Tunisian Popular Uprising Puts Arab World on Edge

Tunisia is a predominantly Arab nation in North Africa that has been ruled by a powerful president for 23 years. President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali ruled with an iron fist, jailing or exiling people who spoke out against him and limiting freedom of speech and press.

But Ben Ali was unable to control the events of recent weeks, in which discontent with the high level of unemployment and low standard of living culminated in a popular uprising on the streets of the capital city, Tunis.

The prime minister tried to create a unity government to maintain order until elections in a few months, but by Tuesday, the prime minister was forced to resign and members of the opposition parties pulled out of the fragile coalition.

Uprising challenges Arab leaders

	Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is one of several autocratic leaders in the region who fear an uprising from their people.

Ben Ali stepped down as president and fled to neighboring Saudi Arabia, which raised fear in other Arab leaders.

“What has happened in Tunisia is basically the people saying the impossible is possible, because, forever, Arabs have been told you cannot topple your leaders, you cannot topple your dictators,” Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahaway told the NewsHour.

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi quickly went on television telling Tunisians that they made a great mistake by overthrowing their dictator. "Now, what essentially he was saying is: I am scared witless by what happened next door," explains Eltahaway.

Young man who martyred himself sparked protest

	The recent protests in Tunisia began after a young man committed suicide after government officials took away his vegetable stand.

Tensions began to mount last month when a college-graduate street vendor lit himself in fire, committing suicide, after government officials took away his vegetable stand.  Word of the self-immolation spread via Twitter and Facebook, and Tunisians saw it as evidence that the government's arrogance and brutality was destroying the country's future.

“I want [President Ali] to quit,” said a woman protesting in the capital. “We don't believe him when he says that he will bring us democracy and I think the best thing for him to do is go out.”

The majority of protesters are college-educated young people demanding that the government create more jobs and allow Tunisia to become part of the global community.

Will revolution spread?

	Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has ruled for 30 years and has prevented any opposing movements or candidates from taking power.

In nearby Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak has ruled for 30 years, and many Egyptians oppose his tight control over their country. Powerful Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria, also nearby, have longstanding rulers who are known for stamping out any opposition.

Since the upheaval in Tunisia, citizens living under autocratic governments have tried to start similar revolutions by copying Tunisians’ actions.

A man in Egypt recently set himself on fire outside of the prime minister’s office in Cairo. Similar incidents have also taken place in Mauritania and Algeria, presumably in efforts to spark revolution.

“What I'm seeing when I look across the Arab world is a very youthful population that has been energized and empowered by watching the fellow youth of Tunisia go out on the street and say no,” Eltahaway said.

Some consider Tunisia’s situation unique

	Tunisia is different from other Middle Eastern countries in many ways, so its revolution could be unique.

Even though Tunisia’s resistance movement has served as inspiration to some, many analysts argue that Tunisia’s weak military and unique political situation mean the uprising won’t necessarily spread to other parts of the region.

Tunisians are very well-educated and Ben Ali’s government had fiercely repressed Islamist political movements, so the uprising had less to do with religious views than with general discontent with the government.

By contrast, opposition movements in places like Egypt and Syria are largely made up of Muslim political parties who want their countries to become Islamist states.

"It's important to avoid thinking that the circumstances of one country are automatically replicated in another, even neighboring, country," British Foreign Minister William Hague told BBC radio.

In addition, relative freedom of information meant that Tunisians had greater access to Twitter and other social media that made mobilization without a leader possible.