If the People Should One Day Desire to Live....

A couple of months ago if someone had asked me if I thought the regime in Tunisia would change anytime soon, I would've laughed at their naivete.

Like others I disregarded the growing resentment and discontent in the populace with rising food prices, lack of economic opportunities and political oppression. While the economic situation was deteriorating Ben Ali's family seemed to be getting richer.

I forgot or perhaps I stopped believing that one act, that one act of desperation, self-immolation of a struggling, college graduate, can become the rallying call of disenfranchised. That in the words of the famous Tunisian poet Abulgasim Al Shabi, "if the people should one day desire to live then fate will answer."

They marched, they protested, thousands and in a small country like Tunisia, a population that never protested it means something. It means something that a hundred people were killed. That day after day people left their homes, and put themselves in harms way because they wanted life. And fate has answered for the Tunisian people, their former dictator in hiding, his ill-begotten fortune hunted down on behalf of the Tunisian people. His allies arrested, and a new government is being shaped.

The events of Tunisia have become an inspiration for others around the Arab world where repressive, corrupt dictatorships, rising food prices, lack of economic opportunities are the norm. Countries from Jordan to Egypt and Yemen have had large demonstrations expressing their anger. Everyone is watching Egypt. They are undeniably a key U.S. ally, and a regional powerhouse with a large population second only to Nigeria on the African continent, and the largest in the Arab Middle East.

As I type this, the Egyptian government has shut down facebook, twitter, and other modes of social networking. There are reports of complete internet shut down, the whole nation off line. But its too late, now that people have seen what can happen if they go out in force they refuse to back down. They, the Egyptian people, Muslim and Christian will go out everyday and protest. Some will be killed, others injured, arrested and possibly tortured, they come out because as one protester said "My life right now is as if I'm dead."

Arab dictators, the media is your enemy. You can no longer hide your crimes in silence. You can try to arrest, intimidate reporters, but more will come, and there are cameras everywhere and they will record your sins and transgressions.

Arab dictators heed the words of your population, respect them and their anger. They now understand what all people should know, that they can do anything, that they are not powerless and at the mercy of their leaders. You, dear dictator, only govern by their will.

And as I say to all the other populations, Arab and non-Arab that wish to live, the same thing I'm told by aunties at every wedding I attend, "3gbal laki", roughly translated, may you have the same fate.