Democracy: Does It and Will It Work In the Middle East?

In the United States and Europe, democracy entails certain social norms and civil liberties. The tenets of democracy are free speech, electoral voting and the abiding of constitutional law.

Does the Middle East have a chance of mimicking such a system? Is it in their interest to implement such a system?

When the United States invaded Iraq in March 2003, President Bush claimed that he was spreading democracy. By overthrowing Saddam Hussein and riding the world (and the region) of his tyrannical and corruptive regime, he hoped to exploit oil and pacify the region.

Today, Iraq is battling with its most intensified case of sectarian violence in years. The cleavage between Sunnis and Shiias is constantly growing and so is the hopelessness for the establishment of any sort of democratic regime.

Pseudo-democratic style elections in Egypt empowered the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization feared by many, especially the Coptic Christian minority in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood seeks to implement Sharia Law. So far, the law has been has been oppressively implemented as seen in Saudi Arabia.

In the case of Saudi Arabia, Sharia Law represents the antithesis of libertarianism and is clearly incompatible with democracy. For example, women cannot drive or leave their residence without the escort of a male figure – it is inequality at its zenith. Ironically, it was a US backed democratic norm (multiparty elections) which brought about the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt (the anti-Christ of democracy) – why and how did it backfire?

The problem is quite simple. Feelings of government resentment have been rampant throughout Middle Eastern countries. Egyptians are unhappy with their economic situation. The Lebanese are in a precarious political situation. The Iraqis are struggling with the beginnings of a civil war. The Syrians are under political pressure from the Lebanese and Americans and the Palestinians have been in a civil war since 1948.

In addition to the aforementioned abysmal situation, illiteracy and poverty is not departing the region anytime soon. It is difficult to imagine how an uneducated, poor and hopeless Egyptian would be able to ‘strategically’ vote. The word strategic here refers to a candid vote; a vote backed by reasons; a vote that would make a change. The poor, uneducated Egyptian would not vote strategically – he would vote for Islam.

‘Islam is the solution’ was the Muslim Brotherhood’s slogan. They managed to sway the illiterate, poor and hopeless proletariat of Egyptian society to vote for them. Thus, a democratic norm backed by the US managed to allow a completely non-democratic protagonist to rise to power – the Brotherhood.

The Middle East does not need democracy at this point. Arab countries have not yet deciphered how to integrate Islam in to the 21st century. For the time being, it has been regime survival which has led to economic development in the region. The Gulf countries are prime examples: the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain are healthy economies with most of them producing oil for exporting. Monarchic regimes have kept the countries intact both politically and economically.

In essence, Arab countries could easily look to the Newly Industrialized Countries of Far East Asia and see that US-backed democracy was not their key to success.

If it is in their interest, Arab countries need to lay the foundations suitable for democracy. The respective governments should invest in the literacy of their populations first before anything else. Until then, people will vote in oblivion, to the lesser of two evils and to simply, someone different – all in the hope for the better change; an idea which at this point, is an utter illusion.