Tunisia: Our silence, their courage

A spectre is haunting the Arab world, the spectre of a social liberal revolution led by young educated people whose ambitions are frustrated by incompetent regimes. The Tunisians have made it clear that they will no longer accept a choice between irrational fundamentalists and corrupt regimes propped up by the West.

The West must learn a lesson, that Arabs are not inferiors who are best kept at bay by corrupt and compliant regimes. This racist stereotype which depicts Arabs as fundamentally incapable of democratic norms pervades both left and right is even worse than Bush's notion of regime change (which was immediately compromised by US friendship with Mubarak and co). In fact the west needs to make it clear once and for all that economic gains and cooperation run hand in hand with respect for human rights. And Malta is no exception. Its time to say in public what is said in private.

Wikileaks revelations about the scathing private views of the US ambassador in Tunis were widely read across the region – and, some argue, even helped prepare the ground for the current unrest. Perhaps Wikileaks was more successful at regime change than Bush.

Not surprisingly Ghaddafi not only condemned the revolution but blamed it on Wikileaks. The man who survived the wrath of George W Bush now fears the non violent revolution of the internet. Another striking aspect of the affair was Europe’s failure to grasp the epochal moment. Just imagine the west remaining silent as East German started tearing down the Berlin wall.

The EU’s collective response was weak and delayed. The EU statement contained no threat of breaking relations and economic help to the regime. As democracy protests continued and human rights groups denounced the massacre of over 60 demonstrators, the European Union welcomed an announcement by the country's president  Ben Ali, that he would not seek re-election in 2014.

The day after he was  forced to leave the country.The Maltese government's response was non existent. This lack of resolve will probably strengthen fundamentalists who scorn the west’s double standards but offer nothing but brutality and isolation for their people. Al Qeada expressed more solidarity with the Tunisian people than the west.

The EUobserver points at France, Spain, Italy and "increasingly Malta" as the culprits within the EU Council for blocking a more assertive role for the Union. This does not augur well for our relations with a democratic Tunisia. And lets not forget tomorrow it could happen in Libya whose regime is held in high regard by both major parties in Malta.