THE JERUSALEM POST – EDITORIAL: The personal stories of despair that led up to these acts of self-sacrifice are inevitably brought to the forefront.
Self-immolation is horrifying. Yet the pent-up turmoil and despair to which it gives graphic expression has the potential to move masses to action.
Such was the case with Muhammad Bouazizi, a 26-yearold Tunisian college graduate who set himself on fire last month. Unable to find employment commensurate with his skills, Bouazizi settled for peddling fruits and vegetables in his home town. He became despondent when security forces brutally destroyed his unlicensed cart and confiscated his wares. His desperate act of protest touched a nerve with educated Tunisian youths in situations similar to Bouazizi’s and helped spark a revolution.
It also set off a spate of self-immolation attempts this week in Africa and the Middle East. >>> JPost Editorial | Wednesday, January 19, 2011
