Tag: Anniversary

Another anniversary of Tunisia’s revolution has arrived, and it is marked by a bitter sense of loss and foreboding. 

Under the post-coup dictatorship led by President Kais Saeid, the 2011 fall of the Ben Ali regime after weeks of popular protests is no longer commemorated with joyous gatherings, but rather with demonstrations that are often banned and repressed.

Saied, once the “candidate of the revolution”, has erased the special status of 14 January; rather than celebrating the historic moment that shook Tunisia and the entire region, it is now just an ordinary working day.

But this year, the bittersweet anniversary carries a different flavour. The triumph of another revolution, part of the series of uprisings inspired by Tunisia’s example, and the fleeing of another dictator, brings with it a revival of hope and strengthening of resolve. 

After 14 long years of struggle and sacrifice, the Syrian people have achieved what many once thought was impossible: the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal regime. 

This victory represents the culmination of more than a decade of resistance and resilience; the triumph of the desire for freedom and dignity, despite overwhelming odds; and a revival of the hopes of millions of people across the region and their dreams for justice, long crushed by counter-revolutions and coups.

Syria’s suffering, and the heavy price paid for its liberation from authoritarianism – once used by tyrants as a warning against any calls for reform – now stand as a source of inspiration and hope, and a lesson that the people’s desire for dignity and freedom cannot be crushed by brutal force, barrel bombs, foreign support or demonisation. 

Revolutions cannot be defeated

Change may be delayed and its costs made heavier, but it cannot be avoided forever. In the words of Tunisia’s “poet of love and revolution”, Aboul-Qacem Echebbi: “If the people one day desire life, fate must surely answer their call.”

Tunisians, like other peoples of the region, celebrated alongside Syrians as the incredible news of the ousting of Assad spread. Just as 14 years ago, Tunisia’s groundbreaking revolution ignited hope and inspiration around the region, Syria’s victory today breathes new life into a battered and repressed Arab Spring.

To establish a new, stable political system can take many decades. This is the lesson from all revolutions throughout history

The resilience of the Syrian people in overthrowing Assad sends a powerful message: revolutions might stumble or be derailed, they might take years or decades, and they might come at an enormous cost – but they can never be defeated. 

The Arab Spring is far from over, and the lessons learned from both its setbacks and Syria’s victory will resonate across the Arab world for years to come.

As Syria now deals with the enormous task of rebuilding the country and establishing an inclusive, stable system, Tunisia struggles under authoritarianism and incompetence. 

Undeniable achievements were made after the revolution, particularly in terms of building an inclusive, pluralistic political system. But political gridlock, unfulfilled economic expectations, counter-revolutionary plots and the rise of populism have seen the unravelling of the democratic transition.

Cyclical pattern

Discussing the evolution of Tunisia’s revolution, with all its ups and downs, would take many more pages – but suffice it to say that just as Syria’s revolution witnessed both gains and immense losses, its latest victory, unexpected to many, should be a warning to those who wish to write off the Tunisian revolution and the Arab Spring. 

Revolutions do not achieve their aims overnight. A revolution is not a linear process, but a dialectical one between the continuity and discontinuity of history. 

Transitions do not progress in a linear way, but in a cyclical pattern. Revolutions are followed by counter-revolutions, as forces of change struggle against forces pulling backwards. To establish a new, stable political system can take many decades. This is the lesson from all revolutions throughout history.

As Tunisians prepare to take to the streets on the 14th anniversary of their revolution, hundreds of leaders of the political opposition, including my father Rached Ghannouchi, along with activists, journalists, judges, lawyers and other critics of the regime, continue to be arbitrarily detained or prosecuted by a subjugated judiciary, for refusing to accept the will to return Tunisia to the days of pre-revolution dictatorship. 

Their determination demonstrates the enduring spirit of the Arab Spring, and that the pursuit of freedom, justice and democracy is a long and difficult path. 

To them, Syria brings renewed hope that the struggle of those who sacrificed their freedom and their lives for the dream of societal justice will not be in vain – and that like the joyful scenes of liberation from Syria’s prisons, we will one day, sooner or later, witness similar scenes in Tunisia and across the region.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.