There have been several interesting articles recently about voting on the Middle East which has implications for our own behavior there.
democracy for everyone (who votes for our candidates)
For all Bush's talk about freedom and democracy, what will we do if fundamentalist Islamists win elections in the Middle East? Some people predicted that very thing to happen in Iraq (it hasnt yet) but now we are seeing it in Egypt, one of the more stable countries in the region. Surely people have the right to choose the type of representation they want but in the past, we have not been pleased when people choose socialist or communist governments over our own capitalist robber-barron model. Not pleased at all.
Frankly this stuff in Egypt is hard to take it's so over the top. Think about our own recent elections with the chads and putting fewer voting machines in black precincts. Democracy is no bright shining house on the hill.
Egyptian Voters Clash With Police
December 1, 2005 10:02 p.m
MANSOURA, Egypt -- Police clashed with voters Thursday, killing one and injuring 60, and barred many from entering polling stations in opposition strongholds, forcing some to clamber up ladders to sneak in and cast ballots in the final round of Egypt's troubled parliament elections.
The vote -- considered a key test of President Hosni Mubarak's openness to reform -- has turned into a battle between the government and its top rival, the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood.
The Brotherhood, Egypt's main Islamic group, has racked up seats in the election's previous two stages last month, increasing its presence in parliament five-fold so far -- and prompting a sharp government crackdown and increased violence at the polls.
...
But in numerous towns where government candidates faced stiff competition from Brotherhood or opposition figures, voters were met at the polls by lines of police blocking the entrances -- often letting in only those who said they would cast ballots for the ruling National Democratic Party.
Policemen beat up at least four monitor-judges, said Hesham el-Bastawisy, a member of a movement of pro-reform judges.
"President Mubarak deceived me. I believed him when he talked about democracy but look at what is going on," said Hamdi Sayyed, one of hundreds of people who tried to vote but were barred by ranks of police in Sandoub, a village outside Mansoura.
In the nearby town of Bussat, dozens of men and women clambered up ladders over the side wall of a polling station and slipped in through bathroom windows -- until police who had been blocking the entrance discovered them and removed the ladders.
do splits within the family lead to civil war?
Brutal conditions dont foster tolerance, they encourage those who call for radical and immediate change, ie they increase violence. We see this in our gang-riddled cities and we see it in the Middle East.
The Bushies seem to be modeling much of our our war on terror/Iraq on the Israeli experience, including the use of torture and the idea that building a wall can keep the bad guys out. I happen fear that following the Israeli/Palestinian model will only increase the level of terrorism on the region.
Here is an article that illustrates the split in Palestinian territories between those who want a secular and those who want a religious state. Expect more of this to come.
With Israel Gone, Election Splinters A Family in Gaza
Pullout Exposes Old Rifts In Palestinian Society; Secular vs. Islamic Politics
Father: 'Do What You Must'
December 2, 2005
BEIT LAHIA, Gaza -- When this Palestinian city held elections in May, Mohammed Hamouda and his son, Ahmed, leapt at the chance to run for office. Israel was about to end its occupation of the Palestinian territory and the moment was full of possibilities.
But they ran for very different reasons. The elder Mr. Hamouda, 58 years old, ran under the banner of Fatah, the secular party that has long dominated Palestinian politics. His pious 28-year-old son joined the opposing ticket, the militant Islamic organization Hamas, a group known for its violent attacks on Israel.
In the end, they both won seats on the 13-member city council. But the bruising campaign tore apart a relationship already shaken by violence and Ahmed Hamouda's embrace of Hamas.
"Our family is split," says Mohammed Hamouda. Adds his son: "He has his ideology and I have mine."
The rift in the Hamouda family reflects a broader problem for the Palestinians. When Israel quit the Gaza Strip this summer, it did more than relinquish land to the Palestinians. The historic move also uncorked conflicts lurking just below the surface of Palestinian society. Before the withdrawal, these religious, political and economic divisions had been overshadowed by a much more powerful force: enmity toward Israel.
The conflict between secular Arab nationalists and religious fundamentalists has long roiled countries throughout the Middle East, notably Egypt and Syria. How the Palestinian Authority deals with this thorny problem will go a long way to determining if it can be a viable governing force.
It's my party and I'll cry if i want to
Speaking of Israel, what the heck is up with this Ariel Sharon and this Freedom [Kadima] party? Imagine President Bush leaving the Republican party to create his own "Freedom" party because his previous party wouldn't support him and then Ted Kennedy publicly supporting him. Now that is messed up.
It is such a radical change, I really dont know what to make of it. There are those who say this is just a masterful plan the screw the Palestinians in some new and gigantic way. I hope such accusations are not true and that the changes will lead to something positive but based on the past 30 years, I am not getting my hopes up. There are too many people who benefit psychologically (if not financially) from the status quo.
Of course, I'm of the mind that making things harder for the Palestinians will only perpetuate the violence and continue to damage the local economies. Unless you are going to kill all of the Palestinians, you need to come to terms. I know the Old Testament talks about an 'eye for an eye' but enough is enough. Imagine the economic growth that could benefit this region if people would just get along with each other.
Sharon Splits From Likud To Form New Israeli Party And Asks for Early Elections
November 22, 2005 3:19 a.m.
JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Monday asked Israel's president to dissolve parliament, pushing for a quick March election just hours after he decided to leave his hard-line Likud Party and form a new centrist party.
Mr. Sharon's decision to leave Likud sent shock waves through Israel, redrawing the political map, concretizing his transformation from hard-liner to moderate and improving the prospects of progress in peacemaking with the Palestinians.
His confidants say Mr. Sharon felt Likud hard-liners, who tried to block this summer's Gaza pullout, were imposing too many constraints and would prevent future peace moves. Palestinian officials expressed hope Monday that the political upheaval in Israel would bring them closer to a final peace deal.
