The
Arab Winter is a term for the rise of
authoritarianism and
religious extremism, evolving in the aftermath of the
Arab Spring protests in
Arab League countries. The concept was first used by
The Washington Post in December 2011. According to scholars of the
University of Warsaw, the Arab Spring fully devolved into Arab Winter four years since its onset. The Arab Winter is characterized by the emergence of multiple regional
civil wars, mounting regional instability, economic and demographic decline of Arab countries, and ethno-religious sectarian strife. According to a study by the
American University of Beirut, as of summer 2014 the Arab Winter resulted in nearly a quarter of a million deaths and millions of refugees.