DEMOCRACY FIRST IN THE ARAB WORLD Press Conference
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Washington D.C
Washington .. Prominent Arab figures call on the West to stop supporting "authoritarian regimes"
Prominent Arab figures have called on the West’s governments to stop their support for what they called “authoritarian regimes” in the Arab region, and instead to work in support of the Arab peoples’ right to freedom and democracy.
These remarks were made in a press conference they held in Washington two days before a summit reported to be held by US President Joe Biden tomorrow, Thursday, under the title " The Summit for Democracy and Freedoms", with the participation of about 108 countries, including only one Arab country, Iraq.
At the press conference on the outcomes of the virtual global conference held last Friday under the title “Democracy First in the Arab World”, which brought together Arab politicians, human rights defenders and thinkers, these figures emphasized the right of their peoples to freedom, democracy and peaceful change.
A statement by the conference has called for each country to re-evaluate its relations with entities and regimes that violate human rights and practice political repression.
The statement also called for the immediate release of all political detainees in the Arab world, and for prosecuting those responsible for violations in the Middle East and North Africa.
According the statement, the participants emphasized the need for the international community not tolerate authoritarian regimes because the latter embody the essence of corruption and perpetuate inhuman practices, a thing that usually leads to instability and turmoil that can extend far beyond the borders of the countries suffering from those regimes.
In his speech during the conference, former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki called on Western countries, especially the United States, to stop their support for authoritarian regimes that prevent Arab peoples from their right to democracy, and not to remain silent towards practices of some states, including especially the UAE hostile to all Arab pro-democracy revolutions.
The Arab peoples are paying a heavy price for their struggle for democracy, explained Mr. Marzouki, pointing out to tens of thousands killed and injured in Yemen, Libya and Syria, and to millions of displaced people, including those starving in Yemen or inside camps in Lebanon, in addition to thousands of Arab political opponents in jails.
For her part, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights activist Tawakkol Karman emphasized the importance for the United States and the West in general to correct their policy towards authoritarian regimes, especially in the Arab world, where they (western countries) sometimes collude with tyrants and support a destructive project led by anti-freedom and -democracy capitals, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“We in the Arab world are struggling for democracy, and we have the absolute right to live freely like Americans, Europeans and many peoples around the world who live as free citizens under democratic rule”, she added.
Mrs. Karman explained that the United States and the West must act with a great deal of firmness on Iran's destructive policy in the region, which contributes to disturbing security and stability in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, noting that there is a belief that the West may be inclined to tolerate Iran's behavior and crimes, and therefore an adequate pressure is required to release tens of thousands of political detainees in Middle Eastern countries.
Regarding the Arab people, she confirmed that no one thinks of giving up or stopping dreaming, struggling and sacrificing for the sake of democracy, freedom and the rule of law before such noble values are achieved.
On the other hand, Dr. Ayman Nour, the head of the Union of Egyptian National Forces, affirmed in a message to US President Joe Biden that there can be no reforms without reformers and nor democracy without democrats, calling on everyone to engage in a serious and civilized dialogue with the reformist forces to reach a common understanding in order to reach democracy in Egypt and the Middle East.
In the speech delivered on his behalf by Dr. Samia Harris, a member of the Supreme Committee of the Union of National Forces, Mr. Nour wondered how a voice representing the Arab peoples is absent in the Biden Summit for Democracy, indicating that democracy matters to Arab peoples more than anyone else because they alone pay unparalleled heavy prices for the sake of democracy.
Nour also criticized the ongoing silence under the pretext of false stability, regional roles and illusory reforms, wondering what does the Democracy for Summit expect from 400 million Arabs ignored in case the summit statement fail to mention the military and constitutional coups and guerrilla wars affecting peoples??
The victims in graves or prisons have the right to hear an echo of their cries at a summit bearing the slogan of democracy, he added.
In his participation, the Secretary-General of the oppositio
Speakers Bio
President Moncef Marzouki
About President Moncef Marzouki
was the first democratically elected president of Tunisia after the January 14th Revolution. He is a Doctor of Medicine, a human rights activist, an author of numerous works on political philosophy in the Arab world, and founder of the center-left Congress Party for the Republic (CPR). In 2015,
Dr. Marzouki founded the Harak Al-Irada party. He has published more than twenty books in Arabic and French between 1980 and 2020, encompassing a variety of topics related to the ideas and ideals of democracy and human rights in Arab-Islamic society.
Tawakkol Karman
About Tawakkol Karman
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, in recognition for her non-violent struggle for democracy and her advocacy for women’s rights in Yemen. Karman has been imprisoned on several occasions for her pro-democracy, pro-human rights protests. Amongst
Yemen’s Youth movement, she is known as “mother of the revolution”, “the iron woman”, and the Lady of the Arab
Spring. She is a human rights activist, journalist, politician, the Founder Peaceful Youth Revolution Council, and the Founder of Tawakkol Karman International Foundation.
Yemen’s Youth movement, she is known as “mother of the revolution”, “the iron woman”, and the Lady of the Arab
Spring. She is a human rights activist, journalist, politician, the Founder Peaceful Youth Revolution Council, and the Founder of Tawakkol Karman International Foundation.
TIME Magazine described her as a 'Torchbearer of the Arab Spring' and named her both one of the 100 most influential women defining the last century and one of the Most Rebellious Women in History. She was member of the High- Level Panel of eminent persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Dr. Ayman Nour
the Chairman of the Ghad al-Thawra Party and the head of Egyptian Forces Union, competed in Egypt’s first presidential elections in 2005. As one of the most prominent politicians calling for democracy, Mr. Nour participated in Egypt Revolution of 2011. He coined the well-known revolutionary slogan “Leave!”. Now, he serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Sharq TV.
Dr. Khalil E. Jahshan
About Dr. Khalil E. Jahshan
is an Arab American political analyst, researcher, and media commentator. He currently serves as Executive Director of Arab Center Washington DC. Between 2004 and 2013, he was a Lecturer in International Studies and Languages at Pepperdine University and Executive Director of Pepperdine’s Seaver College Washington DC Internship Program. Throughout his career, he held numerous leadership positions in the Arab American community, including President of the National Association of Arab Americans
National Director of the Association of Arab- American University Graduates, Assistant Director of the
Palestine Research and Educational Center, and Lecturer in Arabic at the University of Chicago Extension and at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Jahshan also served on boards of directors and advisory boards of several Middle East-oriented organizations including ANERA, MIFTAH, and Search for Common Ground. He appears regularly as a political commentator on Arab and American media outlets
Palestine Research and Educational Center, and Lecturer in Arabic at the University of Chicago Extension and at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Jahshan also served on boards of directors and advisory boards of several Middle East-oriented organizations including ANERA, MIFTAH, and Search for Common Ground. He appears regularly as a political commentator on Arab and American media outlets
Dr. Samia Harris
is mother, grandmother. An educator and businesswoman, human rights activist focusing on the Middle East. A director and founding member of various civil organizations, including The Union of Egyptian National Forces, Ghad Elthowra party, CEAR and others
Dr. Abdullah Alaoudh
is the General Secretary of the National Assembly Party (NAAS). Alaoudh is the Director for the Gulf at Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), Visiting Adjunct Professor at George Washington University and a fellow at Yaqeen Islamic Institute. He served as a Senior Fellow at the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University for two years and was also a postdoctoral fellow at Yale Law School.
Mr. Mokhtar Kamel
is an Egyptian Independent Political Analyst. He was a former IMF staff and participated in the founding of, and served at various capacities with, several Egyptian NGOs in the US during the last 3 decades. Has numerous writings and interviews on political, cultural, and economic issues of international relations and the Middle East.