CAIRO – Arab rulers are stubbornly, or foolishly, refusing to learn the lesson from past and present his- tory. Apparently blinded by the glitter of power, Arab rulers are arrogantly lending a deaf ear to loud calls for freedom and democracy in neighbouring countries. The perfect example of mavericks in ruling palaces is the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Regardless of breath- taking political changes and develop- ments taking place in different Arab countries, such as Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen, Bashar obstinately shrugged off warnings that the fire of democracy was catching the edges of his coat. He refused to relinquish his stubbornness even after he was informed that mass demonstrations were being organised in different Syrian towns and cities and were calling for dignity and democracy. Bashar's medical education in the UK could be responsible for his unpoliticised response to calls for democracy and dignity. Taking into consideration his long stay in London, Bashar failed to appreciate why his people were calling for democracy and freedom. Bashar inherited power from his father Hafez Assad, who had ruled Syria for more than 30 years. Instead of listening attentively and sincerely to his people's cries, Bashar deployed his army to quell pro-democracy mass demonstrations. Like his late father, who used jet fighters and tanks to quell uprisings against his rulings in the 1970s, notably in Hama, the son ordered the Syrian army to aim their guns and tanks at civilians marching peacefully in the street. The melodrama surrounding the regime of the father and his son concerns the fact that neither of them has ever thought about provoking the Israeli forces, which have been occupying the Golan Heights since 1967. This is because the Syrian regime of Assad family knows beyond any doubt that Israel's response would be punitive. [email protected]
