Ash-shab yurid isqat an-nizam

English version of the slogan at a rally in Tahrir Square.
Hundreds of thousands of anti-Assad protesters parade and shout "Ash-shab yurid isqat an-nizam" slogans in the Assi square, during the Siege of Hama on 22 July 2011

Ash-shaʻb yurīd isqāṭ an-niẓām (Arabic: الشعب يريد إسقاط النظام, lit. 'the people want to bring down the regime', pronounced [æʃˈʃaʕb juˈriːd ʔɪsˈqɑːtˤ ænniˈðˤɑːm]) is a political slogan associated with the Arab Spring.[1][2] The slogan first emerged during the Tunisian Revolution.[3] The chant echoed at Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis for weeks.[2] The slogan also became used frequently during the 2011 Egyptian revolution.[4][5][6][7] It was the most frequent slogan, both in graffiti and in chants in rallies, during the revolution in Egypt.[8]

The chant was raised at the protests in Bahrain.[7][9][10] Ash-shab yurid isqat an-nizam has been used frequently in protests across Yemen.[11][12] The slogan was used in rallies across Libya at the beginning of the 2011 revolt.[13] In March 2011, a group of youths under the age of 15 were arrested in Dera'a in southern Syria, after having sprayed ejak el door ya doctor graffiti, translating to "it is your turn doctor [referring to Al-Assad's regime]. Their arrests sparked the uprising in Syria.[14][15] The slogan was also used frequently in Sudan throughout the protests.[16]

In Jordan, a youth group named "24 March" used the slogan ash-shaʻb yurīd islah an-niẓām ("the people want to reform the system").[17] However, the slogan later changed to ash-shab yurid isqat an-nizam in November 2012, when the government imposed a hike in the price of fuel.[18]

In Lebanon, the slogan has been used in protests against that country's sectarian political system.[19] In the Lebanese protests, an-nizam ("the regime") did not refer to the sectarian political order as such, but rather the government.[20] In Palestine, a variation of the slogan, Ash-shaʻb yurīd inhāʼ al-inqisām (الشعب يريد إنهاء الانقسام, "the people want the division to end"), emerged in protests calling for the two main factions Fatah and Hamas to settle their differences.[21] A parody of the slogan has been used by Bashar al-Assad's supporters in Syria as ash-shaʻb yurīd Bashār al-Asad (Arabic: الشعب يريد بشار الاسد, lit. 'the people want Bashar al-Assad').[22] Another parody of the slogan has been used by King Hamad's loyalists in Bahrain as ash-shaʻb yurīd isqāṭ al-Wifāq (Arabic: الشعب يريد إسقاط الوفاق, lit. 'the people want to bring down Al-Wefaq'), referring to the main opposition party of Bahrain, Al-Wefaq.[23]

  1. ^ "The Arab Awakening". Al Jazeera English. 4 April 2011. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  2. ^ a b Ertuna, Can (15 February 2011). "The regime is overthrown, what now?". Hürriyet. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference rk was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Beach, Alastair (1 February 2011). "EXCLUSIVE: On the streets of Cairo". The Spectator. Archived from the original on March 8, 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  5. ^ Mackey, Robert (4 February 2011). "Updates on Day 11 of Egypt Protests". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  6. ^ Shadid, Anthony (31 January 2011). "In Crowd's Euphoria, No Clear Leadership Emerges". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 24, 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  7. ^ a b Safty, Adel (28 February 2011). "18 Days That Shook Egypt". Gulf News. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  8. ^ Escobar, Pepe (2 February 2011). "The Brotherhood Factor". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ^ "Bahrain Protestors Take Over Key Junction". Financial Times. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  10. ^ "Bahrain Unrest: Thousands join anti-government protest". BBC. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  11. ^ "Sa'ada Rallies Repeat "The people want the fall of the regime"". National Yemen. 2011. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  12. ^ Ghobari, Mohammed; Abdullah, Khaled (17 February 2011). "Yemen protesters flee armed government loyalists". Yahoo! News. Reuters. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  13. ^ El Gharbi, Jalel (21 February 2011). "The fall of Qaddafi's throne". Babelmed. Archived from the original on 2012-04-04. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  14. ^ Sinjab, Lina (19 March 2011). "Middle East Unrest: Silence broken in Syria". BBC. Archived from the original on 24 March 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  15. ^ Fadel, Leila (25 March 2011). "After deadly crackdown, a test of wills looms in Syria". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 April 2011.[dead link]
  16. ^ ".:Middle East Online::Protests widen, and grow: Sudanese want to overthrow regime:". www.middle-east-online.com. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  17. ^ Sadiki, Larbi (29 February 2012). "En passant in Jordan: The king's dilemma". Al-Jazeera English. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  18. ^ "Jordan protesters call for "downfall of the regime"". Reuters. 2012-11-16. Retrieved 2012-11-17.
  19. ^ Barker, Anne (7 March 2011). "Beirut Protesters Demand End to Sectarianism". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  20. ^ Constantine, Zoe (9 March 2011). "No sects, please, we're Lebanese, say campaigners for secular state". The National. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  21. ^ Abu Toameh, Khaled (15 March 2011). "Palestinians Demand: 'We want to end the division'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  22. ^ "حشد مليوني في قلب العاصمة دمشق يهتف بصوت واحد: الشعب يريد بشار الأسد". al-Intiqad. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  23. ^ "Bahrain Sunnis warn government over dialogue at rally". dailystar.com.lb. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2018.