The Arab Spring is an extremely important issue today. This refers to the series of protests and civil wars that have taken place in the Arab world due to dissatisfaction with the government, human rights violations, poverty and other factors. Countries where this is a problem include Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco and Sudan. Egypt was one of the countries hardest hit by the revolution. What is often called “the spark that started it all” occurred on December 17, 2011 in Tunisia. A street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire to protest government corruption. (Arab Spring, 2013) Bouazizi, 26, sold vegetables on the streets of Tunisia to earn a living. His self-immolation was caused by the confiscation of his vegetable cart by a police officer. (Abouzeid, 2011) Bouazizi then went to the provincial headquarters to complain to the authorities about his situation. However, they refused to see him. Angered by the way he was treated, Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest. (Abouzeid, 2011) He was taken to hospital and remained there until his death on January 4, 2011. Bouazizi's self-immolation caused such an outcry that even the Tunisian dictator, President Zine al- Abidine Ben Ali visited him in the hospital. Bouazizi's mother, Mannoubia, said: “Mohammed did what he did for the sake of his dignity. He lives, his name endures. I am proud of what happened in Tunis, I am proud that it is known throughout the Arab world. (Abouzeid, 2011) Bouazizi's immolation had such an impact on Tunisia that Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on January 14. Shortly after Bouazizi's self-immolation, a revolution began in Libya. The Libyan revolution began middle of paper......3/world/meast/egypt-protests/Shaub, W. (2010). The roots of the revolution in Egypt. Arbitration Review. Retrieved from http://www.arbitragemagazine.com/topics/international-affairs/middle-east/the-roots-of-revolution-in-egypt/ Shehata, S. (November 25, 2011). Profiles of Egyptian political parties. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15899548Timeline Revolution in Egypt. (2014). Timelines.latimes.com. Retrieved from http://timelines.latimes.com/egypt/Tristam, P. (nd). Profile: Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. Middle East Problems. Retrieved from http://middleeast.about.com/od/egypt/p/hosni-mubarak-09.htmZayan, J. (February 14, 2011). Egyptian activists and army discuss reforms. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved December 7, 2013 from http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/egypt-activists-and-army-discuss-reforms-20110214-1as8u.html