Freedom from Saddam is Worth Everything
Published in Al-Ahram
(Egypt ) on 27 March 2006
by Samir Al Shahhat (link to original)
(Egypt ) on 27 March 2006
by Samir Al Shahhat (link to original)
Translated from
by Nicolas Dagher .
Edited by .
An old Iraqi proverb says: Whoever loses his gold can go to the gold market and buy more, whoever loses a lover will forget him in maybe a year, but whoever loses a country, where can he find another country?
In spite of that the Iraqis - even though the proverb is an Iraqi one!- are losing Iraq (and Iraq is not just any country!). Sunnis are killing Shiites, Shiites are slaughtering Sunnis and Kurds are preparing their breakaway in the north in the name of federalism.
Not far from them, a stone’s throw away, their brothers in religion, the Iranians, are awaiting the right moment to strike, while Israel is rolling on her back laughing at our [Egypt's] deception and the deception of the U.S. administration, which is now unable to extricate itself (due to its own actions) from the Iraqi quicksand. [Author is suggesting that Israel deceived the world into thinking that invading Iraq was justified].
Out of this deception come a string of unpalatable questions: Wouldn't it have been better for Iraq, the Iraqis and all Arabs (and probably America itself) if Saddam had remained in power? Then: What are you saying? That he should have remained in power despite torture, massacres, spilled blood and mass graves? Then the response: Has the brutal spilling of blood come to an end and has torture stopped?
By God what do you mean? Are you trying to say that the presence of a dictator is a necessary condition for a country’s survival? A wise man cannot accept this logic, or let his country - any country and every country - go to hell when a dictator appropriates it, and turns it into a huge cursed prison, surrounded by walls of hatred where women are widowed, sons and daughters are orphaned and mothers lose their children.
Let us suppose that the wheel of time stopped spinning, the motion of history froze, the needles of watches stopped and Saddam continued to rule, would the Iraqis be in better shape? Never.
The experiences of the past teach us that no good comes from a country ruled by a bloodthirsty tyrant, who takes his people from one war to another to die, as he continues in power!
Therefore we face two bitter choices: We can keep the country, as long as it is ruled by a dictator, or we can get rid of the dictator, but then the country is lost! Is there a third choice? Yes. There is a unique, successful and elegant alternative (if you only knew!)
What is it?
The people of this country (be it Iraq or any other) must take control of their own destinies and decide for themselves, by themselves. Someone might ask: Wouldn't they need a heroic fighter to lead them? No and a thousand noes. Let all the heroes be thrown into the trash bin of history and let all of us become heroes. Then we won't lose our country, but on the contrary, it will become safer and more beautiful.
Iraqis, do you get the message?
In spite of that the Iraqis - even though the proverb is an Iraqi one!- are losing Iraq (and Iraq is not just any country!). Sunnis are killing Shiites, Shiites are slaughtering Sunnis and Kurds are preparing their breakaway in the north in the name of federalism.
Not far from them, a stone’s throw away, their brothers in religion, the Iranians, are awaiting the right moment to strike, while Israel is rolling on her back laughing at our [Egypt's] deception and the deception of the U.S. administration, which is now unable to extricate itself (due to its own actions) from the Iraqi quicksand. [Author is suggesting that Israel deceived the world into thinking that invading Iraq was justified].
Out of this deception come a string of unpalatable questions: Wouldn't it have been better for Iraq, the Iraqis and all Arabs (and probably America itself) if Saddam had remained in power? Then: What are you saying? That he should have remained in power despite torture, massacres, spilled blood and mass graves? Then the response: Has the brutal spilling of blood come to an end and has torture stopped?
By God what do you mean? Are you trying to say that the presence of a dictator is a necessary condition for a country’s survival? A wise man cannot accept this logic, or let his country - any country and every country - go to hell when a dictator appropriates it, and turns it into a huge cursed prison, surrounded by walls of hatred where women are widowed, sons and daughters are orphaned and mothers lose their children.
Let us suppose that the wheel of time stopped spinning, the motion of history froze, the needles of watches stopped and Saddam continued to rule, would the Iraqis be in better shape? Never.
The experiences of the past teach us that no good comes from a country ruled by a bloodthirsty tyrant, who takes his people from one war to another to die, as he continues in power!
Therefore we face two bitter choices: We can keep the country, as long as it is ruled by a dictator, or we can get rid of the dictator, but then the country is lost! Is there a third choice? Yes. There is a unique, successful and elegant alternative (if you only knew!)
What is it?
The people of this country (be it Iraq or any other) must take control of their own destinies and decide for themselves, by themselves. Someone might ask: Wouldn't they need a heroic fighter to lead them? No and a thousand noes. Let all the heroes be thrown into the trash bin of history and let all of us become heroes. Then we won't lose our country, but on the contrary, it will become safer and more beautiful.
Iraqis, do you get the message?