Dancing on the Graves

by Syed Atiq ul Hassan

Once again the hawks in Washington DC and their buddies in other western capitals are happy and haughty and why wouldn’t they be? They did what they asserted. As they claimed they liberated Iraq for the people of Iraq from one of the long career Muslim dictator – Saddam Hussein – whom they fed for the last 30 years with all sorts of military power. During the 22 day operation the world has witnessed the showdown of supreme power of US hi-tech military arsenals through air, ground and sea invading Arab land, destroying buildings, monuments, warehouses, hospitals, hotels, houses, killing civilians, journalists with no account of deaths. Yet not a single ruler from neighbouring Arab State took any practical measure to put pressure on US or UK to stop the war instead, behind the scenes, they helped the US-led forces, to finish the job as quickly as possible.

According to President Bush and Prime Minister Blair affirmations the people of Iraq are now free. In the televised addressed of Bush and Blair to the people of Iraq, both declared that the people of Iraq are now free to do any thing. Of course, the world is watching freedom of Iraqis. They are now enjoying the freedom with dancing, chanting, dragging Saddam’s Statue on the streets of Baghdad with gratitude to US marines. They are now free for marauding and looting whatever they can; plundering on shops, banks, offices and stores. Was this liberty they were looking for? These are the people who until couple of days ago avowing to fight till death against the same liberators. One might argue here that these are not those people who declared faith to Saddam Hussein, these are Shia, Kurds and others who from the beginning were against Saddam’s regime and these are the same people for whom US administration was expecting to welcome and lay-down flowers once the US forces enter Iraq. But the point is whatever sect or group they claim themselves, are they all not Muslims?

Today, the reality is that with the fall of Saddam, no Iraqi leadership is thinking about the continuous destruction of Iraq being done by US-led forces, piece by piece in hour by hour with well calculated and planned way. Instead, Iraqis are now acting more as Sunni, Shia and Kurds rather than Muslims. Their leaders within the country and in exiles are busy dealing with US administration to grab top seat in Baghdad. This is exactly what US and its allies were expecting from the Muslim leaders.

As for as the question about the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein now; this may remain be another mystery disappearance like Osama Bin Ladin and Mullah Omer. After all Saddam’s concealment would also help those hawks sitting in Washington to find reasons to liberate those who are the next on the target. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that capturing Saddam is not a US priority at this stage; however, at the same time he also hinted in his recent statement that US administration getting reports through CIA that Saddam Hussein might be fled into Syria with help of Syrian government. According to the latest news the US lawmakers are proposing for legislation to hold Syria accountable for supporting terrorism and pursuing nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. This should not be difficult to understand that the job of liberating the people of Arab region has not finished with the fall of Saddam Hussein. And one must not surprise with the next target in line as President Bush had said in the start of attack on Afghanistan that this war could go up to 50 years.

If the Muslims around the world feel pain and grieves, today, for their downfalls then who should they blame for the consequences? Muslim heads play the role of US loyalist rather than true leaders of their nation. They possess two faces one for their people other for their bosses in western capitals. Muslims are more proud of their sectarian and territorial identities rather than as Muslim. Islam teaches Unity, faith, discipline, respect and tolerance. Muslims have proved to be failed to follow these basic pillars for the success as an independent nation. Demonstrations, agitations, suicide missions, sectarian killings and continue to abuse west never bring any success in Muslim world until the Muslims as an individual or as a nation follow the true lesson from Islam. (The Writer is a Sydney based journalist and editor Tribune International Australia).