GERAKAN SOSIAL KEBANGKITAN DUNIA ARAB

Galih Prayoga
1811020023
Prodi Sejarah Peradaban Islam, Fakultas Adab dan Humaniora
UIN Imam Bonjol Padang
E-mail : galihprayoga186@gmail.com

Abstract
Arab Spring is a political term in 2011 that describes a wave of revolutionary
movements or social movements in a number of Middle Eastern countries. Political
events that started from the suicide of a young man named Mohammed Bouazizi
from Tunisia to spread to other Arab countries, such as Egypt, Syria, and others.
These political events became the beginning of the rise of the mass movement to rise
up against the dictatorial regimes in most Arab countries. This study is interesting to
study because the Arab Spring is an order of the Arab revolution towards a better
and ideal Arab society and government. This article focuses on the Arab Spring
Revolution in the Middle East and also on its causes and effects. This study uses a
qualitative research method, namely narrative research as used by previous
researchers. Then from the results of this study, it can be seen about the main impact
of the Arab Spring Revolution which became the beginning of a better order for the
Arab Government in the Middle East.

Keywords: Arab Spring, Revolution, Islam, Social Movement

INTRODUCTION
The Arab Spring revolution was a phenomenon that gave rise to rebellions
that occurred in North African and Middle Eastern countries. This phenomenon
causes people to try to overthrow an autocratic government in order to change it to a
democratic government. The Arabs call this important political event as al-Tsaurat
al-Arabiyyah, namely a revolution that will change the order towards an ideal
society and nation, At first, the Arab Spring phenomenon appeared in Tunisia in
2010, then the phenomenon spread widely to various countries such as Egypt,
Algeria, Morocco, Bahrain, Jordan, Libya, Lebanon, Syria.1
Arab Spring can also be interpreted as a form of protest against a
government that is not wanted by the people. Moreover, the Middle East region is a
legacy of a country that uses an absolute monarchy system, due to its historical
background which is a kingdom that has existed for a long time. So with the
irrelevance of the royal system in the 21st century, the people demand a change in
the prevailing system. The Arab Spring is also seen as the beginning of the
development of a more transparent system and order of life. Through this system,
the leader's power can be limited by providing free space (rights) for the community
to participate in politics, both participation in voting and being elected, as well as in
the form of controlling the government.
Since the beginning of January 2011. A term that denotes the downfall of the
authoritarian regimes of the Arab world, starting with Tunisia, Zein Al-Abidin Ben
Ali (Ben Ali), followed by Egypt with the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, then to
Libya, which succeeded in ending the era of the dictatorship of Moammar Gaddafi
which had lasted less than more than 40 years, followed by Yemen, Bahrain, and
Syria which is still ongoing today. The Arab Spring, which was the beginning of the
revival of hope for a better and more democratic life in the Middle East region,
especially the Arab world, actually displayed a more sinister face.

RESEARCH METHODS
In the process of this research, as the author mentioned above, this research
follows the method that many other authors have used, namely by using a qualitative
research method, namely narrative research. also other sources in the form of
articles, news, and related recordings or videos also serve as supporting data for
research to understand further the turmoil of The Arab Spring, and then analyzed
based on the theoretical basis used to frame the analyzed data. With the steps above,
it is hoped that the author can easily get accurate sources and become a systematic
and coherent article.
RESEARCH RESULT
1
Mackay, “Prayer and Politics: How Friday Became Middle East’s Day of Protest,” 2011,
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/06/17/friday.middle.east.protests/.
 From the results of research from existing sources related to the Arab Spring
Revolution in 2011, in this article the author gives the title "Social Movement for the
Resurrection of the Arab World", with a title that is more standard and easy to
understand for the general public but without changing the direction or direction. the
meaning of the Arab Spring Revolution Itself.

DISCUSSION
A series of protests and demonstrations across the Middle East and North
Africa has become widely known as "The Arab Spring". The turmoil of The Arab
Spring is an event that began in Tunisia when a 26-year-old youth, Mohammed
Bouazizi, protested against the atrocities of local government under Ben Ali's
authoritarian regime. Bouazizi committed an act of self-immolation that caught the
attention of the whole country, even the world, on December 17, 2010. On that day,
Friday, December 17, this 26-year-old young man left his home in the morning to
carry out life-sustaining activities, heading for the cart where he sells vegetables in
Sidi Bouzid, 190 miles (300km) south of Tunisia. Bouazizi and his cart have been
targeted by the police because they are considered to be selling without a permit.2
The name "Arabic spring" refers to the Revolution of 1848 also known as
"people's spring" when political upheaval swept through Europe. Since then, "Arabic
spring" has been used to describe movements towards democracy such as in
Czechoslovakia. Western media began to popularize the term "Arab Spring" in
2011.
What is happening in Arabia, from Tunisia to Egypt, from Benghazi to
Tripoli, has caught the world's attention because of the ongoing waves of protests. A
revolution to demand the presence of democracy, freedom of public space, and
demands that countries that have long been in the form of autocracies merge with
the modernism of other countries until now are in a situation that is vulnerable to
crisis and conflict. The date of the Bouazizi self-immolation on December 17, 2010
is considered the initial momentum of the Arab Spring which then spread to other
Middle Eastern countries. Within hours and days, solidarity emerged for the slain

2
Angrist and Michele Penner, Morning in Tunisia. The Frustrations of TheArab World Boil
Over,Dalam The New Arab Revolt, WhatHappened,What It Means, and What Comes Next (New
York: Council on Foreign Relation, 2001).
demonstrators. They are considered dead as martyrs. After Bouazizi's death, the
resistance movement continued until the violence escalated steadily, even closer to
the state capital Tunis. On 27 December 2010, around 1,000 residents together with
residents of Sidi Bouzid expressed solidarity by calling for a joint action against the
government. At the same time, about 300 lawyers staged a demonstration near the
government palace in Tunis. Demonstrations resumed on December 29.3
The Arabic news broadcast Al Jazeera, became the most influential and
provocative media by broadcasting images of the self-immolations and ongoing
demonstrations. The protests quickly spread to the capital, even to neighboring
countries. Individuals from all walks of life soon became part of the wave of protest:
youths, women and men, religious groups, and so on. In less than 2 months, 2
autocratic leaders in the Middle East were overthrown. Ben Ali stepped down from
the Tunisian leadership on January 14, 2011 and Egypt's leader Husni Mubarak
followed one month later, on February 11, 2011.4
This is the era of the revival of the civil movement (people power) to fight
against state control that has never happened before since Tunisia's independence in
1956. It was in response to the rise of civil power that Ben Ali declared that his
country was in a state of emergency and he also promised to hold new legislative
elections within six months..5
Ben Ali also promised, in his speech welcoming the demonstrations, to lower
food prices, guarantee political freedom, the mass media, and promised to step down
from the presidency in 2014. At that time, Ben Ali told his people to create around
300,000 jobs within two years to reduce the unemployment rate.6
Ben Ali's decision to step down and leave Tunisia as soon as possible was
due to two factors. First, the mass movements throughout the country are getting
stronger and are no longer able to be controlled by the state apparatus. The
demonstrators, who initially took to the streets in solidarity with Bouazizi's death,
later demanded the sacking of local police chief Khaled Ghazouani in Kef. Ben Ali
certainly realized that the growing power of the masses against his regime would

3
Tamburaka and Apriadi, Revolusi Timur Tengah, Kejatuhan Para Penguasa Otoriter Di Negara-
Negara Timur Tengah (Yogyakarta: Narasi, 2011).
4
Rosiny, “The Arab Spring, Triggers, Dynamics, and Prospects,” GIGA Focus Number 1 (2012).
5
Revolusi Timur Tengah, Kejatuhan Para Penguasa Otoriter Di Negara-Negara Timur Tengah.
6
Gama Prabowo, Politik Arab Spring Di Timur Tengah (Kompas, 2011).
lead to demands for his resignation from the presidency and then he would be
brought to justice to be held accountable for the deaths of several demonstrators.
Second, Western support does not come in times of crisis when it is needed.
Even France was not willing to grant political asylum so Ben Ali eventually fled to
Saudi Arabia. President Barak Obama welcomed the protest movement of the
demonstrators. Absence of Western support, especially America, which Ben Ali
needed because Tunisia is not a country that safeguards Washington's main interests.
The fall of the powerful Ben Ali regime in Tunisia by the people power
movement, which has been in the media spotlight around the world, has had a
domino effect on other countries in the Arab world. The domino effect was due to
the factors that brought down the Ben Ali regime as well as other Arab countries. In
fact, the social, economic, and political conditions in many Arab countries are worse
than that of Tunisia.7 Most Arab countries are still authoritarian or anti-democratic,
not to call it depostic or dictatorial. This is the beginning of the birth of change in
Arab countries.
The people of the Arab world before Bouazizi's self-immolation were
confused, even desperate to find the door to change in the midst of the closure of all
political channels and the implementation of a super-tight security and intelligence
system. Therefore, Bouazizi's action, which turned out to be able to overthrow the
strong regime of Zine al-Abidin Ben Ali, aroused the enthusiasm of the people of
the Arab world to make changes in their respective countries..8
Egypt is one of the countries affected by the domino effect of the fall of the
Ben Ali regime in Tunisia. A few days after the world learned of the end of Ben
Ali's era, Egyptians began to take to the streets demanding the resignation of
President Hosni Mubarak, who was seen as authoritarian, corrupt and failed to build
on his 30 years in power. Egyptians think that Mubarak's reign has been too long
and it's time to replace it with a new leader. Popular support for Mubarak's
government has dropped drastically due to widespread poverty and unemployment.
Prices soared, while purchasing power declined. About 50 percent of Egypt's 81
million people live below the poverty line.9

7
“Mesir Terkena Efek Tunisia,” Kompas, 2011.
8
“Mesir Terkena Efek Tunisia.”
9
Prabowo, Politik Arab Spring Di Timur Tengah.
 Egyptians, who since January 25, 2011 have taken to the streets demanding
regime change, finally celebrated victory on Friday night, February 11, 2011, after
they heard Vice President Omar Suleiman, via television, inform all Egyptians that
President Hosni Mubarak resigned and handed over power to the Supreme Military
Council. The Egyptian people's revolution at that time had an obsession with
building a democratic system in their country.
Two major events that toppled powerful dictatorial regimes, Ben Ali in
Tunisia and Mubarak in Egypt, made people in Arab countries aware that they can
bring about change in their countries without having to rely on the help of the US or
the international community.10
Of the several countries affected by the turmoil that started in Tunisia, only
Syria has lasted the longest, until today. Other countries have succeeded in
suppressing mass resistance movements against the regime.
In the case of Syria, the opposition group, the Syrian National Council
(SNC), which has the support of the West, under the pretext of the democratization
and humanitarian struggle, has not succeeded in overthrowing the regime of Bashar
al-Assad. The negotiations never succeeded in finding a way out because the
negotiations on the part of the al-Assad regime did not want to discuss the position
of al-Assad's presidency. The opposition has set a fixed price that the negotiations
are aimed at overthrowing the al-Assad regime. Kofi Annan, a senior diplomat and
former Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), was once given the mandate
as the UN special envoy for peace in the Middle East, but Kofi Anan also failed to
resolve the political conflict in Syria and eventually resigned as the UN special
envoy for peace in the Middle East. Because negotiations always hit a dead end.

CAUSATIVE FACTOR
Before The Arab Spring was volatile, the three Arab countries (Tunisia,
Egypt, and Syria) had some similarities in the socio-economic and political
conditions that influenced The Arab Spring. Each of the three countries is led by an
authoritarian leader who has been in power for a long time and a leader who has
come to power without going through a democratic election process. In Tunisia, Ben

10
“Mesir Terkena Efek Tunisia.”
Ali has been in power since 1987 in a bloodless coup. Ben Ali coup d'etat Habib
Bourguiba after he was appointed Prime Minister one month earlier. In Egypt, Hosni
Mubarak became President of Egypt in 1981 after Anwar Sadat was assassinated,
previously serving as vice president. In Syria, Bashar al-Assad's journey to become
President of Syria was to replace his father, Hafezal-Assad, who died on June 10,
2000. Long before Hafez al-Assad died, Bashar al-Assad had actually been prepared
to replace his aging father.
Tariq Ramadan added that dictatorial regimes in Arab countries have long
presented themselves to the world as a necessary evil, as a bulwark against the rise
of Islamic political movements in North Africa and the wider Middle East..11
The three countries built a political regime with a one-party system; in
Tunisia, Ben Ali controlled the political stage with the Rassem blement
Constitutionnel Demoecratique (RCD), in Egypt, Mubarak ruled together with the
Hizbul Wathan (HW) party, in Syria, al-Assad controlled the political stage with the
dominance of the Ba'ath party. Third, these countries have many records of human
rights violations and limit the freedom of expression for their people, including the
absence of press freedom. Fourth, the economic crisis and unemployment hit the
people they lead as well as the rising unemployment rate. Hussein A. Hassouna also
noted that the majority of Arab countries are developing countries where the
illiteracy rate is very high.
Therefore, mass movements that take place in Arab countries have the same
characteristics, namely protests against social and economic conditions, rejecting
dictatorships, and fighting against corruption..12

IMPACT
The Arab Spring phenomenon that occurred in several Middle Eastern
countries had a major impact on the political, social and economic conditions of the
international community. The following are the effects of the Arab Spring:
1. Leads to instability in world oil prices
2. The emergence of economic, social and political crises in Middle Eastern
countries
11
Barakat and Halim, Dunia Arab, Masyarakat, Budaya, dan Negara (Bandung: Nusa Media, 2012).
12
Ramadhan and Tariq, Islam and the Arab Awakening (New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 2012).
 3. The strengthening of Islamic political influence in the Middle East
4. There is a desire from Western countries to instill political interests in the
Middle East region.13

CONCLUSION
From the explanation above, we can draw the conclusion that The Arab
Spring which has been volatile since early 2011 became the beginning of the revival
of the mass movement to demand a change in the socio-political order. Important
political events in Arab countries occurred because of the many factors involved,
namely the role of intellectual groups, both in Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria, as well as
the influence of social media. In addition, the effective role of these two factors is
also supported by the socio-economic situation of the three countries, which from
the data shown above shows that the unemployment and illiteracy rates are quite
high. Another thing that happened from the three countries was that there were many
cases of human rights violations involving the state (regime).
Therefore, the movement of intellectual groups and social media is in line
with the expectations of change from the lower classes, namely hopes for a better
and more ideal life. The Arab world believes that the ideal life is the establishment
of a democratic political system. Therefore, democratization is an integral part of
The Arab Spring.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
13
“Arab Spring.”
Angrist, and Michele Penner. Morning in Tunisia. The Frustrations of TheArab
World Boil Over,Dalam The New Arab Revolt, WhatHappened,What It
Means, and What Comes Next. New York: Council on Foreign Relation,
2001.
“Arab Spring.” History.Com, 2018.
Barakat, and Halim. Dunia Arab, Masyarakat, Budaya, dan Negara. Bandung: Nusa
Media, 2012.
Mackay. “Prayer and Politics: How Friday Became Middle East’s Day of Protest,”
2011.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/06/17/friday.middle.east.protest
s/.
“Mesir Terkena Efek Tunisia.” Kompas, 2011.
Prabowo, Gama. Politik Arab Spring Di Timur Tengah. Kompas, 2011.
Ramadhan, and Tariq. Islam and the Arab Awakening. New York: OxfordUniversity
Press, 2012.
Rosiny. “The Arab Spring, Triggers, Dynamics, and Prospects.” GIGA Focus
Number 1 (2012).
Tamburaka, and Apriadi. Revolusi Timur Tengah, Kejatuhan Para Penguasa Otoriter
Di Negara-Negara Timur Tengah. Yogyakarta: Narasi, 2011.