Abstract :
The fall of the Tunisian and Egyptian rulers as a result of the popular
uprisings in the Arab World was the harbinger of vast, surprising
developments, which rapidly restored self-confidence to the Arab Street,
attracting the attention of international actors and observers to the revived
power of a new player affecting developments in the Middle East. Although
in contemporary history, Arab public opinion has been tense at most times
and always been present in the margins or core of developments, it failed to
be involved in developments as extensively as it recently did. In addition, in
contemporary Arab history, this is the first time that rulers have been
dismissed as a result of popular pressure and street protests. This article
examines the developments and uprisings in the Arab world in 2011 in light
of the change in behavior and increased capability of Arab public opinion.
In particular, this article assesses the reasons for the lack of democracy
among the Arabs, and differences between the recent uprisings, and protests
and movements in the past decade. The main argument of this paper is that
the change in political behavior of the Arab youth and new political elites is
a result of change in their political outlook and redefinition of the self and
the other in their relationship with domestic rulers and foreign powers. The
article tries, using an epistemological approach, to portray the character of
the new Arab uprisings; arguing that they are different from other uprisings
in contemporary history in terms of form, content and peopleʹs demands. In
this picture, Arab nationalism and Salafist Islamism, which promote
transnational ideals, are declining on the horizon of new uprisings. Instead, a
new Arab political identity with an anti-despotic, pluralist and democracyseeking
approach is expanding.
