Have the people of Tunisia changed the face of the Middle East?

Last month an unemployed young man set himself on fire in Tunisia, and the flames appear to have engulfed a region. Officials wouldn't let Mohamed Bouazizi sell vegetables without a licence, and his desperate act triggered an upsising that toppled the government of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. Since then we've seen a dramatic chain reaction, as people across the Arab World have protested against what they see as authoritarian and oppressive rule. Events have been moving at breathtaking speed. Just in the last twenty four hours King Abdullah of Jordan sacked his government, the president of Egypt Hosni Mubarak announced he will not stand again for the presidency, and the president of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, says he will not seek to extend his presidential term or pass power to his son.

All this has happened as a wave of protests sweeps through the region. We've seen demonstrations in Algeria, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Lebanon and Egypt. Will this mark the end of authoritarian rule in the Middle East? Can democracy blossom in the wake of these popular revolts? ...

Blogger As'ad  is invoking the French Revolution over the top? Or are we really seeing the end of an era in the Arab World? It's certainly catching on. Now the Sudanese are wondering if their nation will be next, as students protest against the government they blame for rising prices and years of repression.
The forecast is looking stormy, with a "Day of Rage" planned on Thursday in Yemen and Friday in Syria It's all been organised on social networks, and although facebook is banned in Syria, people are using proxy servers to get around this ...

Ibrahim Sharqieh, deputy director of Brookings Doha Center, says that people across the region have drawn inspiration from the successes in Tunisia:

This power is stimulating the emergence of a "can do" attitude in the Arab world, which is breaking the barrier of fear that has long suppressed popular expression. Arab autocrats should learn the lesson: Preemptive and serious political reform is the only real means for survival.

Are Arab leaders learning to listen to the demands of the people? Will we see the end of autocratic rule in the Arab World? Can a transition to democracy tackle the myriad problems in the region?

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldhaveyoursay/2011/02/have_the_people_of_tunisia_cha.html