FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE WILL YOU WAKE UP?????
I've been reading a few posts in a few Arab blogs, and the phrase "great leader" keeps popping up after Saddam... and it is starting to really piss me off.
It is honestly, beyond me how we are capable of devaluing each others blood. If an American or Israeli kills an Arab all hell breaks loose, but if it's an Arab killing another Arab... oh well, no real biggie, who gives a crap?? we're all brothers after all! I mean surely, it's far more disgusting when a stranger kills you as opposed to your brother killing you, right??!!! Wrong! It's far more disgusting when your brother invades your country, it is far more disgusting when a president sprays his own people with chemicals, as though they were a swarm of flies!! How on earth do people's minds work?????
It's actually really sad, that we have such an apathetic attitude towards injustice. This is exactly what is wrong with the Arab world, we have an obsession with this "honour" and "pride" that was lost sometime a couple of centuries ago and completely ignore the things that are the true safeguards of "honour" and "pride" - that is justice and rule of law. What annoys me about this Saddam issue is the lack of justice, he should have faced trial for ALL his crimes and he should have done so in an International Court in front of a fair judge, not ones who clearly hated his guts (not that I can blame them for feeling that way). THAT is what was wrong about this trial!!
There's this really pathetic and sad habit in the Arab world, where people chant for anyone who throws a rocket at Israel. That's the secret recipe to being a great leader in the Arab world!! If you do that, then all your previous and future sins will be forgiven by those not suffering under your ruthless rule. When you say to someone, you do realize that Saddam killed his own people, you're faced with either "hmmmm I'm not so sure that he did" (try Googling images for Halabja) or you get some genius saying, "Well so do other Arab leaders". Yes, I forgot that Arab leaders were the epitome of benevolence!! Of course, what was I thinking??? Remember their exemplary record on human rights?! Sweden, Finland move over, the Arabs are here!!!!
When will we wake up and understand that when our leaders kill and torture us, it is not normal??! When will we wake up, and understand that when a leader stands up against the invasion of his country, he's not doing his people a favour, it's his job to do so?! When will we wake up and understand that we will never gain any form of political nor economic strength until the rule of law is above everyone from the president to the beggar on the steet??!!
The truth is Arabs are hypocrites - we have zero regard for justice and yet demand that the entire world be just to us and we complain of double standards while practicing them. Why on earth do Arabs expect any type of respect or justice when they will always be the first to deny it to themselves???
It is honestly, beyond me how we are capable of devaluing each others blood. If an American or Israeli kills an Arab all hell breaks loose, but if it's an Arab killing another Arab... oh well, no real biggie, who gives a crap?? we're all brothers after all! I mean surely, it's far more disgusting when a stranger kills you as opposed to your brother killing you, right??!!! Wrong! It's far more disgusting when your brother invades your country, it is far more disgusting when a president sprays his own people with chemicals, as though they were a swarm of flies!! How on earth do people's minds work?????
It's actually really sad, that we have such an apathetic attitude towards injustice. This is exactly what is wrong with the Arab world, we have an obsession with this "honour" and "pride" that was lost sometime a couple of centuries ago and completely ignore the things that are the true safeguards of "honour" and "pride" - that is justice and rule of law. What annoys me about this Saddam issue is the lack of justice, he should have faced trial for ALL his crimes and he should have done so in an International Court in front of a fair judge, not ones who clearly hated his guts (not that I can blame them for feeling that way). THAT is what was wrong about this trial!!
There's this really pathetic and sad habit in the Arab world, where people chant for anyone who throws a rocket at Israel. That's the secret recipe to being a great leader in the Arab world!! If you do that, then all your previous and future sins will be forgiven by those not suffering under your ruthless rule. When you say to someone, you do realize that Saddam killed his own people, you're faced with either "hmmmm I'm not so sure that he did" (try Googling images for Halabja) or you get some genius saying, "Well so do other Arab leaders". Yes, I forgot that Arab leaders were the epitome of benevolence!! Of course, what was I thinking??? Remember their exemplary record on human rights?! Sweden, Finland move over, the Arabs are here!!!!
When will we wake up and understand that when our leaders kill and torture us, it is not normal??! When will we wake up, and understand that when a leader stands up against the invasion of his country, he's not doing his people a favour, it's his job to do so?! When will we wake up and understand that we will never gain any form of political nor economic strength until the rule of law is above everyone from the president to the beggar on the steet??!!
The truth is Arabs are hypocrites - we have zero regard for justice and yet demand that the entire world be just to us and we complain of double standards while practicing them. Why on earth do Arabs expect any type of respect or justice when they will always be the first to deny it to themselves???
posted by Rihab at 8:47 PM
10 Comments:
Why on earth do Arabs expect any type of respect or justice when they will always be the first to deny it to themselves???
Good question. I wish the Arabs could answer that...
What annoys me about this Saddam issue is the lack of justice, he should have faced trial for ALL his crimes and he should have done so in an International Court in front of a fair judge, not ones who clearly hated his guts (not that I can blame them for feeling that way). THAT is what was wrong about this trial!!
Exactly... the trial was a joke especiall that he was tried by US installed government!
Rihab, you raise very valid points...and very good questions...
Despite all the horrible things he has done in the time of his rule, I'm one of those people who would like to remember Saddam Hussein for the great things he has done.
Actually, there is a lot of evidence that Halabja was gassed by the Iranians. Check out these links.
http://www.casi.org.uk/discuss/2003/msg00401.html
http://www.brusselstribunal.org/HussainAppeal.htm
You are right that he should have faced a fair trial. The way this execution was carried out suggests that the Iraqi government wasn't interested in the truth. Now we will never know.
I, for one, like to keep an open mind. It bothers me that pro-American liberals are so eager to embrase the results and consequences of the kangaroo courts and circus executions in "the new Iraq".
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black kush & kadeesa Thanks for your thoughts.
imanWe've had several conversations over this and you know what i think :D
khalafWhen citing a source to support your view, it's best to cite ones that do so fully. I read the first link, and although it shows that there is a chance that Iran may have gassed the Kurds, it goes on to say that both Iraq and Iran were using gas against each other in Halabja, and it does not conclusively state that Iran gassed the Kurds at Halabja.
However, even if we are to discount all accusations against Saddam, we cannot discount the fact that he invaded Kuwait nor the crimes committed against Kuwaitis (and I know for a fact that crimes were committed as I know people who were affected by them), then that in itself is more than enough the constant need to portray Saddam as a kinda ok guy. What was done to Kuwaitis in addition to the wider implications of his invasion, which I mentioned on your site is, again, enough to remove the label of greatness, many seem to want to attach to him.
Rihab: My point of view is that the Iraqi government and it's sponsors behaved in a way to short circuit the Anfal trial (which would not have been any less than the Dujail trial scam). Because of this, I would suggest that the hearsay about these crimes does not rise to the level of certainty which most people seem to have reached (because of media bombardmant).
Having said that, I would say that Saddam was a terrible ruler. His invasion of Kuwait (which you point out)was a political and humanitarian disaster. The draining of the Ahwar and displacement of the marsh Arabs was an environmental and humanitarian crime. The murder of his son in law after pretending to pardon him was despicable. One can go on and on. I am no fan of the man.
But this was not the point of my post. The point was that the execution had nothing to do with justice, and the people who carried it out do not have any good will towards Iraq, and their agenda does not appear to be an Iraqi agenda, unlike Saddam.
Khalaf, as I understood your post, it was explaining why Jordanians were angry and the explanation you provided was that he was a man who believed in the Arab nation and worked for the betterment of his country and his nation, and so was not a traitor. The point I was making to you on your blog was that his invasion of Kuwait negates that view as well as any illusion of greatness people have of him.
However, if your view is that he was a tyrant who's trial was handled in an unjust manner - then we are in agreement.
I agree with every word you have written, but what really drives me crazy are those who are still calling him Martyr!!!
eos venus: Thanks for your thoughts and really enjoyed reading your post on this issue!
Good stuff, great points...
absurd thought -
God of the Universe wept
when Saddam was killed
he wanted him pissed on
being dragged through Baghdad
.
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