Mahboob A Khwaja
There is no sense out of the political and intellectual nuisance. Arab authoritarianism and the US-led bogus wars are the focal problems to be tackled with. The critical issues call for thoughtful analysis and change and new ideas to phase-out the old and obsolete thinking and obsessed values flourishing across the Arabian Peninsula. Global politics is not fixed but a constantly changing phenomenon of life. Arab leaders do not comprehend the imperatives of political change. But reality will not diminish because nobody is conscious of its impact. The American-British wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the resulting sectarian bloodbaths, none of the aftermath crises are tackled in their proper context by any rational analysis. Across the Arab world, there are no independent public institutions or experts to analyze the political problems and find workable peaceful solutions. No proactive thinking exists in any Arab quarters to strive and re-enact political unity of the Ummah and to have proactive intelligent leadership. Leaders who cannot think intelligently or understand the nature of the current crises, how could they lead to any plausible strategic direction? Almost 70 years later, when the European imperialism ended on paper, the freedom movements ill-conceived the continued role of neo-colonial leadership in Muslim societies mostly occupied by those who were uneducated feudal lords or tribal clan leaders seen as being ignorant, corrupt, and subservient to the neo-colonial master, not the much sought proactive leaders to make the future. It is clear that undeserving oil wealth and illegitimate power associated with the governance have removed sense of fear and shame to the extent that over several decades of cruelty has embolden the Arab rulers to commit any crimes, bloodbaths and rob the people of their originality of thinking, values and culture. Would the future generations free of captivity hold these monsters accountable for their vicious crimes and political cruelty? The Western news media reports more than several million civilians having been cold blood murdered in various parts of Syria in the past five years. Millions have become homeless and refugees in their own backyard. Millions have fled to other neighbouring Arab and West European countries. Do any of the Arab leaders realize the plights, pains and sufferings of these innocent people? If not, why not? Do Arab leaders have no intellect and institutions to deal with problem solving? Are they that impotent to rely on the Western Master for all their political needs? America and European waited for years without action and now Russia is a warrior supporting the falling regime of Bahsar Al-Assad. Have the egoistic rulers misread the dictates of history? Have they forgotten how Saddam Husein was hanged, Gadhafi was brutally murdered by the US-led forces and disgraced Hosni Mubarak disappeared. Is Bashar Al-Assad waiting for the same fate? If Bashar al Assad had any relationship to the people of Syria, would he be bombing and killing them? Have the Arab rulers solved any of the important problems confronting the Arab masses over half of a century?Who will deal with the pressing problems of life and deaths facing the Arab masses? Who will deal with restoration of peace, normalcy and conflict management? Do these leaders have any moral and intellectual capacity to extend security and sense of protection to the helpless people? The solution must come out of new thinking and new vision for change, dialogue between the sectarian divides and competent leadership to achieve the stated goals. What if they were organized as morally and intellectually conscientious people and knew the complex nature of global politics and had proactive thought and freedom to think and act and communicate with moral strength to the enemies within the Arab societies. That is, if there were enlightened and competent leaders of vision and moral integrity to use moral and intellectual strength and values and were flexible to listen and learn from the other side. Many if not all man-made problems could be resolved peacefully through dialogue and listening and learning with an open mind and without resorting to bloodshed and committing crimes against the innocent humanity.
