The people's revolutions across the Arab world opened rays of hope for a better world. Following a year and half, the world watches events in the revolutionary countries with serious concerns on the overall process and the direction to which the revolutionaries have headed. The fear of extremist post-revolution regimes left many democracies in the world approaching the protests cautiously. It has become clear that the protestors have eventually provided good opportunity for the extremist groups to advocate their religious ideology and seek Sharia-based systems.
The suppressed Arab citizens who wanted to escape dictatorships are near to be chained by new dictators. For instance, the extremist movements in post-Zainul Abedin Tunisia are getting widespread across the country. Islamist groups are demanding a hardline Sharia-based government that contradicts the ideal democratic system the world hoped to see there. The post-Mobarak Egypt is nowadays witnessing powerful maneuvers by the Islamic brotherhood that has been fighting for a strict Sharia system in the country for the past decades.
Home of the dictator Qaddafi is also facing serious domestic challenges to build a democratic system. And finally, Yemen, the fourth country that saw a regime change is hardly grappling with the aftermaths of a year-long protest. However, citizens do not believe much has changed in Yemen following ouster of Abdullah Saleh since his deputy grabbed the power. Egyptians are also afraid of return of a notorious figure of Mobrak regime through the presidential elections.
With some other countries that saw failure of democratic demonstrations such as Iran, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, some are still witnessing daily protests or armed clashes. Syria stands at the top list of the nations who are grappling with a resistant dictator. Bashar Al Assad regime has so far denied any major concessions against the demonstrators and the armed resistance against his government. Fierce battle continues across Syria with increasing death toll encouraging world countries to take tougher steps against Syrian government.
On Saturday, violence in Syria killed 89 people, including 57 soldiers, the largest number of casualties the military has suffered in a single day since an uprising began in March 2011, a watchdog said. The casualties also included 29 civilians and three army defectors killed in various parts of the country in shelling by regime forces or in clashes or gunfire, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
However, Assad regime has always denied mass killings and has attributed them to the so called "foreign elements", a tactic very similar to that of his Iranian allies. Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday authorities would maintain a crackdown against the armed opposition but were still ready for dialogue with political opponents. "We will continue firmly confronting terrorism, leaving the door open for those who want to return," Assad told parliament. "I urge all those who are still hesitant to do so, to take this step. The state will not take revenge." He said that his government faces a foreign plot to destroy Syria, and blamed "monsters" for the Houla massacre, in a rare televised speech delivered in parliament.
Assad's accusations came as Arab leaders called on the United Nations to act to stop bloodshed in Syria and France raised the prospect of military action against Damascus under a UN mandate. "The masks have fallen and the international role in the Syrian events is now obvious," Assad said in his first address to the assembly since a May 7 parliamentary election, adding the polls were the perfect response "to the criminal killers and those who finance them".
The embattled leader, who was greeted with warm applause from lawmakers, said atrocities like the May 25-26 massacre of at least 108 people near the town of Houla, in central Syria, were committed by "monsters". "What happened in Houla and elsewhere (in Syria) are brutal massacres which even monsters would not have carried out," he said.
As Arab leaders called for UN action in Syria, France, which spearheaded an air assault against Moamer Gathafi's forces last year, said it has not excluded military intervention in the country. France "has not excluded military intervention" in Syria, but only under a United Nations mandate, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Sunday. Speaking in Singapore at an Asian security summit, the minister also urged Russia to drop its backing for Assad.
He said that "the Russians have to understand that the future of Syria is not to be considered" with Assad still in power."Until then we have to increase pressure, increase sanctions, mobilise public opinion and isolate (Assad) as much as possible — and make those who still support him lose interest, and I'm thinking of Russia of course," Le Drian said. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stood firm against growing pressure over Moscow's position on Syria, opposing foreign military intervention and raising doubts about the effectiveness of sanctions.
Washington and Moscow agreed on the need to work together on Syria, a US official said following a phone conversation between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov."Her message to him was: 'We've got to start working together to help the Syrians with Syria's political transition strategy.
And I want our people to work together on ideas in Moscow, Europe, in Washington, wherever we need to'."At a ministerial meeting in the Qatari capital Doha, international peace envoy Kofi Annan warned: "The specter of an all-out war with a worrying sectarian dimension grows by the day." "The situation is complex and it takes everyone involved in the conflict to act responsibly if the violence is to stop. But the first responsibility lies in the Syrian government and President Assad," he said.
But some Arab countries have insisted that Annan's peace plan is not working and Assad government should be responded with a tough military assault to make it abide by the people's demands and the international calls. Qatar on Saturday urged UN envoy Kofi Annan to set a timeframe for his Syria peace mission, and asked the UN Security Council to apply Chapter VII which permits military intervention. "We request Mr. Annan to set a timeframe for his mission because it is unacceptable that massacres and bloodshed continue while the mission is ongoing indefinitely," Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani told a ministerial committee on Syria attended by Annan.
With the intensifying military crackdown by government forces and the armed resistance against them, the world has warned of a looming civil war in the country. However Syria has shown no willingness to such alarming statements. Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi said he had asked the UN Security Council to take strong action in order to protect civilians in Syria. The UN human rights chief said on Friday that the killing of 108 civilians by pro-government forces in Syria last week might constitute a "crime against humanity" as reports emerged of a new slaughter.
With clashing getting more intensified in Syria, the overall picture of a democratic region get glimmer. The revolutions that are grabbed by extremists in some countries and the failed uprising in some others put a detrimental impact on the ongoing democratic struggles in Syria. However, this will never justify giving up efforts for a free, democratic world. The international community is required to discharge their duties against what goes on in Syria. Syria should serve as member of a democratic region. This will come true under genuine international assistance and continued Syrian resistance.