Arab strongman.
(In the final days of Mr. Ben Ali’s rule, Tunisians watched in wonder as the military inexplicably withdrew from positions defending the capital. After Mr. Ben Ali fled the country a day later, Arab newspapers reported that it was General Ammar’s refusal to fire on civilians that led to Mr. Ben Ali’s final exit.)”
This morning (January 25, 2011), Egyptian protesters took to the streets calling for the ouster of 82-year-old President Hosni Mubarak (who has been in power for three decades) and for an end to poverty and widespread unemployment in the biggest manifestation the country has seen in years. Sound familiar? Will these protests produce the same results as the Jasmine Revolution? Stay tuned…
In the meantime, some photos, videos and tweets (the Egyptian government blocked Twitter, but protesters found their way around this) from the action. I have to say I’m happy with the amount of coverage these protests are getting…big difference compared to Tunisia’s when it initially began:
*Most images from Google. Egyptian images from Facebook event group for protest.
For those of you who haven’t been following the protests in Tunisia closely (or at all), I offer a simplified timeline below to break down what’s going on in the country and surrounding areas…
Some basic facts about Tunisia you’ll need to know before you read about why its people had a revolution:
People: About 10.4 million people; languages are Arabic and French; Islam is official state religion, but government supports a secular society.
Politics: After the French protectorate gained its independence in 1956, Habib Bourguiba became its first president. In 1987, 84-year-old Bourguiba was deemed medically unable to fulfill his presidential duties and was overthrown in a bloodless coup by former interior minister Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Ben Ali was “re-elected” in 2009 for a fifth term with “89 percent” of the vote (he is known to quell his opposition through the use of force and violence).
Life under Ben Ali: Media is tightly controlled (including Youtube and other video sharing sites. The first independent radio station did not start broadcasting until 2003. Email is monitored, according to some. According to Amnesty International, human rights organizations are harassed by authorities). Ben Ali lived a disgustingly lavish lifestyle with his family (think: caged tigers, beach homes with elevators, frozen yogurt shipped in from St. Tropez, a first lady that showered family members with exorbitant gifts). And so, the people naturally had reason to be angry…enough to fuel a full-fledged revolution.
The Jasmine Revolution
December 17, 2010:
26-year-old computer-science graduate and fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire after policewoman slaps him and orders him to pack up his street cart in Sidi Bouzid. It was the last straw to add to his list of grievances (including not finding employment after graduation and having to resort to selling fruit to support his seven siblings).
Ben Ali pays Bouazizi a visit in the hospital…the young man died on January 4, 2011 eighteen days after his self-immolation.
“Free Tunis”; Bouazizi becomes the martyr face of the Jasmine Revolution
December 17, 2010:
26-year-old computer-science graduate and fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire after policewoman slaps him and orders him to pack up his street cart in Sidi Bouzid. It was the last straw to add to his list of grievances (including not finding employment after graduation and having to resort to selling fruit to support his seven siblings).
Ben Ali pays Bouazizi a visit in the hospital…the young man died on January 4, 2011 eighteen days after his self-immolation.“Free Tunis”; Bouazizi becomes the martyr face of the Jasmine Revolution
December 24, 2010:
Protests break out in Sidi Bouzid and spread to Menzel Bouzaiene, Kairouan, Sfax, Ben Guerdane, Sousse. Police fire on demonstrators.
Protests break out in Sidi Bouzid and spread to Menzel Bouzaiene, Kairouan, Sfax, Ben Guerdane, Sousse. Police fire on demonstrators.
The protests spread to Tunis, the nation’s capital. Over 1,000 people take to the streets. The protests are kept afloat via social media (similar to Iran’s Green Revolution, the protests were organized through Twitter and Facebook).
December 28, 2010:
Ben Ali condemns protests and warns that those using violence will be punished.
January 13, 2011:
66 deaths, if not more, are reported since protests began. Government estimates only 23. President Ben Ali pledges major reforms and says he will not stand for re-election in 2014.
January 14, 2011:
A state of emergency is declared in the country. Ben Ali dissolves parliament and promises to hold legislative elections within six months. That same evening, he steps off his tainted “throne” and flees to Saudi Arabia.
January 15, 2011:
Speaker of Parliament Foued Mebazaa is sworn in as temporary president and begins discussions with opposition parties on the formation of a new government.
U.S. response? After Ben Ali’s fall, Barack Obama and State Department officials voiced their default wishes for fair elections in Tunisia. Media coverage of the revolution, however, was sparse and the administration was nearly silent about the killing of protesters–“aside from voicing its “concern” to the Tunisian ambassador in Washington”.
NOW?: ““Our revolution is your revolution,” the military leader, Gen. Rachid Ammar, yelled through a megaphone to more than 1,000 demonstrators in a square near his office, according to several witnesses. “The army will protect the revolution.”
General Ammar was trying to placate protesters who are demanding the dissolution of the interim government because of the continued dominance of officials from Mr. Ben Ali’s old ruling party. His remarks are significant because he is playing an unseen but potentially decisive role in the Tunisian government. Many here hope Tunisia will be the first Arab democracy, rising from the first popular overthrow of an Arab strongman.
(In the final days of Mr. Ben Ali’s rule, Tunisians watched in wonder as the military inexplicably withdrew from positions defending the capital. After Mr. Ben Ali fled the country a day later, Arab newspapers reported that it was General Ammar’s refusal to fire on civilians that led to Mr. Ben Ali’s final exit.)”
So a guy set himself on fire, some people protested, and now Ben Ali’s gone. Now what?
Arab activists throughout the MENA area are holding their breath for similar events to unseat other dictators in the region. Arab leaders are bracing themselves for possible riots and protests…Libya, Jordan, Egypt…who’s next?
Most recently:Arab activists throughout the MENA area are holding their breath for similar events to unseat other dictators in the region. Arab leaders are bracing themselves for possible riots and protests…Libya, Jordan, Egypt…who’s next?
This morning (January 25, 2011), Egyptian protesters took to the streets calling for the ouster of 82-year-old President Hosni Mubarak (who has been in power for three decades) and for an end to poverty and widespread unemployment in the biggest manifestation the country has seen in years. Sound familiar? Will these protests produce the same results as the Jasmine Revolution? Stay tuned…
In the meantime, some photos, videos and tweets (the Egyptian government blocked Twitter, but protesters found their way around this) from the action. I have to say I’m happy with the amount of coverage these protests are getting…big difference compared to Tunisia’s when it initially began:
MAY THE GOG GIVE Mohamed Bouazizi THE INTERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN