A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Friday, December 16, 2011

A Year Ago Tomorrow, Mohamed Bouazizi Struck a Match . . .

. . . and the fire is still burning. A year ago, on December 17, 2010, an unknown street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi, in the little-known town of Sidi Bouzid. Tunisia, frustrated by his struggle as a street vendor despite having a college degree, hassled by a police officer, poured gasoline over himself and lit a match. He didn't die until January 4, by which time Tunisia was in turmoil. A year later, Ben Ali and Husni Mubarak are out of their jobs, Qadhafi is dead, Salih in Yemen is transitioning out of power, and Bashar al-Asad is on the ropes.

Have a good weekend.

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