Hazem Saghiyeh

The elections in Tunisia are a subject of interest for the Arab world and peoples as a whole, including—of course—Lebanon, Syria and their respective peoples.

The Maghreb country, which was the starting point of the Arab wave of uprisings, has now acquired a special symbolic importance not only in its immediate environment, but also in the whole world. In this sense, its successful transition to democratic stability will have a lasting effect on both the remaining uprisings and despotic regimes.

Many voices opposed to change will undoubtedly rise, especially in Lebanon and Syria, to swell failures disproportionately and provide exaggerated descriptions of them in an attempt to exploit this negative image against the change movement in countries where change has yet to prevail.

Nevertheless, the issue in Tunisia and, by extension, in the Arab world, will be the following: What role will Islamists, especially the Nahda Movement, play, and what impact will this role have on the democratic process in general and on the future of modernism, and women’s rights in particular?

One can say nowadays that the Islamists’ claims of compatibility with democracy are put to the test more than ever before. But let us not delude ourselves into thinking that Tunisian society, which was worn out by long-tern tyranny, can successfully limit on its own the Islamists’ violations of democracy if they do decide to violate it.

Consequently, the West’s presence—especially in the shape of mutual economic interests—will be the most potent means to curb such transgressions. This is added to the coherence of society against a backdrop of the achievements aiming to shield civil realms against religious dominance and to protect women from the dominance of men.

In any case, the transition will be a difficult one and will require the use of all legitimate forces and tools to shorten the transition period and make it as painless as possible. Crying out about real or potential dangers in order to question change is tantamount to saying, “Do not walk because you might fall down, and do not swim because you might drown.”

The Tunisian people have decided to walk and swim, and the remaining Arab peoples are observing them, wishing they succeed and act as a model for change much like they were a model for laying foundations and first beginnings.

This article is a translation of the original, which appeared on the NOW Arabic on Monday, October 24, 2011