Pluralism
M&C: The London-based ash-Sharq al-Awsat said the crises in the entire Arab world stem from the idea of ‘canceling out the other,’ stressing that none of Iraq`s sects can rule the other, just as Hezbollah cannot impose its conditions and sect on Lebanon. Lebanon`s Sunnis, Maronites, Druze, Communists or Arab nationalists cannot impose their conditions either.
The Saudi-owned daily said the ruling Egyptian party cannot behave as if the opposition doesn`t exist, just as the opposition cannot cancel out the ruling party. The same goes for Yemen, it added, where the ruling party cannot continue to marginalize the opposition and monopolize power and resources. ‘This applies on every Arab country,’ it said, ‘the mentality of canceling out the other and trying to impose one agenda, one view, one sect, one party on the rest of society, is the secret of all crises, wars and halting development.’ There are only two options, it argued: Either tolerance, respect for the other, belief in pluralism and the value of human beings regardless of their sect and affiliations, or mass suicide.
