What is the significance of the Arab Spring?

The Arab Spring: The Uprising and its Significance. by Caryle Murphy '68. Caryle Murphy '68. I was in my mother's living room in Massachusetts. The television was on low, and my ears barely caught the news: Tunisia's long-time strongman, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, had fled his country. read more

The Arab Spring was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed rebellions that spread across the Middle East in early 2011. But their purpose, relative success, and outcome remain hotly disputed in Arab countries, among foreign observers, and between world powers looking to cash in on the changing map of the Middle East. read more

From my experience working in Muslim countries, it seems that many Muslims believe that Arab Spring events have been a bonanza for Islamic fundamentalists. In most ways, Al Qaeda’s plans are being realized except for one major deviation which I will get into later. read more

For indeed, the Arab Spring is in a new stage, whose final outcome is undetermined and may remain so for years. On the one hand, there has been a remarkable transformation in the region’s political dynamics, with states losing much of their invincibility and people gaining new leverage and power. read more