As the Arab revolutions sweep away autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere, the omnipotence of the Mukhabarat, or security-controlled state, appears to be crumbling. In particular, the inability of former President Hosni Mubarak's much-feared security apparatus to suppress protesters and retain the status quo signals the beginning of the fall of the Arab authoritarian wall. Against all odds, millions of Arabs – men and women – have taken to the streets and called for change and freedom, risking their lives. Emboldened, protesters are no longer satisfied with minor reforms. They are demanding substantive political change – restructuring of closed Arab societies along pluralistic lines. This lecture addresses the current prospects of a democratisation of the Arab world, challenging the pretence that Islam and Muslims are incompatible with democracy.
