Looking at Middle East unrest from the streets of Stuttgart

Stuttgart: The unrest in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, and now in Libya, is considered to be an infrequent phenomenon, which has certainly been noticed in the international arena.

Perhaps the most surprising element is how quickly the unrest has spread from one nation to the next.

Some Middle East and North African countries are witnessing the rebirth of their  governments and societies, which are changing from pseudo totalitarianism and dictators' regimes into a form of democracy yet to be defined.

Gulf News roamed the streets of Stuttgart in Germany seeking the impressions of German passers by.

Not surprisingly, those we spoke to said they were aware of the ongoing demonstrations and their purpose.

"It's in the media all the time, you can't miss it," said Karen, who works in the marketing field.

But the Germans who spoke to Gulf News held a variety of views on the events.

 "I wanted to go on vacation to Egypt, now I have to think of another interesting place for my holiday," said Jorg, who works in the aviation business.

Other Germans said they were concerned about the effect the unrest might have on their finances.

"The price of fuel has increased already 25 per cent, and we are not sure how high it will go. With it, almost everything else will increase in cost," said Thomas, who works in the transportation field.

"I cannot understand how the government can be so aggressively violent towards their own people," said Andrea, who is a business management professional.

Most were reluctant to elaborate on the political instabilities, but they unanimously agreed that Middle Eastern people had the right to select their form of government, the right to object to corruption, and the right to opt for European-style democracy.

Their dominant opinion was also that foreign governments needed to refrain from direct involvement or support for any specific party.

"The events are internal and not to be influenced by parties disconnected from the direct needs of the people," said Anna, who works in the tourism sector.

"In specific, the United States should never take sides or consider military involvement. Iraq was a failed experiment (for the US) that should never be allowed to happen again," said Benjamin, a salesman.

Opinions varied on the best way to deal with the outgoing rulers.

"No one should be above the law. When a head of state violates the trust the people put in them, then the people have the right to put the ruler on trial by the same laws governing normal citizen," Andrea said.

A few said the problem should be dealt with quickly, rather through protracted legal proceedings.

"Just get him out of the country," Benjamin said.

By pure coincidence, during the interviews, Gulf News witnessed Germans  demonstrating against the local government due to a lack of information about an expansion project at the main Stuttgart train station.

At the demonstration, the Germans expression of their opinion was more like a carnival than a demonstration. People were dressed in party-like attire, colourful costumes and paraded with drums and musical instruments, making the event look more like a family outing to celebrate a momentous occasion.