The Death of Bin Laden

The political tectonic plates in the Middle East continue to shift.  The death of Osama Bin Laden on May 1, and the agreement between Palestinian political factions Fatah and Hamas to form a Palestinian unity government on May 4 are hopefully both signs of the decline of militant Islam and terrorism in the Middle East.

This decline is also seen in the ongoing Arab Spring in which thousands of a people across the Middle East continue to revolt against autocratic rule. Protests in Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain continue to express disenchantment with the current governments’ inability to address the needs of a younger generation frustrated by lack of economic opportunities and lack of empowerment to change their conditions through political institutions.

The future, Arab youth seem to be saying, lies with democratic reform, not with autocracy or militant Islam. The death of Bin Laden will be of far less significance in curbing terrorism than the pro-democracy struggle sweeping the Arab world that may help end the conditions that breed extremism.

Click here to continue reading this CMEP Bulletin, including the following items:

• Palestinian unity efforts
• Problems posed by HAMAS
• Next steps
• CMEP Advocacy Conference