Walid Jumblatt being the ultimate example – jumping from side to the other, changing their principles and alliances as they deem fit. (Photo: Al-Akhbar)
Many in Lebanon have become accustomed to their Machiavellian politicians – Walid Jumblatt being the ultimate example – jumping from side to the other, changing their principles and alliances as they deem fit. But what we are seeing today around Washington’s plans to attack Syria goes well beyond this kind of opportunism.
How can anyone with a conscience – who has borne witness to all that this region has gone through in the past decades – willingly accept, or even desire, a US military attack on Syria? How can such a person believe that it’s alright to use force against someone they decided deserved punishment? How do they justify to themselves the mass murder of thousands in order punish their ruler?
How is it that this group of people exhibit signs of demoralization when they hear that Americans, Brits, and other citizen of Western colonial countries are protesting against an attack on Syria? What kind of mind turns those “criminals of the century” that are spreading death and destruction across Syria into freedom fighters?
How can anyone with a conscience – who has borne witness to all that this region has gone through in the past decades – willingly accept, or even desire, a US military attack on Syria? How can such a person believe that it’s alright to use force against someone they decided deserved punishment? How do they justify to themselves the mass murder of thousands in order punish their ruler?
How is it that this group of people exhibit signs of demoralization when they hear that Americans, Brits, and other citizen of Western colonial countries are protesting against an attack on Syria? What kind of mind turns those “criminals of the century” that are spreading death and destruction across Syria into freedom fighters?
How is it that in their eyes Hamas was authoritarian and backward when it was part of the resistance forces in region, and then becomes immune to criticism when it throws itself into lap of the Muslim Brotherhood’s international organization? How is it that one day, they stand by the resistance against the Israeli enemy and occupation, and then lose interest in the cause?
In fact, these people have turned into freelancers, writing articles and issuing statements according to what the market demands on any given day. No firm principles to be found here. They enjoy the fact that they have gained distinction and that their names are repeated everywhere, much like someone who has decided to become famous by committing a terrible crime.
Let’s consider for a moment that what they are saying about Bashar al-Assad is true, how then can they justify their slavish obedience to the absolute monarchies of the Gulf? Do they not know that the principles that they are standing up for should prevent them from even contacting these lords of ignorance in the first place?
There is something that no one can change, much like the air we breathe – the truth is that Israel and its backers will remain the enemy, and those who refuse to describe it as such will be Zionism’s servants and traitors to their own people. And there is no more merciful punishment for a traitor than … death!
Ibrahim al-Amin is editor-in-chief of Al-Akhbar.
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.