(Jerusalem Post) Zvi Mazel - Why is the Arab region one of the poorest of the world? Egyptians say there are two main factors that prevent progress: Islam and the feudal/tribal makeup of Arab societies. These two factors froze a medieval way of life and set up a screen between the Arab region and Europe where progress was taking place at a rapid pace. The Arab world was left behind while Europe moved ahead. Will Egypt emerge from the January 25 Revolution as a country willing to tackle the main obstacles to progress? If, on the other hand, the trial of Hosni Mubarak - with the image of an old and ailing leader on a stretcher in a cage - becomes the defining event setting Egypt on a new path, then there is nothing to hope for. The writer, a fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, was ambassador to Egypt from 1996 to 2001.
2011-08-08 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive