"My friends, a future of liberty stands before you. It is your right. It is your dream. And it is your destiny." These were the words of President Bush as he spoke about his goals for democracy in the Middle East, but with civil unrest pervading the region, the realization of those goals is very much in question. In a region with such a complex history and unique traditions, can democracy ever truly thrive?
I believe the way in which US democracy
promotion efforts were launched and implemented after 9/11 hurt the region's
evolution into democracy. Elections (even if free and fair) cannot be the
starting point for democracy, especially in a region of the world that for
decades has been trapped between two starkly divergent options: top-down,
secular, nationalistic authoritarianism or grassroots and bottom-up, Islamic,
transnational conservatism. So when elections are held without the key elements
of democracy--rule of law, separation of powers, civil liberties, and basic
quality of life (i.e. access to food and education, safety from
terrorism/arbitrary violence)—-the result is that angry and frustrated people,
especially Islamists, will come to power. That will not bring true democracy,
but another form of repressive rule.
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