oasis-31

Introduction to Anatomy of a Defeat by Sādiq al-‘Azm

Arab Spring: a definitively closed parenthesis or the jolt of a historical cycle that is anything but over? The leader of Oasis no. 31.

In his famous Self-Criticism after the Defeat, the Syrian philosopher Sādiq al-‘Azm outlines a merciless diagnosis of the ills that have ordained the failure of the progressive Arab regimes, thereby condemning the peoples of North Africa and the Middle East to a profound and still unresolved crisis

Even a mere quantitative analysis of Arab literary output during the years preceding the protests of 2011 would have revealed the turmoil already existing in North African and Middle Eastern societies. Nowadays, the prevailing idea is one of a distressing and inhumane future, but not everyone is giving up

Initially taking no part in the street demonstrations, Islamic institutions and organizations have been closely involved in the post-Arab Spring phase. Changes at the political level have also had an impact on the religious discourse, which has nevertheless failed to respond to the demands voiced during the uprisings

Social media played a decisive role in the 2011 revolutions, allowing people to circumvent censorship and setting new forms of mobilization in motion. But the regimes quickly learned how to crush dissent by using the same weapons that had made it possible

The Greater Middle East is experiencing clashes between factions that are complicated by the great availability of hydrocarbons. Whilst oil revenues have had a stabilizing effect at a domestic level, the same is not true at the regional level

After the uprisings of 2010-2011, protests have become a constant in various Arab countries. What are the demographic factors that determine participation in demonstrations? A quantitative analysis of the data gathered by the Arab Barometer identifies three main indicators: gender, age and level of education