#SocialNetworking. Arab vs UK unrest: spot the difference
Middle Eastern autocrats are having a field day with the UK riots, taking pleasure at the mayhem in a western capital and interpreting it the way that suits their propaganda.
One hardline newspaper in Tehran blamed the violence on rising student tuition fees; another put the responsibility on the US and its economic policies. In Libya, the Gaddafi regime, once a friend of Britain but now a sworn enemy, also took aim at London. A presenter on state television on Wednesday hailed the rioting youth whom he said were demonstrating against a “fascist” government.
On the blogosphere in the Middle East, there is a general sense of dismay at the images that are being broadcast repeatedly on TV. But the debate is focused most on whether the British unrest should be seen as an extension of the Arab spring.
Some have pointed out that that the riots were triggered by a tragic death, just like the first Arab revolution in Tunisia, and that they spread like wildfire thanks to social networking sites, like many Arab uprisings. The calls for better policing, the impact on the economy, are all reminders of the alarm heard in Arab cities in turmoil.
Others, however, have been appalled by the mere comparison of a brave democratic struggle to hooligans looting and burning property. One tweet reported by Beirutspring.com says: the Arab Spring is not senseless violence and stupidity; the London riots are. Other tweets have lamented that the violent youth in London were taking attention away from the violence against protestors in Syria.
There is, of course, a sea of difference between what’s going on in the UK and the events in the Middle East, in both the actions of the youth and the response of the authorities. Autocratic regimes should pay attention to the fact that there is plenty of free reporting on the events; that police officers are not going around shooting at the rioters, and that the government is fully mobilised to deal with the unrest.
The similarity is in that there are underlying causes in Britain, like in the Middle East, for the destructive rage of the rioters, and that too will have to be addressed. As this Washington Post editorial says: “This is becoming a year of rebellion by the dispossessed — first in the Arab Middle East, then in Israel and now in one of the world’s richest democracies. At a time of economic disruption, no country is immune from such upheaval.”
The editorial goes on to say: “Britain is showing that democracies can respond with responsible policing and robust political debate. It is because they are incapable of such political flexibility or respect for human rights that the Arab autocrats are doomed.”
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Source: www.blogs.ft.com
