December 13, 2011
by Mrs. Gehle
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**After you finishing reading and researching, go to moodle to join our discussion.
In Libya, after months of fighting, rebels have ousted longtime ruler Muammar el-Qaddafi. In Syria, President Bashar al-Assad is attacking demonstrators to crush a protest movement. In Egypt, a mostly peaceful revolution forced the resignation of President Hosni Mubarek last February. In Yemen, protests are endangering this already-unstable nation.
It all began last December, when a 26-year-old fruit vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire to protest his mistreatment by police. Within a month, Tunisians had forced President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali from office. Overnight, it seemed, protests swept Arab countries across the Middle East and North Africa. Ten months later, the region is still in a state of turmoil.
Read these articles to learn more. Then, visit moodle and join the discussion comparing these revolts to the American Revolution.
“In Tunisia, act of one fruit vendor unleashes wave of revolution through the Arab world. By Marc Fisher, The Washington Post, March 26, 2011. This article gives a good account of the origins of the Arab spring in Tunisia and how the movement spread throughout the region.
Country by country map of Middle East protests.
Arab Spring: An interactive timeline of Middle East protests By Gary Blight and Sheila Pulham, The Guardian, June 8, 2011. This interactive timeline provides information on protests, government responses, international responses, regime changes and more, for 17 different Middle East countries. Bonus: each point on the timeline is linked to a relevant news stories.
How Revolutions Happen – A comparison of the unrest in Egypt and other revolutions since 1979.
“After the hope of the Arab Spring, the chill of the Arab Winter An article published this weekend taking a look at the current situation. What will happen next? How will it affect people in the Middle East? How could it affect Americans?
Updated to add:
Hacking for Democracy (published in The Washington Post on Wednesday, December 7) — How American computer hackers are helping Arab revolutionaries. So interesting!