A few days back, I was watching a live debate between the British Prime Minister Tony Blair and a number of British women about the recent international developments, particularly about the war against Iraq, for which the USA and UK Administrations are massing their troops.

    It was obvious that the women facing Blair had different backgrounds: a businesswoman, a housewife, a mother, a wife…The type of questions asked, the courageous selection of the subjects, the direct accusations as well as the fluency and forthrightness on the part of the ladies were really admirable.

    It was a serious and constructive debate, not superficial, as we are used to in many of the so-called Arab “debates”. Although I do not intend to generalize, one could easily say that a good number of such debates are pre-arranged with the “relative authorities” and in full coordination with the concerned parties.

    The women expressed their worries and pain, their absolute rejection of war and their readiness to stop it even with their bodies. And as an oriental Arab and Moslem, the exchange of words between Blair and the women astonished me. I really admired the presenter, McDowell who was fully biased to the ladies anti-war camp. He controlled the show properly, kept it far from the formalities and baseless statements, which characterize similar debates in our Arab World…

    One of participants told the British Prime Minister: “They say that you are so obedient and soft, like a poodle, to George Bush.”

    Another lady said clearly that she would not give her vote to Blair again, because he breached the principles that made her elect him before. And yet a third one said she was ready to volunteer as a human shield in face of the armies that would invade Iraq.

    But the most eloquent was the one who said that her son was killed in September 11 2001 in New York, but still she can’t accept this war that Blair and Bush are trying to wage against the Muslims and Iraq.

    One of the ladies present accused Blair of being a racist. She said that not Blair, nor any other person in power has the right to involve UK in a war for the sake of others; because politicians go, but nations remain.

    These are excerpts of the debate, which truly represents the British public opinion that stands against the war.

    I admit that my respect for these brave people doubled and my admiration for the great democracy that prevails in England increased. But I have also to admit that I was overwhelmed with disappointment when I remembered the situation of democracy in the Arab World. When I compared the indifferent and bitter Arab status to that debate, I felt engulfed by frustration.

   While European women were defending us and were volunteering to travel to Iraq as human shields to prevent the slaughter of Iraqi children, our people were in deep slumber.

    That debate and the anti-war demonstrations worldwide have convinced me that democracy was buried without ceremony in our Arab World and that the freedom of thought has been assassinated several centuries back.

    The great British democracy and the courage of the British people could clearly be felt now in London.

    The Minister of Environment resigned, while other threatened to do so. A number of the Labour Party representatives in the House of Commons resigned from the Party. Blair himself is now standing in a narrow corner, facing the danger of the collapse of his government.

    Amid all that, Blair receives slap after slap, but still he does not react like some Arab dictatorships that refuse to speak the truth to their peoples…

    We do not know any more how to communicate with our governments and leaders because they created a bottomless gap between them and their citizens.

    Is there still a chance that we take the proper lane and embrace democracy?