Democracy From the Inside Out
Editorial
Washington Post; March 14, 2005

The demonstrations led by Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon should be viewed not as setback for democracy but in fact a symbol of ‘Arab awakening’. The incorporation of Hezbollah, Hamas and other Islamic groups into political process may offer an alternative to violence. The thousands of demonstrator’s in the streets of Beirut illustrate the broad scope of public support for change that bodes well for democratic reforms. Diehl states that, “If the Islamists can be induced to pursue power by politics—if Hezbollah continues to make its case with rallies rather than car bombs then the movements may detached from violence and their more extreme agendas”. The Bush administration has already inferred that it may change its stance in the case of Hezbollah, thus giving rise to the possibility that one day the Islamic Groups may participate peacefully in the democratic process.