Kameel Majdali's Road Ahead

At first glance, this would seem to be a preposterous question. Libya overthrew the government of an eccentric, flamboyant, tyrannical and brutal dictator who ruled over them with a rod of iron for 42 years. The ‘Arab Spring’ has toppled another autocratic regime in the 22 nation Arab world. Democracy is on the march on this, the world’s most undemocratic region ... or so we think. Before we start popping the champagne corks, here are some things we need to consider: 1.     Revolution: The ‘Arab Spring’ could very well be a misnomer. The term was created by the western media to describe a series of grassroot, youth-driven, internet-fueled protests throughout the Arab world demanding freedom and democracy. While protests and uprisings are not a new thing in the Arab world, the scale of the current one is unprecedented. The West calls it ‘Spring’ as if to say the long winter slumber of autocracy and police states in the Arab world is over. Yet note: the Arabic language press ...

White River, Kruger National Park, Cape Town ... these beautiful places were the location of my recent ministry trip to South Africa. Indeed, you can subdivide Africa into 3 parts: Part One: North Africa, which is Arab; Part Two: Sub-Sahara Africa, which is predominantly black; and Part Three: South Africa, the ‘rainbow nation,’ as Anglican Bishop Desmond Tutu called it. South African Flag Without question, South Africa is the most prosperous and powerful nation on the continent, well-endowed with a wealth of natural resources (including diamonds and gold), and excellent infrastructure left by the former white minority government. South Africa has another unique distinction: overtly Christian sportsmen, including rugby greats like Pierre Spies and Victor Matfield. Ministry in South Africa is a very rewarding experience as well; the singing alone will make you feel you’re in the ‘heavenly places.’ But there was one hitch to my otherwise flawless trip: to get there, I had to fly f...