To whom the bells toll

http://www.elaph.com/ElaphWeb/ElaphWriter/2006/5/151095.htm


To Whom The Bells Toll

Dr. Nabulsi forecasts a very conscionable initiative proposing the promulgation of a synchronized union to look after the educated & persecuted ones in the Arab communities; but to whom the bell toll !

The educated are the least paid in the Arab world, they lack the financial means to form a lobby or pressure group to stand up to the strong arm of their authorities skewed laws.

The fear of reprisal by the authority personnel , or pay back by the interior ministries watch dogs-- casts a shadow over over the heads of every citizen be that the learnt one or the illiterate.

Iraq during Saddam Hussein reign of terror is a prime example of the lack of freedom for anyone to express even a hint of dissension, or opposition to anything and everything the government enacts on a daily basis.

The media apparatus is fully controlled by the government agencies, heck, even the human rights agencies are controlled by the governments in the Arab world. People do care and want to do something on behalf of the oppressed but the fear of persecution, the fear of starvation, and the fear of corporal punishments discourages even the most courageous one amongst us to even think, let alone act against a decree or an edict promulgated by one of the Arab regimes.

So refraining from lodging protests doesn't stem from the absence of plethora of material to talk about, it doesn't stem from lack of skills or resources amongst the educated group, it simply stems from the fear of punishments, the grave consequences toward the protesting individual and his entire family.

Western regimes aren't anything like Arab regimes, Our regimes are still behaving like fascist regimes of the past, some even still living in the era of feudalism. We can't compare our selves to those organizations in the western societies, Why? because we have no freedom to freely speak out, our laws are very unfriendly, and our regimes are very tyrants.

Absence of Freedom of speech, Absence of freedom of expression, low wages, fear of punishment, as well as the dire poverty, are all motivating factors standing as a wedge between the educated group and the formation of an organization similar to the one proposed in your article.

So how are we supposed to act when we don't have the basic tools or instruments that will propel us to where we want to be, until such time comes, we will be in for the long haul, and continue our preachments about the should've, would've, and could've, but didn't.