kifaya and the Arab Grass Roots Movements

"Kifaya or Enough" is a small yet gaining momentum grass roots secular movement calling for change in Egypt. It is unique that it is the first time since a long time that a secular movement for a peaceful change is gaining momentum not only in Egypt but in many other Arab countries. Since the sixties and early seventies the calls for change have been owned to groups that called for a religious change the way they see it. The vast majority of the masses were and still are silent but Kifaya is gaining momentum. Kifaya depends on small and short yet much publicized strokes against the aging regime of President Mubarak of Egypt. They organize almost daily demonstrations with small number of people and they use poetic slogans to express their feelings, frustrations, demands and hopes. The Egyptians have been famous of expressing themselves politically by using jokes or poetic slogans. They found this method over the years safer than using direct statements calling for change. During one of Kifaya demonstrations that took place in the same time of a visit by US Secretary of State Condi Rice, demonstrators were shouting " give him a visa, give him a visa, and take him with you Condoleezza" they meant of course to take with her president Mubarak. Another poetic slogan says “wake up! You who are sleeping in Abdin-one of the presidential palaces- your rule is in the mud and dirt!" again they meant the president. The "virus" of Kifaya is spreading in the Arab world under other names, sometimes similar with the same simple idea to create grass roots movements that -they hope- eventually will change the status qua. The field in the Middle East is no longer lift to extremists, other groups and people across all sects and religions are going to the streets asking for change. They are not only asking for political change but also for economic change. Lady luck, I think, is on their side for one important reason, the times that we live in, the spread of democracy and most important thing the media, the satellite media that covers every where and sends it all over the world. The satellite news media has changed the Arab world forever. People know that even the smallest movement will be covered by somebody. The rulers, most of them so far, want to be appeared as tolerant to freedom of speech and demonstrators. They want to appear democratic.