What do Arab uprisings mean?

The current uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East can be regarded as the third wave of efforts by Arabs to revive their nations since the end of World War II. The first wave was in the 1950s and 1960s, when national democratic revolutions, such as the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 led by Gamal Abdel Nasser, toppled the monarchies supported by the West. The second wave was the Islamic revival movement of the 1970s and 1980s. Inspired by Jamal-al-Din Afghani, the forerunner of re-Islamization, many Arab politicians sought help from religion. Al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden can be seen as a side effect of the second wave.

Now comes the third wave of Arab renaissance. This is a grassroots movement. Unlike the first and the second wave, which were led by elites, the third is led by ordinary people. The Arab world used to be a center of civilization. And like many Chinese, Arabs also see the last two centuries as a period of painful humiliation. Most Arab states still struggle to adjust to a swiftly changing, largely West dominated, and deeply globalized world.

The current Arab uprisings are not only a fight against economic disparity and social injustice, but also a fight for identity and dignity. It is the effort made by the Arab people to seek modernity and regain their rightful place in the world.