Arab World: Welcoming the Fall of Ben Ali · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Looking at my Twitterfeed, one would think that the Arab world has been waiting for this day forever. Tweets celebrating the escape of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from Tunisia have created a riot online.
For Bader Al Aujan, from Saudi Arabia, it is a day of pride:
And Saudi Mohammed Al Dugailbi is as happy:
Dima Khatib draws parallels to the occupation or liberation of Iraq, and says:
I hope Mr George Bush is not too busy at his ranch to watch how people get truly liberated. Not with foreign greedy armies #sidibouzid #Bush
Youssef Chaker urges Tunisians to go all the way:
#Tunis, don't replace one dictator with another… Go the full mile and complete the job
From Bahrain, Hashim Alawi tweets:
Yacoub Slaise notes:
Hoping the Tunisians did their homework and read Animal Farm, so as not to end up with a “Napoleon” #Tunsia #sidibouzid
And Bahrainman replies:
Tunisia had a “Napoleon”, and they just got rid of him. They LIVED Animal Farm for 23 years!
While Mahmood Al Yousif tells Tunisians to bask in the glory of their achievement, at least for a day:
do I detect buyer's remorse in some #tunisia tweets now? that didn't take long! c'mon, smile and be optimists at least for today!
Majda72 also sends a special tweet:
Note to the West, this was not an Islamic uprising! Take your Arab world as monolith stereotype and shove it. #sidibouzid
In what has become a Twitterised revolution, Egyptian writer Mona ElTahawy reminds us:
And Sameer Padania notes:
So looking forward to a day when a long-worked-for revolution happens  & no one feels need to instantly claim it's due to the power of  tech.
ElTahawy alsoadds:
In #29days #Tunisians‘ brave protests brought down #BenAli, dictator of 23 yrs. 1st real post-colonial revolution in #Arab world #Sidibouzid
Ahmad Fahad, from Oman, cannot take his mind off Twitter:
How am I supposed to work while governments are being overthrown live on Twitter?
And Andy Carvin adds:
I just love how the conversation on #sidibouzid just shifted to people reading the Tunisian constitution in great detail.
Egyptian Ahmad Badawy hopes that what had started in Tunisia does not end there. He tweets:
Stay tuned for more coverage from Tunisia.
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.