Arabs everywhere are crying out to demand freedom. Egyptians, Libyans, and Saudi Arabians are standing up to corrupt and violent governments and clamoring for change. They raise their fists for freedom, equality, and hope.
On January 30th, Egyptians protested in a "Day of Rage." Officially, Bahrain followed on February 14th, Libya on February 17th, Morocco on February 20th, Tunisia on February 25th, and Saudi Arabia on March 11th. Unofficially, many have fallen in between, more frequent in some countries than others. In Morocco, for instance, every Sunday has seen peaceful protests in all the major cities since February 20th.
The protesters collectively want freedom. But on an individual level, people are demanding work, better pay, and more opportunities for the college-educated. They want to put a stop to corruption. They want new leaders. They want a better life.
But today's freedom movement has a serious internal flaw. The focus is on me. What can I get? How can I better my position? America's freedom was built on a Judeo-Christian ethic, an entire nation joining together to create a better world for everyone. Where self-interest comes first, freedom devolves into tyranny. The fight for personal gain is not the fight of freedom. This man's freedom is another man's chains.
The conception of freedom that requires the destruction of the bourgeoisie by the proletariat is a never-ending cycle of violence. Freedom always has in view the minority. And this is the fork in the road where freedom and Arab culture part ways because even the minority does not have in mind the minority. What an Arab minority has in mind is ascension to power on the backs of other minorities. For many, freedom is an empty word, a stepping stone to securing power.
I fear that many of today's freedom fighters have a short-sighted view of freedom. If freedom is what you want for your nation, there is no place for your motivations of money, power, and position. Freedom requires sacrifice. Freedom defends the weak, helps the helpless, and extends its hand to enemies. My Arab friends, you must set aside your hatred, your biases, and your differences. It may sound counter-intuitive, but by helping the helpless, you help yourself.
Will you fight for your own rights, but deny them to your countrymen? At the end of the day, will the poor and uneducated still be marginalized? When you have seen your revolution through, will you acknowledge the rights of your Christian brothers and sisters, those who have been threatened, tortured, and killed in the name of Islam? Will you defend the oppressed, abused, and downtrodden?
I want you to know that you have many Christian countrymen. In fact, they are scattered all across North Africa and the Middle East. They work hard, commend truth, seek justice, and ask God to give wisdom to those in authority over them. They are the minority that is most in danger of being left behind in this revolution.
Will we all get the better life you seek, or is this just a facade?
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