Sami Naïr, professor of Political Science and currently director of the Andalusí Mediterranean Centre (CMA), poses the question in his latest work —¿Por qué se rebelan? Revoluciones y contrarrevoluciones en el mundo árabe (Why do they Revolt? Revolutions and Counter-revolutions in the Arab World)— of whether we can presume the Arab Spring is over or, conversely, if the popular uprisings demanding democracy and dignity are just another piece of the progressive break-up of dictatorial and authoritarian Arab systems. The rise of conservative religious movements would appear to indicate that the democratic uprisings in countries in the southern basin and east of the Mediterranean have lead to a victory for political Islam. But, is that really true? How do we then explain the climate of Civil War occurring in Egypt? What political transformations are taking place in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia? What is the democratic base that citizens demand rights and freedom from? We had the chance to talk to Sami Naïr about these issues within the framework of the Rototom Sunsplash Festival, held in Benicasim in August 2013.
Arab world, Islam, democracy, globalisation, ethics.