Multiple Headwinds in Front of Arab Spring Citizens as Progress Continues Only Haltingly | Democracy, elections, and voting at Democracy Chronicles

Middle East protests: Signs of hope, challenge for fledgling democracies

The Christian Science Monitor

The Libyan public’s backlash this weekend against a militant group blamed for killing Amb. J. Christopher Stevens underscores that the violent hatred unleashed by an anti-Islam film is supported by only a tiny fraction of Islam’s more than 1.5 billion adherents. But as Arabs strive to establish the Arab Spring takes the podium. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is expected to use his speech at the United Nations General Assembly to further restore Egypt’s status as a global player and to distance himself from the pro-US policies of Hosni Mubarak. Erin Cunningham

AL-ARISH, Egypt — Among the rock-star lineup of world leaders was not Obama.