The Spirit of Tahrir

This site is dedicated to support current democratic movements throughout the Arab and Muslim world that are an inspiration to people everywhere. The iconic symbol of these movements are the largely nonviolent demonstrations in Tahrir (Liberation) Square in Cairo, Egypt that led to the overthrow of the decades-old Mubarak regime.

Photo: Tahrir Square, Cairo, July 12, 2011.
Photo Source: Mohamed Abd El-Ghany / Reuters; The Globe and Mail

The page in no way implies that the democracies in other regions are perfect. In the United States, for example, we are struggling to overcome the corrupting influence of money and large corporate influence in our political system. There is no perfect democracy anywhere. The citizens of the world need to support each other as we strive toward more fully genuine democratic institutions in our local communities, nations, and planet.

General Links / Resources

Nonviolence International's Key Resources on Nonviolent Struggle in Arabic

From Nonviolence International: "Amid months of popular struggles for democracy and human rights across the Middle East and North Africa, Nonviolence International and the Holy Land Trust have compiled a collection of Arabic language resources about nonviolence and civil resistance. Many of these resources are available for free online. The list is being updated regularly as more works are translated. Please help us disseminate it widely."

Support for 2011 Protests in the Middle East (Facebook)

@ArabsUnite (Twitter)

@LiberationTech (Twitter)

Arab Spring: An Interactive Timeline of Middle East Protests (The Guardian)

Peace and Collaborative Development Network (Twitter)

Reader Supported News, "Rocking the Cradle: Revolution in the Arab World, the Middle East and Beyond" *(Daily Updates)

Metta Center for Nonviolence Education (Facebook)

Women in the Arab Spring

"Women Rise to the Challenge in the Arab Spring," by Michelle Chen, Common Dreams, May 27, 2011.

"An Arab Spring for Women: The Missing Story from the Middle East," by Juan Cole, Huffington Post, April 26, 2011.

Right Back At You

Here, literally, are some signs of growing solidarity across different parts of the global civil society movement for democracy and human rights. The first sign, below, is from the Madison, Wisconsin demonstrations for keeping the right of collective bargaining, with a nod to the revolution in Egypt, and the second is from Tahrir Square in Egypt, showing support for the demonstrations in Madison.

Photo Source: "The 100 Best Signs at the Wisconsin Capitol," Buzzfeed.

Photo: Message of solidarity from Egypt to Wisconsin, Tahrir Square, Cairo.
Photo Source: Muhammad Saladin Nusair's (pictured) Facebook page.