The outcome of the Arab Spring
uprisings has been evident from the
beginning to those who are students of
the Bible Prophecies and who
understand the perniciousness and evil
of ISLAM.
It would be impossible for any
democratic flourishing in any of the
countries where the majority of the
population are practicing Islamist.
Islam is anathema to any
manifestations of individual freedoms
or democratic values and persons in
those countries that believe that they
can change the outcome to favor
democracy are in for a rude and
violent awakening.
Frida Ghitis writes today in the
Miami Herald about the elections in
Tunisia the first of the Arab
countries to experience a revolution.
Her article is very good as usual for
a reporter with a good understanding
of the forces at play in this
turbulent region in the grasp of
Islam.
For those of you who have studied the
prophecies in the Bible concerning the
events at the time of the end of the
era of Grace it is the beginning
movements in preparation for the book
of Revelation, the prophecies of
Ezekiel 38-39, Psalm 83, Isaiah 17,
Ezekiel 29 and many others.
The events will coalesce at a rapid
pace to make all these countries
Islamic and opposed to Israel to
fulfill what is written.
All these nations in time past as
well as in the present have been a
thorn in the flesh to Israel and the
time for the Lord’s vengeance is
rapidly approaching.
To get a better idea of what the
future holds in the Middle East,
keep a close eye on Tunisia. The
country whose people lit the spark
of the ongoing Arab uprisings
continues to lead the way. It has
just held its first elections, the
first in the region.
As everyone expected, the Islamic
party Ennahda won the largest number
of votes.
Ennahda, the renaissance, is
modeled on Egypt’s Muslim
Brotherhood. It aims to give Islam a
greater role in the country, but it
has gone to great lengths to
reassure everyone that it is a
moderate Islamic, not Islamist,
party that will preserve individual
freedoms.
But not everyone believes them.
Tunisia was by far the most liberal
country in the Middle East under the
dictatorship of President Zine el
Abidine Ben Ali, the first dictator
toppled in the Arab Spring, who fled
the country earlier this year after
ruling for 23 years.
Women had more equality in the
North African country of 10 million
than anywhere else in the Arab
world. After Ben Ali left, a
caretaker government took over and
organized a transparent election.
About 100 parties participated and
turnout was exhilaratingly strong.
As in the rest of the Middle East,
the Islamic movement is the best
organized force in the country. Ben
Ali imprisoned its leaders and
banned the group, but Islam remained
a strong force and the party went
underground and remained active. The
first lesson from Tunisia, hardly a
surprise, is that Islamic parties
will probably win every first
election in the Middle East.
When Ben Ali fled and the party’s
leader Rached Ghannouchi returned
home triumphantly after more than 20
years in exile, Ennahda already had
a well-built organization and the
automatic support of devout Muslims
throughout Tunisia. Liberals had
probably more support than they do
anywhere else in the region, but
they had a lot of ground to make up.
They worked hard, but it was not
enough.
For liberals everywhere, the
results of the Tunisian election
have to count as a disappointment,
even if Ennahda proves true to its
word.
Nowhere in the Arab world are
progressive forces stronger. If they
could not put on a good performance
there, there is little hope they can
do it anywhere else; at least in the
first round of elections, before
anyone has a chance to govern and
face voters on their record.
Secular groups with strong
participation from women campaigned
arduously and had high hopes of
putting on a strong performance.
They did not expect to win, but they
fared worse than expected. The
Islamic party had the benefit of
strong financial support from abroad
— which was eventually banned by
election officials. And the Muslim
party, despite its protestations to
the contrary, also had the benefit
of being viewed by many Tunisians as
the “party of God.”
Whatever the reasons, liberals were
shocked by the results. Reporters on
the ground quoted women, in
particular, saying they were
experiencing a “general desolation
and frustration.” A university
student called it, “a day of
mourning not only for women but for
all democrats.”
Ennahda leaders are repeating their
mantra: “We respect the rights of
women,” said Nourredine Bhiri,
noting the party’s support for
“equality between Tunisians whatever
their religion, their gender, or
their social status.”
The victory, about 40 percent of
the vote, means the Islamic party
will need to form a coalition. It
will put together an interim
government that will write the
country’s new constitution. The
stakes are enormous.
The word among many democrats is
that the Islamic party is saying the
right words, especially to
foreigners, but planning a much less
pluralistic, form of government.
The current Prime Minister, Beji
Caid Sebsi, reflected the widespread
misgivings when he said “I can’t
judge (Ennahda’s) intentions.” But
he added, “I can only judge by
what’s public, and so far it’s
positive.”
If Tunisia is the first project of
the democratic Arab world, its tiny
Jewish community is the canary in
its coalmine. After 3,000 years in
Tunisia, the number of Jews has
fallen precipitously from about
100,000 to about 1,500. It is one of
the last Jewish communities in the
Arab world, where millions of Jews
once lived. The head of the
community, 85-year-old Roger
Bismuth, told a reporter, “I love to
live here and will never leave my
community, my country.” But he
confessed he was nervous about the
agenda of Islamic parties, saying
“it may not be so good for us.”
Every country is different, but
there is much we will learn from
what happens in Tunisia. If Islamic
forces go back on their word and
fail to enshrine women’s rights,
rule of law, and individual
freedoms, we will know democratic
freedom will not emerge from the
Arab Spring.
Oct 28, 2011 Results of Elections in Tunisia abode ill for the future of the area
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The outcome of the Arab Spring uprisings has been evident from the beginning to those who are students of the Bible Prophecies and who understand the perniciousness and evil of ISLAM.
It would be impossible for any democratic flourishing in any of the countries where the majority of the population are practicing Islamist.
Islam is anathema to any manifestations of individual freedoms or democratic values and persons in those countries that believe that they can change the outcome to favor democracy are in for a rude and violent awakening.
Frida Ghitis writes today in the Miami Herald about the elections in Tunisia the first of the Arab countries to experience a revolution. Her article is very good as usual for a reporter with a good understanding of the forces at play in this turbulent region in the grasp of Islam.
For those of you who have studied the prophecies in the Bible concerning the events at the time of the end of the era of Grace it is the beginning movements in preparation for the book of Revelation, the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39, Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, Ezekiel 29 and many others.
The events will coalesce at a rapid pace to make all these countries Islamic and opposed to Israel to fulfill what is written.
All these nations in time past as well as in the present have been a thorn in the flesh to Israel and the time for the Lord’s vengeance is rapidly approaching.
Nando
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/27/2475330/outcome-in-tunisia-worries-women.html
Outcome in Tunisia worries women, progressives
BY FRIDA GHITIS
fjghitis@gmail.com
To get a better idea of what the future holds in the Middle East, keep a close eye on Tunisia. The country whose people lit the spark of the ongoing Arab uprisings continues to lead the way. It has just held its first elections, the first in the region.
As everyone expected, the Islamic party Ennahda won the largest number of votes.
Ennahda, the renaissance, is modeled on Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. It aims to give Islam a greater role in the country, but it has gone to great lengths to reassure everyone that it is a moderate Islamic, not Islamist, party that will preserve individual freedoms.
But not everyone believes them.
Tunisia was by far the most liberal country in the Middle East under the dictatorship of President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, the first dictator toppled in the Arab Spring, who fled the country earlier this year after ruling for 23 years.
Women had more equality in the North African country of 10 million than anywhere else in the Arab world. After Ben Ali left, a caretaker government took over and organized a transparent election. About 100 parties participated and turnout was exhilaratingly strong.
As in the rest of the Middle East, the Islamic movement is the best organized force in the country. Ben Ali imprisoned its leaders and banned the group, but Islam remained a strong force and the party went underground and remained active. The first lesson from Tunisia, hardly a surprise, is that Islamic parties will probably win every first election in the Middle East.
When Ben Ali fled and the party’s leader Rached Ghannouchi returned home triumphantly after more than 20 years in exile, Ennahda already had a well-built organization and the automatic support of devout Muslims throughout Tunisia. Liberals had probably more support than they do anywhere else in the region, but they had a lot of ground to make up. They worked hard, but it was not enough.
For liberals everywhere, the results of the Tunisian election have to count as a disappointment, even if Ennahda proves true to its word.
Nowhere in the Arab world are progressive forces stronger. If they could not put on a good performance there, there is little hope they can do it anywhere else; at least in the first round of elections, before anyone has a chance to govern and face voters on their record.
Secular groups with strong participation from women campaigned arduously and had high hopes of putting on a strong performance. They did not expect to win, but they fared worse than expected. The Islamic party had the benefit of strong financial support from abroad — which was eventually banned by election officials. And the Muslim party, despite its protestations to the contrary, also had the benefit of being viewed by many Tunisians as the “party of God.”
Whatever the reasons, liberals were shocked by the results. Reporters on the ground quoted women, in particular, saying they were experiencing a “general desolation and frustration.” A university student called it, “a day of mourning not only for women but for all democrats.”
Ennahda leaders are repeating their mantra: “We respect the rights of women,” said Nourredine Bhiri, noting the party’s support for “equality between Tunisians whatever their religion, their gender, or their social status.”
The victory, about 40 percent of the vote, means the Islamic party will need to form a coalition. It will put together an interim government that will write the country’s new constitution. The stakes are enormous.
The word among many democrats is that the Islamic party is saying the right words, especially to foreigners, but planning a much less pluralistic, form of government.
The current Prime Minister, Beji Caid Sebsi, reflected the widespread misgivings when he said “I can’t judge (Ennahda’s) intentions.” But he added, “I can only judge by what’s public, and so far it’s positive.”
If Tunisia is the first project of the democratic Arab world, its tiny Jewish community is the canary in its coalmine. After 3,000 years in Tunisia, the number of Jews has fallen precipitously from about 100,000 to about 1,500. It is one of the last Jewish communities in the Arab world, where millions of Jews once lived. The head of the community, 85-year-old Roger Bismuth, told a reporter, “I love to live here and will never leave my community, my country.” But he confessed he was nervous about the agenda of Islamic parties, saying “it may not be so good for us.”
Every country is different, but there is much we will learn from what happens in Tunisia. If Islamic forces go back on their word and fail to enshrine women’s rights, rule of law, and individual freedoms, we will know democratic freedom will not emerge from the Arab Spring.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/27/2475330/outcome-in-tunisia-worries-women.html#ixzz1c5kJGt3T
Nando