Oslo Journal, Part VII

[Valin]

National Review:

Editor’s Note: The Oslo Freedom Forum took place in the week of October 19. OFF is the annual human-rights gathering in the Norwegian capital. The previous parts of Jay Nordlinger’s journal are at the following links: I, II, III, IV, V, and VI.

Jay Nordlinger

Nov. 4 2014

 

Iyad El-Baghdadi, you have met. He’s the Palestinian who was kicked out of the UAE for his democratic agitation, mainly online. And he now gives a speech to the Freedom Forum crowd.

 

“Three and a half years ago, the Arab Spring generation opened its mouth to speak. But a thousand forces conspired to smother that voice.”

 

I am paraphrasing (as so often), but closely.

 

The Arab Spring was attacked, says El-Baghdadi, by a “counterrevolutionary axis.” (Nice phrase.) This axis was “more afraid of the Arab Spring than of a thousand terror groups.” The autocrats knew, says El-Baghdadi, that “democracy tickles the youth.”

 

He is still a believer in the Arab Spring — even after all the murder and misery and defeat. How can this be? How can he continue to believe? He is asked this a lot, he tells us. And he gives inquirers three reasons in response.

 

(Snip)