Arabic newspaper discuss reforms in Morocco, hope for change in Syria

Movement for bold reforms in Morocco

"The rallies that have been staged since February 20 across Morocco show clearly that it is no exception in the Arab world," noted Abdel Ali Hami al Dine in an opinion piece for the Lebanese daily Al Akhbar.

"The Moroccan youth know what they want and are determined to achieve their demands for deep political reforms."

Certainly, the February 20 movement has so far achieved some political gains since King Mohammed VI's speech of March 9, in which he highlighted major constitutional reforms.

The package of reforms proposed by the monarch has not, however, been up to the expectations of Moroccans. In response, people took to the streets on March 20, asking for political measures that will nurture confidence in the new project.

This attitude reflects a collective sense of mistrust towards the government's performance, but particularly rampant bureaucratic corruption and continuing abuse of human rights.

Moroccans now are looking forward to bold decisions, such as freeing detainees and considering the dismissal of some influential personalities from the royal court.

Similarly, any constitutional reform needs to lead to a parliamentary monarchy and usher in a trial of those who are involved in corruption.

The Syrian regime still has time to change

The next few days will be decisive for the future of Syria, as protesters continue to challenge the tanks deployed by the regime, observed George Samaan in an opinion piece for the London-based newspaper Al Hayat.

Meanwhile, the US and the EU have put more pressure on the regime to refrain from oppressing the demonstrations that have swept across the country. But it is not known whether the government will heed the international warnings, or will continue its campaign until it crushes the uprising, at whatever cost.

Still, the opposition forces in Syria are betting on convincing President Bashir al Assad to forsake security solutions and embark on political reform as a way out of the present crisis.

This means they will give him more time to peacefully settle the current impasse. This strategy reflects a growing belief that the Syrian revolt may not achieve the same results as the Egyptian and Tunisian ones did because of special internal and external factors.

The US and EU sanctions have so far spared al Assad, probably in a bid to give him a chance to change his oppressive policies towards the protests.

Some think that there is no plan on how to deal with al Assad, while others attribute the international community's reluctance to impose wide-scale sanctions to the pivotal role of Syria in ensuring stability in the region.

Sectarian strife in Egypt is short-sighted

For more than 30 years, Egypt has been suffering from sectarian strife involving actions of extremist groups against the Copts, a phenomenon that never existed before that time, noted the Emirati newspaper Akhbar al Arab.

There was no distinction in the past between Muslims and Christians. Both were linked by a sense of citizenship based on mutual respect of faiths.

Unfortunately, this strong bond has grown weaker to the point Egyptians are talking about the "relations" between Copts and Muslims. Others talk of two "elements" of the Egyptian nation.

With the passage of time, the sectarian crisis has deepened, taking on an international dimension at a critical time in the history of Egypt.

Once it was believed that this phenomenon would diminish, thanks to the new era of freedoms and concepts of citizenship and patriotism brought about by the revolution. Yet the reality has been disappointing, as Egyptians failed to contain sectarian differences even for a while.

The recent incidents were sparked by the issue of a woman called Camellia. She allegedly converted to Islam, and was kidnapped by extremist Christians as a result. Apparently, this story was fabricated by elements who would like to spread sedition and pull the country down. These people distort both religion and the sense of belonging to the nation.

What is after the unity pact of Palestinians?

In an opinion article for the Doha-based newspaper Al Watan, the columnist Ahmed Khalil wrote that it was natural that the agreement between Fatah and Hamas to end their long-standing divisions would receive wide popular support from Palestinians.

Regardless of their political affiliations, Palestinians united in celebrating the unity pact in the streets of both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Indeed, the accord marked a moment that boosted the public morale and will likely consolidate the Palestinian position on many levels.

It is also natural to hear many voices calling for strengthening this agreement by removing all obstacles that may impede the course of its implementation.

Two core issues, however, need to be dealt with rationally and with a sense of flexibility: security and formation of a government. Past agreements have failed because the two sides differed on how to share security responsibilities and authority.

For these reasons, all Palestinian groups need to engage in rational consultations to form the PLO supreme body and a non-factional government whose mission is to prepare for elections within a year as stipulated in the accord. No less important, the government will need to start rebuilding Gaza, which will require active diplomatic efforts.

* Digest compiled by Mostapha El Mouloudi

melmouloudi@thenational.ae