What is the ARAB SPRING?

Arab Spring began on December 17, 2010 in Tunisia after a fruit vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi self-immolated as a result of conflict with the police and governmental authorities. His frustrations began when Bouazizi’s cart, and his goods were protest and created commonality with people from all walks of life.

Aftermath

The Arab Spring has impacted the world immensely. The Arab Spring resulted in an explosion of political activity in countries which their authoritarian leaders were over thrown in the Middle East. There was an increase in TV stations, online media usage, increase in the number of political parties and civil societies. It also resulted in the people fighting over whether Islam played a role in politics and drafting new constitutions or not. It brought to light a lot of the issues the public was divided over, such as social, religious and political ones. There were also many rising tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, which resulted in outbursts of violence. Armed conflict was also a result of the revolution; where old regimes did not want to submit easily to the opposition. Unemployment and poor living conditions were on the rise, especially in war torn areas.

Here are some images which show where the Middle East is today after the Arab Spring begun The Arab Spring, Egypt lim Brotherhood came to power after the overthrow of President Mubarak, but was ousted in a 2013 coup, and Egypt is now led by Abdel Fatah al-Sissi, a former military officer.. There is still fear of military rule, and the charges against Hosni Mubarak, of corruption and the deaths during the Arab Spring are acquitted in 2015. This causes anger from the people and protests. Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood however is sentenced to 20 years in prison, and in a separate trial he is sentenced to death. Currently in Egypt there are still protests, but now over a proposed sale of two islands to Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. The government is claiming a bridge over the Red Sea will help support export between Egypt and Saudia Arabia. However, many of the citizens fear this will make them a colony to Saudi Arabia. tees many fundamental rights and freedoms. According to Amnesty International the constitution now includes rights to citizenship, bodily intergrity and freedom of movement, stronger protection for women’s rights, and also protects rights to health, education and work Tunisia is still in the works of building its fragile democracy in the aftermath of the revolution in 2011. Five years after the revolution, suicide protests persist, with another young Tunisian, Ridha Yahyaoui, electrocuting himself by climbing up a utility pole in frustration after being refused yet another job. There have been increases discussions about topics such as LGBT rights, political and religious orders, artistic expression an national reform, where as topics like this were not discussed very openly. There are still moments of unrest, like when there was the assination of two leftists politicians: Chokri Belaid and Mhuammad Brahmi in 2013. people to be displaced from their homes. Heading into 2013 the rise of the Al-Nursa front, a radcial Islamist militia allied to Al Qaeda, led to a a period of cool, and international and regional support for their oppostion. This resulted in Hezbollah (Iranian backed Lebanese troops), to form and commit a counter offence with the new support. Other countries then became involved, such as Russia in 2015, saying it was seeking to combat the Islamic State, but others like the West and opposition say they are just trying to attack Assad rebels hardest. Today in 2016 you still see immense conflict and is uncertain if it will eventually calm down.

Yemen

Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced out of office in 2012 in the aftermath of large protests, but the political transition and development since then has faced several challenges. Recently, confiscated by police, who then begun to berate and harass him. He went to file a complaint at a government building but was met with many clerical roadblocks and later returned to the building and self-immolated outside in protest. Widespread uprisings heightened and continued into 2011 in other countries in the MENA region. Discontent with politics--particularly social and economic conditions-were a shared, primary source of frustration among protesters. As with many global social movements, disenfranchisement was the catalyst that begun widespread

While the Egyptians successfully overthrew President Hassni Mubarak as part of the Egyptian revolution in 2011, statistics show that issues such as poverty remain a challenge, and it was one of the main causes of the uprisings that resulted in a revolution. The Mus-

Western-backed opposition forces captured Muammar Gaddafi, but Libya today is now an uncertain, anarchic state controlled by warring militias in different cities after a revolution which was led and supported by NATO.The National Transition Council (NTC) declared Libya officially liberated, and promised a democractic state. Since the Islamic State has gained a foothold in Libya it has become a major departure point for many migrants trying to reach Europe. There are an estimated 2.5 million people who are in need of humanitarian assistance, and 435,000 displaced peoples. There is current chaos through out Libya after Gaffafi was overthrown, and there is a lack of government transparency, unemployments rates are not going down, and uneven regional development.

Currently their legal system is barely functioning and courts have been shut down because of the dangers. Also many judges and lawyers have been the target of hate crimes and abductions.

Tunisia

Tunisia is generally the most stable and successful country to come out of the Arab Spring. They have a new constitution, which guaran-