Locating the ‘Arab Spring’ : lived experiences of contemporary politics among Arabs in Malta

Abstract

Mohammed Bouazizi’s tragic suicide in Sidi Bouzid in December 2010 marks the start of the Arab revolution that spread quickly to other Arab countries such as Egypt, Libya and Syria. The revolution has since become known in popular discourse mainly in the West as the ‘Arab Spring’, transmitting a general feeling of a revival of Arabness all over the world. This study aims to look at the way the revolution has transcended national boundaries, focusing on Arab migrants in Malta who have experienced, and continue to experience this revolutionary wave ‘far away from home’. This study questions whether Arab migrants may indeed feel part of a collective Arab political and social movement for change and if so, in what ways. It also asks what role is played by social networks on the internet and locally organised solidarity movements in bringing the Arab diaspora ‘closer to home'. This dissertation considers whether this collective Arab identity will slowly give way to a more fragmented one, wherein individuals or groups will tend to adhere to different political positions and views with respect to socio-political contexts in their country of origin, other Arab countries and their receiving country.