Arab despots see the legitimate demands of their people for justice, human rights and freedom as a challenge to their manliness. It has inhibited them from responding intelligently and flexibly. Arab society with a culture that generally excludes women from politics, and admires a "fearless" leader, who is ruthless and unable to tolerate dissent, is a poor one with ruinous consequences for its people.
These rulers are vaingloriously self-obsessed and suffer from delusions of grandeur. They have treated their people as children in need of constant guidance. The ruler is the font of all wisdom and knowledge and the people, as sheep, should be grateful for having such a strong wise shepherd ruling them. The reality of politics in the Arab world was succinctly summed up by a Syrian pro-democracy demonstrator with: "We, the people, are only allowed to open our mouths when we go to the dentist".
The corruption and incompetence of these rulers is legendary. Moreover, such arrogance and self-obsession cannot be traits of a true Muslim ("God does not love the arrogant, the vainglorious"- Qur'an 4.36).
Stubbornness and domination have become characteristics to be admired in the male with varying degrees in the entire Arab world. Girls are encouraged to defer to their brothers, and taught to hide their intelligence and good sense in discussions with their male counterparts. Males are burdened from an early age to assume the mantle of family leadership, and encouraged to see themselves as protector of the extended family against all external threats. This macho tradition is transferred to the politics of an Arab world that largely excludes women, and has produced an unhealthy imbalance between the sexes that has been to the detriment of everyone in society.
Highly educated women such as doctors, teachers, philosophers and authors are discouraged, with doors firmly shut in their faces, from entering the 'man's' world of politics. The internet and social communication websites such as Facebook and Twitter have made inroads into such a culture, and have given women the confidence to say, "You know what, we can do better than you men in the running and governance of the country". The problem has always been in the past that they could not get involved in politics. Politics was, and is, a dangerous activity to get involved in.
You had to be a ruthless bully or come from a ruthless tribe or family to survive it, and to reach the top you would have had to physically eliminate your opponents. The involvement of women in the revolution itself is unprecedented in the Arab world and no one predicted that. These women have had the courage to confront some of the most tyrannical regimes on the planet.
The strengths women have, which western societies have come to appreciate, in communication, negotiation, and compromise, have been absent in Arab political life. The Arab Awakening, with its strong participation of women, it is hoped, will change the macho political atmosphere. There are dangers that women's contributions to the uprisings will be forgotten and they will be sidelined to assert male dominance in Arab politics.
The Guardian (23 April 2011) quoted Rebecca Chiao, founder of a women's rights group called Harassmap in Egypt, saying: "there was already a backlash against gender equality", adding: "There's a propaganda campaign against us, saying now is not the time for women's rights". An Egyptian woman protestor is quoted as saying: "Now Mubarak has gone, they want me to go home".
This response from male revolutionaries is very short-sighted. Excluding women from leading political roles carries within it the seeds that have led to despotic rulers that have blighted the lives of people in the Arab world.
Women of the revolution, do not allow yourselves to be sidelined. Fight for your rights with the tenacity and intelligence you used against dictators; your countries need you, and you owe it to your children and grandchildren to provide them with a better future using your unique skills.