It is my last semester at SMU, and I finally found a class on Middle Eastern history that piqued my interest.
It was my fortunate privilege to be a witness to an uprising in that region starting from Tunisia, then Egypt, and most recently in Yemen.
The most compelling movement stems from Egypt, known as the strongest and largest country (in terms of population) in the Middle East. As a complete outsider, not from the Middle East, and a person with extensive knowledge of the region, its history, and its exploitations, I am intrigued to know that those who said that Islam is incompatible with democracy are biting their tongues.
Apparently, Islam is incompatible with authoritarianism too, if millions of Muslims in the region today are marching in protest of the oppressing regime that leaves thousands starving every day. When political scientists talk about Islam and democracy they try to sell their theory on the sole basis that there can be no separation of Church and State in an Islamic Republic. They use the example of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, when they know that these are by far the least bit of a good example of an Islamic democracy. The perfect example of Islam, in its most original form is of the Prophet Muhammad, who lived almost 1500 years ago in Arabia. His regime was not of an authoritarian kind, but of a Democratic one. He would consult his companions, who were representatives of each clan and tribe (more comparable today to what states are) chosen by their people, when any decision about the economy, religion, or politics, was to be made that would affect the entire Ummah, or community. This community was not just made of Muslims, but of Jews, Christians, and pagans as well. They all had equal rights and representation in this parliament and all were protected by their alliances.
It is this example that has reawakened the Muslims in this part of the world. They were blinded by propaganda and promises, but now they realize that if they want peace and prosperity, the right of every human being, they will have to fight for it. After a long time, since the Ottoman Empire’s height, is an example from the Middle East inspiring movements around the world. If we just look at the recent incident at SMU, insignificant in comparison, but affected by the Egyptians none the less, was the campaign to make sure the school was closed on Thursday. Almost 900 students were on a Facebook group protesting the idea of coming to school is such hazardous weather, and many of the comments on this page referred to this new phenomena “walk like an Egyptian” when rallying up support for the group. What this says is that the educated youth realizes what the true treasures of the world are: freedom and liberty. It is these two terms, which resonate in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence of this country that we are to uphold to the best of our abilities.
We may not be able to predict the end of this movement in Egypt and if the Egyptian people will get their rights, but we do know how it took form in the United States. It is with this hope that we should support those in Egypt, whose families and loved ones have died for the cause, to keep strong and stead fast in this fight. More importantly, we need to realize the power of education and enlightenment, networking and community, and how they affect the ideologies of people not only in the Middle East but around the world. Veritas Liberabit Vos, indeed “The Truth Shall Set You Free.”
Sabeen Faheem is a senior political science and international studies double major. She can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].
