HOW BUSH DOCTRINE BATTERS ISLAMISTS: WOMEN TRIUMPH IN KUWAITI ELECTION

NY Post ^ | May 20, 2009 | Amir Taheri

[Scanian]

FORMER President George W. Bush's policy of en couraging Middle East democratization has just produced spectacular results in the Kuwaiti general election.

In a major victory for the secular reformists over the Islamists, women -- four of them -- were elected to the 50-seat national parliament for the first time. The Islamists' share of Sunday's vote dropped almost 30 percent from the last general election, held just more than a year ago. The radical Muslim Brotherhood lost three of its four seats, while the hard-line Salafis dropped to two from four.

The election of women represents a political earthquake in the Gulf Cooperation Council, a grouping of six oil-rich traditional Arab monarchies. Kuwait has had a parliament on and off since gaining independence in 1960, but the other GCC members entered the era of electoral politics largely due to pressure from the Bush administration. US pressure also played a crucial part in persuading Kuwait's leaders to enfranchise women for the first time in 2005.

The four female parliamentarians all represent the emirate's educated middle classes. The youngest, Aseel Al-Awadhi, is a US-educated philosophy professor. The best known, Rola Dashti, also a teacher, has campaigned for human rights for years. The third, Dr. Maasoumeh Mubarak, is the first Kuwaiti woman to have served as a Cabinet minister (she was health minister), and the fourth, Salwa al-Jassar, is a leading campaigner for women's rights. All managed to defeat prominent Islamists and tribal figures in their respective constituencies.

[Islander7]

It's evident that the greater Middle East is witnessing a major struggle between forces of reform and of reaction. While President Obama appears to have abandoned Bush's push for regional democratization, America could play a crucial role by continuing to support the forces fighting for it.

Obama would do well to take a closer look at the Kuwaiti election before he goes to Egypt, where he's expected to announce a return to America's traditional policy of supporting the Middle East status quo.

Stupid is as stupid does.

[Prodigal Son]

The only way the Leftists will be able to view this is as ‘Bush destroys Kuwaiti culture, forces women to get elected’.

[1010RD]

Maintaining misery is a fundamental Leftist policy.

[markomalley]

And from the MSM:

**chirp-chirp**

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[neverdem]

BTTT!

[doug from upland]

Did W get a thank you note from the NOW cows?

[Mamzelle]

Back when I thought myself a feminist (when I believed feminism represented freedom of opportunity for women)...I guess there’s enough left to say, “You go, girl!”iwhen women have public success in the most misogynistic of cultures. If an Islamic country is free enough for women to rise, then it’s a country we’re not likely to have to go to war with.