Judges and the legal profession in the Middle East struggle against terrible odds of executive meddling, poor salaries and huge case load. Secondly, and in contrast to such pressure groups as human rights caucuses, the judiciary is part of the state, and executive power recognises the need for the legitimacy conferred by the judiciary as much as it fears it. This ambiguity is certainly not true for human rights groups, which need to expend many more efforts to increase the strength of the rule of law. A good theatrical and cultural scene, like the one developing again in Lebanon, helps the citizens air their needs and exercise their freedoms. Conversely, the pressure on the once flourishing film industry in Egypt narrows down the public space for discussion and debate.
Examples easily multiply.
There is a peculiarity of the Middle East which, in contrast to the liberal pundits of former Communist Eastern Europe, renders the scene particularly hard for liberal advocates in the region. One is indeed appalled by the difficulty in finding names of opposition leaders, with which liberalism could be associated, in countries like Saudi Arabia, Morocco or Jordan. Not surprisingly, the INC has been kept at bay by the Arab rulers, who fear contagion, and the support of Western powers has at best been muted. Nor is it decisive for Arab liberals to open shop outside - their families, who remain behind, are not protected from the wrath of the local despots. It is also true that an exiled opposition tends to be ineffective.