The Arab liberal or reformer has an unhappy lot. He faces constant disappointment. He finds it hard to keep his hopes up.
Manal al-Sharif issued a heart-stabbing Twitter “thread” on Sunday. She is a Saudi democracy activist, probably the most prominent, along with Raif Badawi, who has been in prison since 2012. Manal al-Sharif is in exile. I have met and heard her several times through the Oslo Freedom Forum. Last year, she published a book, Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman’s Awakening.
On Sunday, she began her thread, “For the first time in my life I am hopeless about a better Saudi Arabia.” She continued, “We had hopes finally with the self-proclaimed reformist.”
In lines aimed at the dictatorship, she said, “Is it worth it to terrorize, intimidate, silence, harass, imprison, abduct, and even kill those men and women who peacefully asked for reforms? Is it worth it to create so much pain in this world, so much hate, so much terror? To break families and hearts? Is it worth it? Just to rule for a fraction of time in this timeless universe? Is it worth it?”
She concluded, “I’m thankful that I left the region just in time. If you too can leave with what is left of your sanity and dignity, please do. Don’t fight the system, don’t have hopes, don’t speak up, don’t dream, don’t breathe, just leave. Leave, live, and build a home away from home. Peace to everyone.”
Well. Perhaps her mood will pass. Perhaps not. But I can understand the mood entirely, and would share it, were I an Arab — particularly a Saudi — I’m sure.
I once heard Garry Kasparov say something moving, and true, about the Arab Spring — that series of uprisings in 2011, principally. Many people like to snort when speaking about the Arab Spring. “Some spring, ha ha, what a bust!” But how did the Arab Spring get its name? From the Prague Spring.
And what a joke that was! A pathetic little protest, crushed — literally run over — by the great Soviet empire. But 20 years later . . .
History is long, very long. (Manal al-Sharif spoke of “this timeless universe.”) But human lives are short. And we want freedom and justice while we can enjoy them, rightly so.
I believe there will be monuments to Manal and Raif in Saudi Arabia, whether literal or figurative. When, I don’t know.
P.S. When I hear about “rogue elements” in connection with the Saudi dictatorship, I think of that old cry, from Jews in the Russian empire: “If only the Czar knew.”
P.P.S. Yesterday, I flashed back to 1989, when Scowcroft and Eagleburger — fine men, both — flew to Beijing to toast — literally toast — the Butchers of Tiananmen Square. Those raised glasses sickened me. I felt the same sickness in seeing Secretary of State Pompeo all smiles with “MBS.” The United States can stand for something in the world, while still pursuing our interests.