- Human Rights
- January 12, 2008
- 6 minutes read
Security Treatment with Arab Peoples…When Will It end?
The Arab world is witnessing day after day more repressions against public freedoms not only against opposition groups but also against all sections of the society.
It is crystal clear that most Arab governments are following nowadays thesame method of treatment against their peoples whose peaceful opposition is met by violence, detentions and tortures in addition to unfair trials in some cases.
These tough methods are documented by human rights reports. Has this security method become a shortcut followed by regimes to silence their peoples? Have the Arab countries turned into police states that know only the discourse of violence?, and when will these security treatment against peoples come to a halt?.
Arab countries have turned a long time ago into police states
Zaki Bin Arshid, the Secretary-General of the Jordan”s Islamic Action Front (IAF), told Ikhwanweb that the method used by regimes in most Arab countries- of adopting repression and using various methods of torture, detentions and silencing elminating freedoms against opposition- is amethod that goes in line with tyranny and dictatorship which may spawn an atmosphere of weakness in people who can”t face various challenges and problems.
Bin Arshid stressed that the Arab world is badly in need for more unity in the home front and more national unity to face the current challenges specially that the world is poised to witness new US elections (08elections) and attempts to solve the Palestinian cause at the expense of some other Arab countries.
He added that maintaining this security method may eliminate energies and help in undermining the structures of the Arab countries.
He also stressed that the only method that may benefit these regimes and help in solving the various problems is to reach a reconciliation with peoples and reach a common understanding based on sharing options, respecting people”s opinion and giving a space to the freedom of expression.
He pointed out that real constitutional channels must be afforded to give vent to views of these suppressed peoples. This tough security treatment against Arab peoples will lead only to more domestic disintegration and tensions, eventually leading to a Pandora”s box of unexpected problems.
Weakening Arab peoples spawns weak rulers
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) Executive Office said that the repression and violence adopted by Arab governments lead to demolishing societies and a means for undermining any progress in these nations and may enable enemies to size theopportunity and realize their interests in the Arab Region.
He added that the Arabs rulers attempts to weaken their peoples and their assuming power against the will of these people weaken the home front and bring in no interest for the ruled or rulers. He pointed out that theweakness of the peoples leads to weakening the rulers.
Morsi attributed these methods of violence and detention adopted by Arab governments against opposition to the fact that there is a state of worry because they are in office for long periods of time. This makes them increase their concern over remaining in power and even make their families retain power after them.
He confirmed that the regimes” confrontations and use of violence against peoples to prevent them from realizing aspiration, reaching a freedom of opinion, witnessing free elections, having freedom to form parties and non-governmental organizations through all peaceful means and according to law and constitution, is only an aspect of dictatorship.
He attributed this to the fact that the weak ruler who doesn”t trust his people fears a free practice of freedom and real democracy among people or allowing public freedoms because he doesn’t want to address people”s will, which is undoubtedly eliminating him from power.
The more the regime”s repression, the more foreign pressure
Ali Sadruddin Al Bayanouni, the secretary-general of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in Syria saw that the security method adopted by Arab governments in dealing with people is a day-to-day practice.
He said that Syria is- for example- has been living under an emergency law and martial laws since the Arab Baath Socialist Party seized power in alitary coup in March 1963. under these martial laws, public freedoms were eliminated, political parties were dissolved, and the Baath Party itself as aleader to the country and society.
He added that, since 1963, tens of thousands of citizens have been detained without trials and law was issued in 1980 in Syria stipulating issuing a death sentence just for belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood group, leading to committing tens of mass massacres in Syrian prisons and cities in addition to the torture crimes under this illegal security treatment.
“It is outlandish that such a condition continues even under the ongoing foreign pressures, and huge challenges facing Syria at a time when we need to strengthen the home front. However, the regime becomes more wary of people and increases its repression and torture against them while pressures are increasing and as its isolation is increasing”, the MB leader said.
Al Bayanouni saw that maintaining this security method in dealing with citizens- while people are facing tough living and economic conditions in addition to being deprived of freedom and dignity and rights – won”t last for ever and conditions may burst at any time unless those in power diffuse these situations and become opener to people through calling for a mass national conference that includes all national powers to reach a breakthrough in the political life and help people restore their usurped freedom, dignity and rights.
Civil disobedience is necessary to make governments respect people
Rashid Al-Ghanoshi, the leader of Al-Nahda (Renaissance) Movement in Tunisia , told Ikhwanweb that Tunisian government is still adopting security methods in dealing with the Islamic Renaissance movement and others opposition powers. However, he said that the Renaissance Movement is still calling on the government to hold dialogue and a reconciliation.
Al-Ghanoshi said that an official party in Tunisia faced tough harassments from the government to the extent that its leaders are holding a hunger strike protesting at the government”s maltreatment. He said also that Tunisian authorities impose a travel ban on any critic to the government across the political spectrum. He added that this is the same treatment adopted by most Arab governments against Islamic movements and all opposition powers in general.