The Arab revolutions have ended in a deadlock. In Egypt, a new army-supported authoritarianism holds power after the overthrow of the elected President Morsi. In Libya, warlords are ruling in a fragmented country. In Syria, civil war is raging and the fight against the Assad dictatorship is overshadowed by the return of the Jihadists whose explicit goal is Islamic theocracy. Yemen remains divided and Morocco s cosmetic reforms have not changed any prerogative of the king. Saudi Arabia promotes counter-revolutionary forces in the region to stabilize the status quo and escape its own political reform. The only success story is Tunisia, where a new secular constitution is opening the road to democracy.This book offers an insider s analysis of the economic, cultural, and political roots of the present crisis. Drawing on his interviews and observations in several countries, Khosrokhavar explains why the new political actors were unable to cope with and manage change. The ideals of the Arab Revolution still inspire Arab youth and, like a forbidden fruit, once tasted, its flavor cannot be forgotten.
Once the trauma of the first failures is overcome, new social movements will call into question the burgeoning autocracies."