Gamal Nkrumah tackles the revolts in the Arab Gulf states From fool's gold to angry asceticism, the much-anticipated revolution in the oil-rich Arab Gulf countries will needless to say be cheerless, the pundits conclude. Yet the political commentators also curiously concede that a feel-bad revolution is better than none at all. The Arabian Gulf's economic future may be less than dazzling if theocratic dictatorships do not give way to vibrant democracies. The oil-fuelled glitter of the past half a century might sadly turn out to be fool's gold. Tiny Bahrain, at the trough of the recession, was the first state in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to face a peaceful pro-democracy uprising. There were stirrings in Oman, too. Saudi Arabia by all accounts got off more lightly. Local Gulf papers on the whole champion the Gulf rulers' policy of entrenching themselves in power rather than give in to the reformers. Revolution is out of the question in prosperous Gulf Arab states. There is simmering discontent, the papers concede, but it has certainly not reached boiling point yet. The suppression of "Shia pro-democracy protests" at home and abroad by the House of Saud is seen as the bulwark against the machinations of Shia Iran. The London-based Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat 's front-page headline was unequivocal about the culprit fomenting trouble in the region: Iran. 'Gulf ministers discuss Iranian interference... and Tehran continues its interfering campaign unabated', the paper's editors raged. Al-Hayat went on to decry the "Iranian interference in the domestic affairs of Bahrain and Kuwait" in particular. The paper reported the indignant backlash of the ministers of the GCC meeting in the Saudi capital Riyadh to what they described as "Iranian attempts to politically destabilise the Arab Gulf states". In a silver-tongued and thought-provoking piece, the veteran commentator and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Hayat Ghassan Charbel pointed out that only a month or even a few weeks ago the name of any Arab leader was mentioned with the utmost courtesy, politeness and polish. "Today we hear youngsters urging their leaders to 'go', 'get out'. All of a sudden we have found ourselves in an entirely different world where people have broken the barriers of fear and trepidation," Charbel mused. "Some of the slogans, and banners hoisted high by the youth are at once alluringly attractive and exceptionally dangerous. This is because in our societies youth suffer from unemployment, poverty, peripheralisation and hopelessness." He also hinted that the old guard heading the shaky Gulf governments, will have to accept golden handshakes and go. The pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat also featured the GCC ministerial meeting in Riyadh prominently, warning that Iran represents a threat to the national security of GCC states and that Tehran spreads sectarian and confessional conflict. The raging civil war in Libya, however, was also highlighted in Asharq Al-Awsat. The paper noted that the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi dispatched Abdel-Ati Al-Obeidi, the official at the Libyan Foreign Ministry responsible for European affairs, to Athens to deliver a special message from the Libyan leader to Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou. Gaddafi, apparently, the paper speculated, was keen to solicit Greek assistance in finding a peaceful solution to the Libyan civil war. The ebb and flow of the bloody conflict in the North African country engendered conflicting predictions about its military and diplomatic outcome. As far as Asharq Al-Awsat was concerned, the paper quoted British Prime Minister David Cameron as saying that: "This is the beginning of the end." The paper obviously concurred with Cameron's viewpoint, adding that Gaddafi's closest associates have deserted him and that his regime is collapsing from within. However, Asharq Al-Awsat also quoted Libyan official sources as saying that: "The system is not dependent on individual personalities and that Gaddafi will prevail in the end." Asharq Al-Awsat likewise quoted Gaddafi as urging the leaders of the Western alliance against him to step down from power because they are despots themselves and called on the people in those countries to revolt against the tyranny of the rulers. Syria, or rather the spiralling political uprising in Syria, was the lead story on Saturday's edition of Asharq Al-Awsat. The paper's headline trumpeted: 'Syria -- death in the Friday of Martyrs, and Kurds enlist on the frontline.' The paper also quoted the harsh criticism and severe admonition of the Egyptian-born Islamist preacher Youssef El-Qaradawi against the Syrian regime and ruling clique. "This is the era of change, and those who resist change are trampled underfoot," the fiery preacher thundered. The paper likewise noted Washington's growing impatience with the powers that be in Damascus. In a somewhat loquacious article entitled: 'Where are the Shia of the Emirates and Qatar' columnist Salman Al-Dosri in Al-Hayat pointed out provocatively that the Shia of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar consider themselves nationals of their respective countries first before they pay allegiance to their Shia religious affiliation. "The Shia experience in the Emirates and Qatar prove that loyalty to one's nation is paramount. Loyalty cannot be divided. One cannot have multiple loyalties to his or her nation, tribe, region or religious sect," Al-Dosri stressed. With the shutting down of the pro-democracy Al-Wasat daily of Bahrain, other pro-government papers blared the official line. The pan-Gulf Akhbar Al-Khaleej quoted Bahrain's King Hamad bin Eissa Al-Khalifa who spoke with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on the security situation in the Gulf region in general and Bahrain in particular. Sarkozy apparently expressed his concern over the political instability of Bahrain and other Gulf states. The Bahraini monarch reassured the French president that "everything is under control." The Saudi Arabian daily Okaz reiterated the Gulf Arab position that "denounces the outrageous Iranian interference" in the domestic affairs of the GCC member states. Okaz stressed that Saudi Arabia will not tolerate any Iranian hampering of the political process in Gulf nations. Kuwaiti papers were more concerned with the crisis of control of the state and the creation of a new government in the aftermath of the resignation of ex-prime minister Al-Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohamed's government. The Kuwaiti daily Al-Qabas spelt out how Kuwait is coming to terms with coping with the political crisis gripping the country. 'Negotiations are currently underway to form a new government with the Emir of Kuwait His Royal Highness Sheikh Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah and the Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Jassim Al-Khorafi who replaced his predecessor Ahmed Al-Saadoun." The paper added that "17,000 signatories signed a memorandum warning of dire consequences if Sheikh Al-Mohamed is again asked to form a new government," the paper reported. Last, but not least, are the Yemeni papers that naturally focussed on the popular uprising engulfing the country. The pro-government daily Al-Wahdah obviously backed Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's recent reconciliatory overtures towards the protesters. The paper assured its readers of the "formation of a government of technocrats in the next few days." This the paper noted that Saleh would do "in accordance with an initiative by His Excellency the President to confront head on the challenges facing Yemen, be they political, economic or social."
