WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the aftermath of the Tunisian revolution, and the beginning of a popular uprising in Egypt, more than 2,200 Arab scholars, politicians, and activists — from over 20 Arab countries — issued today an "URGENT APPEAL" for the defense and consolidation of human rights and democracy in the Arab World.

"The Casablanca Call has been endorsed by leading thinkers and politicians from the Arab World, from all political leanings and persuasions, from the leftists and secularists to moderate Islamists and the Muslim Brotherhood, agreeing that democracy and human rights are an 'absolute necessity' for the Arab world today," sais Radwan Masmoudi, President of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID), and convener of the Casablanca Conference on Human Rights and Democracy.

"The Tunisian revolution has shattered several myths: the myth of Middle Eastern democratic exceptionalism, the myth of achieving economic reform without political liberalization, and the myth that western backing of autocratic regimes in the region will maintain stability and protect western strategic interests," said Emad El-Din Shahin, Professor of Religion, Conflict and Peace-building at the University of Notre Dame, and one of the drafters of the Casablanca Call.

We, the signatories to this call, as politicians, intellectuals and civil society advocates, believe that the achievement of democracy and the embodiment of human rights in the Arab world is an absolute necessity and requires a broader engagement of all citizens and political and social forces. We observe, with great concern, the dramatic and alarming backsliding of political reforms in the Arab world, due to several structural obstacles since the beginning of the new century. We hereby appeal to all concerned parties - governments, civil society institutions, political organizations, trade unions, and the media - in the belief that the achievement of real and effective reforms is the responsibility of all parties.

For the full text of the Casablanca Call for Democracy and Human Rights, please click here:

https://www.csidonline.org/component/content/article/591-casablanca-call-for-democracy

Sign the Casablanca Appeal (in Arabic):

https://www.csidonline.org/sign-casa-appeal

CSID - www.islam-democracy.org

SOURCE Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy

Back to top

RELATED LINKS
http://www.islam-democracy.org