This Bloody Conformity: Middle East Oligarchs Coin a Phrase That is Also a Curse
“Allah la yeghayer ‘alaina: may Allah never change anything on us”
A Gulfie phrase, one of my least favorite
It is interesting how Arab regimes and Arab writers, what pass for ‘intellectuals’ in the region, are in agreement on one issue: both hates the idea of change and clings to the status quo, even as the latter complains about it. Both oligarchs and writers in the media (hardly considered intellectuals in most other cultures: would you consider Dick(tete) Morris an intellectual?) agree on this one issue. They support the dictator of Yemen against the various forces that are fighting him either for autonomy, independence, basic rights, or maybe they are just a bunch of good old al-Qaeda boys out to have a good time.
They also seem to largely, but not fully agree on Sudan: they give at least lip service to the dictatorship in Khartoum (it is embarrassing even for Arab leaders who are not easily embarrassed).
One reason is the usual Arab dislike of change, of thinking of anything different from what is. Conformity and resistance to change is the blight of the Arab world. In fact in some (Persian) Gulf states, a common saying is that “Allah la yeghayer ‘alaina: may Allah never change anything on us”. It is a long way from the old Obama idea of "change you can believe in".
The oligarchs love that saying so much that I suspect they may have coined it.
This force should not be underestimated: it is what keeps the stagnant Mubarak regime in power for nearly three decades and probably beyond even though the average Egyptian’s lot has and is worsening. This is what has allowed Bouteflika in Algeria to run and "win" a third term, after changing the constitution for that purpose, even though the little f---er has not done much to improve the lot of his people. He still blames the French for his own party’s 47 years of misrule. This is what has allowed the young Assad to replace the old Assad in Syria, and this is what will allow Qaddafi’s son Saif ul-Islam to take over from his nutty father. This will allow Gamal Mubarak (Gamal II, preferably Minor Gamal) to take over in Cairo.
This is what allows the various oligarchies to do as they please; abuse and plunder public property without serious challenge. This is what allows the stifling of free speech.
This bloody conformity that infects every economic class and every level of education. It is the curse of Araby, as a heathen Westerner would say.
Cheers
mhg
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