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Feb 28 2006
On the surface, the landslide victory of Hamas, the Islamic resistance movement, in Palestinian legislative elections in January has not reflected directly on democracy in Jordan or the wider Arab world. But there is no doubt this political earthquake will eventually be considered an important milestone by Arab democracy activists. Continue Reading »
Feb 24 2006
Daoud Kuttab
I am an enthusiastic supporter of President George Bush’s (anybody else’s, for that matter) mission to spread democracy. I would argue, as Bush has done, that this is the most natural yearning of all peoples. My problem is that the US and its lead regional ally seem to stop short of their zeal for democracy once the results don’t please them. Continue Reading »
Feb 17 2006
The following appeared in the American paper Newsday
BY DAOUD KUTTAB
February 6, 2006
The victory of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas in the Palestinian legislative elections should not cause panic in Western capitals.
It is the natural result of the push for democracy in the Mideast and the failure of governance and transparency in pro-Western Arab regimes. Commitment to democracy requires respect for the choice of the people, no matter what that choice is. Victory for Hamas will, of course, be a test of the movement’s ability to deal pragmatically with the many challenges facing the Palestinian people. Continue Reading »
Feb 10 2006
The following appeared in the Jordan Times
Daoud Kuttab
The results of the Palestinian elections continue to reverberate throughout the occupied territories, with a surprising positive reaction even from many liberal circles. With some of the information about the campaign and the mood of the Palestinians becoming known, it is clear that connecting the Palestinian Authority with corruption was clearly one of the main reasons for the success of Hamas. Continue Reading »