Professor Francesca Corrao is a LUISS professor of Arab language and culture, and is the director of the Master in the Economics and institutions of Islamic countries at the School of Government.
The author, with Professor Sebastiano Maffettone, of a recent essay on minorities and multiculturalism in Multiculturalism and Minority Rights in the Arab World and of the book The Arab revolutions. The Mediterranean transition strives to map and analyze the dynamics of current conflicts in the region: the latest upheaval in North Africa, the rise of ISIS and its self-proclaimed caliph, the jihadist al-Baghdadi, in Iraq and Syria, and the dramatic worsening of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the air raids that have already resulted in hundreds of casualties.
"First of all, I would be cautious in talking about an Islamic state: the information we get from our newspapers is fragmented and vague. Several Arab news sources maintain that Mosul – the city where al-Baghdadi is the self-proclaimed leader – is still governed by its citizens and that the forces of ISIS are focused on communication and on attacking the military from Baghdad, who are trying to reconquer the territory they have lost." According to Corrao, there is a lot of concern about this throughout the region, as well as in other Arab countries: "The idea of going back to a caliph could appeal to young misfits and outcasts from areas of North Africa and the Middle East, especially now, as we witness the difficulties of nation-states created in the wake of the Sykes-Picot agreement. It is clear that the post-revolutionary transition has faced some challenges in setting up more liberal and democratic governments."
This does not mean, however, that we should confuse the various realities of the Arab world. For example, the terrorist attacks that have taken place over the past few days in Libya and in Egypt should not be judged by the same yardstick. "The situation in Libya is much more dramatic and radical, and has behind it a much more dictatorial state than that of Egypt. Egyptians claim that as many as 20 million people took to the streets to demand the resignation of Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood, who were democratically elected but unable to govern the country democratically; just as they insist that the current President al-Sisi must be given the chance to find a less confrontational solution to the transition."
Underlying this chaos is the severe economic crisis of the past few years, which was one of the root causes of the Arab revolutions. The crisis was then worsened when “political instability in the area led to an exodus of Western investments, which was only partly compensated by an influx of investments from the Gulf countries and China." Corrao deliberately refers to them as 'Arab revolutions' instead of 'the Arab spring', as it should be considered that these popular movements began in the winter of 2010-2011 and that revolutions are complex historical processes. "Even the French Revolution, after its moment of glory, underwent a period of terror and then a return to the famous 'crowned heads' of Europe."
The crises in North Africa and the countries involved in the activities of ISIS must not distract us from what is happening between Israel and Palestine. "We must not turn away from the escalation of this conflict. Even as the continued conflagrations in the Middle East have distracted the world’s attention, this is very worrying both for the populations involved and because of the repercussions this will have on the region." To this end, Corrao quotes Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, who, speaking at a graduate lecture at the MISLAM Master, said: "Violence has never once put an end to violence." For this reason, continues the professor, "it is fundamental to have a good understanding of the facts, because otherwise actions could be taken that worsen the situation. The realities of Islamic countries are closer than we think, and are a reflection of who we are. In addition, migration affects us and we cannot lightly dismiss all of the Middle East with prejudices and reductive formulas such as fundamentalism or terrorism. The problem of violence exists but, as demonstrated by the meeting promoted by the Pope, we must not ignore the fact that the majority of the population wants peace."