A friend asks very feelingly, almost with tears in his eyes as to why should there be any unrest in the Arab world. They have almost everything, enough and to spare. Most of these countries provide free education, free electricity, free medical service, free water and many other facilities to their citizens. Not only this, they provide lucrative employment to people from outside these countries. They have also provocative incentives from outside to forge unity among them. Twenty six centuries ago Plato wrote that if you want to keep your people united, pick up a quarrel with your neighbouring country. This factor too is not missing for the Arabs. Their first Qibla is in the hands of the Zionists who have let loose a hell against the Palestinians for the last five decades and keep on hanging like a sword on all Arab countries. Why then the internecine civil wars in the Arab world?
The answer is that the economic factor is not everything nor does it determine history decisively as the belly-worshippers would philosophise. It is undoubtedly very important in the life of the individual, and of a nation and in determining international relations but is by no means the only factor. Our Prophet (SAW) had warned the Ummah:
“I do not fear poverty against you but fear that the world may obsess you.” (Bukhari)
Besides this, nearly all Arab countries including Egypt (the brain of the Arab world) and Saudi Arabia (its heart), suffer from a fatal inherent contradiction. The people of these countries think and feel differently from the regimes that have come to rule them either by virtue of heredity or because of external support by those who want to safeguard their global interests. Whenever and wherever there is a movement towards establishing a representative regime, it is promptly suppressed. Thus the inherent contradiction is nurtured and promoted by forces from within and without. In these circumstances even the Zionist threat ceases to matter. Only a thorough earthquake like shake-up can arouse the Arabs from their stupor and it may not now take long in coming. 

Lastupdate on : Thu, 7 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 7 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 8 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST