The Lip News
Episode 85
The Death of the Arab Spring Revisited with Sohrab Ahmari
On December 17, 2010 protests erupted across the Middle East, reaching into Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria after a Tunisian fruit vendor set himself on fire in protest of Tunisia’s autocratic government. The uprising, coined the Arab Spring, seemed poised to make way for a new generation of democracy in the region. On the five year anniversary Wall Street Journal columnist Sohrab Ahmari recalls the events of the Arab Spring as well as how disorganized liberals couldn’t compete with the politics Islamism. Ahmari also discusses how honor culture as well as the Iran nuclear deal is shaping the Middle East today in this Lip News interview hosted by Philippe Assouline.
Episode Breakdown
00:01 Welcoming Sohrab Ahmari to The Lip News.
01:10 Writing Arab Spring Dreams: a eulogy for the Arab spring & The American Islamic converse.
03:30 Why the arab spring failed, honor culture and tribalism.
05:21 How honor culture shaped progress, Tunisia and democratic elections.
08:23 Problems liberals have with gaining and retaining prower.
10:18 An islamic awakening, traditional arab ideologies and reaching peace.
15:01 Iran’s support to liberal opponents, Obama and Iran nuclear deal.
19:10 Presidential predictions.
20:48 Thank you and goodbye.
Guest Bio
Sohrab Ahmari is an editorial page writer for the Wall Street Journal Europe, based in London. He joined the Journal in New York as an assistant books editor after serving as a Robert L. Bartley fellow in 2012. Prior to joining the Journal, he earned a law degree from Northeastern University and was a nonresident fellow at the Henry Jackson Society. An alumnus of Teach for America, Mr. Ahmari is co-editor of “Arab Spring Dreams,” an anthology of essays by young dissidents in the Middle East.
Hosts
Lissette Padilla
Mark Sovel
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