Seminar on “Unrest and Revolt in the Arab World”

Palestinians are carefully watching the wave of change in the Middle East and engaged in the process of reuniting different segments struggling for independence besides reforming the political system to achieve the rainbow political regime.

This was stated by Ambassador of Palestine to Pakistan Hazem Hussein Abu Shanab addressing the seminar on “Unrest and Revolt in the Arab World” organized here on Thursday by International Relations Society of the School of International Relations and Political Science, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU).

Tanvir Ahmad Khan, former foreign secretary, highlighted the different reasons of uprisings spreading across several Arab countries. He said the academicians and analysts are working hard to understand this extremely complex and challenging phenomena.

He said before analyzing the series of events one should keep in mind the role of western media that manipulated the facts with its limitless resources and intelligence. “In this particular case they invented different elegant phrases like “Arab Revolt” and spread it across the world. Through these media corporations we are told that this is long awaited Arab rebellion by the Arab masses particularly by the youth for freedom and liberty,” he said.

Tanvir said the Arab rulers went wrong when they thought that only development can satisfy their masses and most of the uprisings were against those rulers who were in power from thirty to forty years.

“The Arab rulers were in the state of denial and did not accept the social change and requirements of the youth which is open to the world. But at deeper level Arab youth was greatly disturb, dissatisfied and humiliated over the unresolved issue of Palestine,” he said.

He said that while analyzing the current situation in the Middle East one should guard against the generalizations because despite having broad spectrum there is a need to address the specific issues like Libya. He said the basic motive behind regime change in Libya is to safeguard the interests of western oil companies.

QAU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, Dr. Eatzaz Ahmed, Dean Social Sciences, Dr. Lubna Abid, Chairperson of the School of International Relations and Political Science and faculty member attended the seminar