from Toronto, Canada

I don’t give a toss what happens to Saddam. To me, he just symbolises the archaic, cruel, backward and inflexible 22 regimes constituting the Arab world. He has fallen. His last abode was fox-hole from which the coward was dug out of, that is the picture I will treasure for the rest of my life. That was a just end to a despot who has no remorse for any of the heinous crimes he committed.

But that action was the catalyst for a new reign which holds much promise for one Arab nation: a hope for democracy, freedoms, and accountability.

Arab leaders take note: Saddam’s fate is awaiting you unless you diligently and honestly work with your people to ensure a smooth hand-over of power, respect for freedoms, inculcate transparency and tolerance and be ready to be held accountable within the law.

The current situation in any Arab country is miserable. Walk in any Arab street, go into any Arab office and you will be faced not with a proudly displayed copy of the “bill or rights”, or even an extract of the Qur’an, but rather with large pictures of current rulers, their forebears and descendants who in some cases are just started having wet dreams, all of whom are elevated to the status of Gods whom the populace are directed in no uncertain terms to worship. They are the all-wise and all-benevolent.

Government sponsored media continue to pour platitudes on their wisdom which is portrayed as far surpassing that of Solomon, even though some are at best illiterate and habitually trip over their double-digit IQ. In “enlightened” countries as the Emirates, Libya, Syria, Egypt and others they have even created segments in print and television extolling their pearls of their wisdom which to even a moron might at best sound asinine. “The sky is blue” one of them would declare in one of his courts and you can be assured that it’s tomorrows’ headlines not only in the press, but even broadcast by their so-called news agencies. And sections like “from the sayings of the leader” or “from the wisdom of the leader” are born by the multitudes of kowtowing sheep which constitute the vast majority their flock.

Is there hope in getting them to understand that they are mortal and their day of reckoning is coming? Do they further fail to realise that they will meet with the reckoning of their people first before they go and meet their maker, much like Saddam?

What have we contributed to this world? Although the collection of geographic locations collectively known as the Arab world has been a global leader in all manner of sciences and the arts, those days of course are far far behind us that it behooves us to face the fact that under the current socio-political situation those days will never return. Essentially we have had nothing to show over the last millennium, yet we retain our misplaced pride and arrogance. We continue to shout out that: We are Arabs. We are Muslims. We are the leaders of the world. We hold the moral high-ground. We are right. Everybody else is wrong. And what has that state of stagnation resulted in? Terrorists hell-bent on world destruction simply because the views of the world, that is the “other” 2/3rds who share this spic of universe with us do not share these views and values.

We have been conditioned over the centuries to worship not Allah in all his magnificence and glory, but those sorry excuse for humanity who’s claims to fame are a strong arm and the readiness with which they ladle cruelty to their people.

But us, the people of this area, deserve nothing less! We started our deterioration from the principles of democracy literally at our Prophet’s death-bed upon which the sharp daggers of tribalism once again ruled supreme, as if the teachings of Islam where just another tool used and abused to further personal and tribal gain. Influence, unchecked power and the propagation of the status quo are the de-facto state tools.

Should we then feel surprised at the complete absence of patriotism? At the complete apathy and lethargy the populace feel? Our Arab person will continue to protect what is his only, and what’s for the others be damned. Is it a surprise that the most active charities are those headed by foreigners? Is it a surprise that the so called Red Crescent society doesn’t hold a feather to the Red Cross? Is it a surprise that the Arab is only concerned with feathering his own nest and his neighbour and even extended family be damned?

Why should we care?

We don’t belong. We are not citizens unless we are told that we are. We are not patriotic unless it is opportune to be seen as such, and that is momentary at best.

Thus we arrive at the crux of the problem; how is one to care for his surroundings, environment, fellow human beings or even be creative and contribute to society if he does not “belong”? Subservient to higher-beings by virtue of birth rather than intellect and popular choice. Worthlessness rules supreme.

To explode out of this ever-descending spiral, the people must realise that there is no future nor a place in the future for despotic regimes because they not only sap the country of its will, but also contribute to its perpetual decline, thus the only expression that is left for the people is to turn to terrorists whom they secretly applaud not because they necessarily agree with that they’re doing, but because it’s some entity who are directly challenging much despised governments. That does not condone the actions of terrorists nor their sympathisers in any form, but it is what I feel is happening at the moment.