Gaddafi's death and a warning for dictators
FREE Catholic Classes
Opposition leaders from Syria and Yemen have a grim warning for their governments: Pay attention to what happened to Gaddafi--you could be next.
Highlights
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
10/21/2011 (1 decade ago)
Published in Middle East
Keywords: Syria, Yemen, opposition, tyrants, Gaddafi, dictators, , Arab spring
ANKARA, TURKEY (Catholic Online) - Omar Al-Muqdad, a Syrian opposition activist living in Turkey said, "This is a lesson for all dictatorships: The clear fate of all who kill his people is to end up under the feet of the nation." He also added that the Syrian national assembly "blesses the Libyan people that got rid of an infamous dictator such as Gaddafi."
He also said that it would inspire the Syrian people to topple President Bashar Al-Assad who would "suffer the same fate" if he fell from power.
In Sweden, Yemeni blogger Afrah Nasser said, "whether he was killed or not, I hope Saleh is watching the news closely." She said that she is hopeful her country's opposition will get international support.
She clarified, "the support we need is sanctions against Saleh and boycott of Saleh's regime and acknowledgment of Yemen's opposition National Council. Nasser is blogging from Sweden for fear of being killed should she return home.
Opposition representatives from both Syria and Yemen made numerous statements on the occasion of Gaddafi's death on Thursday. They are hopeful that their respective regimes will see it as a warning that a similar fate could befall them should they continue to oppress their people and refuse change.
Some analysts predict that the death of Gaddafi will have a galvanizing effect on opposition parties throughout the middle east, and that governments will become increasingly nervous as a result. David Hartwell, a regional expert said, "I think what we've seen in the past is that Tunisia had the effect of emboldening the opposition in Egypt. That has ripple effects out to Yemen and Libya itself."
Of course, the ripple effects could be far more widespread than any experts are capable of predicting. Certainly expectations are high for opposition groups in Syria and Yemen. However, active opposition groups also exist in other Middle Eastern countries, and even in Saudi Arabia a close American ally, the Arab spring movement has emboldened women to insist on more rights under the current regime. Perhaps most surprising, the Arab spring movement has even emboldened American youths to take to the streets as part of the Occupy Wall Street protests.
Although violence is unlikely to spread outside of Syria and Yemen, world leaders will do well to keep watch and pay better attention to their people.
---
'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'
Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
St. Faustina Kowalska
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Saint of the Day for Wednesday, Oct 4th, 2023
-
Popular Saints
-
St. Francis of Assisi
-
Bible
-
Female / Women Saints
-
7 Morning Prayers you need to get your day started with God
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
A Future for Life: Introducing the Winners of the Priests for Life Pro-Life Essay Contest
-
Reflections on Pope Francis' 2025 World Day of Peace message
-
Exposing the Dark Reality of Sex Trafficking
-
Trump's Bold Geopolitical Moves: A Call for Reflection from a Catholic Perspective
-
Pope Francis Calls for Action Against Child Exploitation and Abuse
Daily Catholic
- Daily Readings for Thursday, January 09, 2025
- St. Adrian, Abbot: Saint of the Day for Thursday, January 09, 2025
- Prayer for a Blessing on the New Year: Prayer of the Day for Tuesday, December 31, 2024
- Daily Readings for Wednesday, January 08, 2025
- St. Thorfinn: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, January 08, 2025
- St. Theresa of the Child Jesus: Prayer of the Day for Monday, December 30, 2024
Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.