Suchergebnisse

Algeria, the biggest country in Africa and potentially one of the most volatile, played an eerily subdued role in the Arab Spring. There were sizeable demonstrations to begin with but while neighbours including Libya and Tunisia exploded into revolution, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's regime remained remarkably stable. It is only now, two years since a wave of popular uprisings spread across the Middle East and North Africa, that Algeria has become a focus of world interest. With revived interest in Algeria, there is much for the West to learn. Bouteflika spent much of the Arab Spring warning that gangster jihadists would thrive within the borders of his newly liberated neighbours. Anticipating dark consequences of the Arab uprisings, the determinedly iron-fisted Bouteflika clamped down on any sign of unrest at the beginning of 2011. Adapted from the source document.

The formation of a feminist consciousness in Egypt ran parallel with the country's rapid development as a modern state at the start of the 19th century. Technological advancements within Muhammad Ali's increasingly capitalistic, secular country were accompanied by burgeoning intellectual thought among all sections of society, including women. By the end of the century, a middle-class female literary culture had become indelibly associated with a nationwide feminist awakening. The feminist element to the wider independence movement was both vocal and powerful, as women rallied under the 'Egypt for the Egyptians' slogan. Elite women who had organised themselves politically had first taken part in nationalist demonstrations in March 1919, and were to become a critical force in achieving the partial removal of the British from Egypt in 1922. Nationalism also became a vehicle for specific feminist demands. So it was that two dynamic and overlapping ideologies – nationalist and feminist – combined to create a formidable campaigning force which would have a compelling effect on the progress of Egyptian society. Radical calls for change being made by a pioneering women's movement strengthened the nationalist cause. In turn, feminists gained from their close association with the nationalists, using their connections to build up their own power base.