Healing Damaged societies

30 years of conflict have bred instability in the middle east

Navy Staff Col. (SEAL) Abdullah Shaheen Al-Dosari

Qatari senior national representative to U.S. Central Command

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

The Almighty God said:

“And do not kill the soul, which Allah has forbidden, except by right. And whoever is killed unjustly — We have given his heir authority, but let him not exceed limits in [the matter of] taking life. Indeed, he has been supported [by the law].” [Surat Al-’Isrā’verse 33]

The Middle East region is going through difficult situations. As illustrated by recent events in Syria and Iraq, as well as Libya and Yemen, it has become a tragic arena for brutal, bloody wars.

The region has become weak because of a succession of wars, in addition to what is currently happening in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. It has become similar to a disease that afflicts the body and spreads throughout the organs; one cannot get rid of it except by healing the whole body. These wars have ambiguous features; the rapid changes and events contribute to their lack of clarity. One may say that its characteristics make it a mixture between the second generation of war and the fourth generation of war, qualities that American military expert and author William Lind describes as asymmetric warfare.

Catastrophe follows war

Science and Technology magazine once defined catastrophe as a “tragedy resulting from natural or industrial [human] factors that threaten life, health, property and environment, and adversely affects society, the urban environment and structure.” These are the components of the conflicts existing in Iraq and Syria, which suggest the near future will bring real catastrophe. Nations will be the biggest and true losers based on today’s chilling scenes of destruction, bloodshed, the killing of children, women and the elderly in cold blood and the mutilation of their bodies. All of that will have a dire psychological impact on the whole society, especially children, who are the keys to the future. Identity, culture and traditions also suffer.

It will be a great challenge for the state to treat this problem — or rather yet another “war” for the state and its institutions to fight — because they have to treat trauma and psychological problems that individuals have been subjected to. Inability to handle such problems will create social problems that would impact a whole generation. This is one of the reasons for the collapse of some states — when the state becomes concerned with the technical development at the expense of  humanitarian and moral development.

The hostile ideology 

We have to understand that the savage acts happening today, such as beheading and exploding objects in cold blood, are a result of a corrupt ideology this generation has inherited from previous wars. This generation never benefited from a proper nation that could treat this disease that lay dormant until the virus found a suitable time and environment to reappear and resume its activities. To clarify, we must look back to the previous wars, starting with the Iran-Iraq War in 1980, then the First Gulf War in 1990, the Second Gulf War in 2003 and finally the current war. This means that this generation fighting today stems from the first and second wars. That suggests the generations to come will be burdened with the same ideology unless the issue is addressed with long-term reforms. What goes on in Syria now is a contagion that has been transmitted from Iraq through terrorist groups and revolutionary guard warriors; they belong to the same generation that we talked about earlier.

The role of media

Media plays a key role. It is considered one of the mechanisms of war, especially when mercenary authors and channels have been employed to mislead by changing the shape of truth and reality and spreading chaos by using all means of modern visual media. Undoubtedly, media can serve the purposes of both war and peace. We see it through the chaos that media has created among Islamic sects and doctrines, igniting the fuse of strife. On the other hand, if the Islamic world possessed a strong media capable of addressing those lies and strife, the outcome would have been different.

Some societies in this region still lack knowledge, clear vision and the ability to discern and to perform good analysis; they are generally uncivilized. The radical media also contributed to the deception by luring many youth from around the world to fight in the name of Islam, although in reality the religion innocently calls for dialogue, love, brotherhood, justice and equality. We need not fear for the religion of Islam, because Islam is a strong faith proven by history. But we have reason to fear those who practice it wrongly.

The actual losses

There is no doubt that war also causes damage to property, cities, factories, institutions and public services; it is not easy to rebuild them. For example, when we see a whole city collapse in one day, rebuilding it requires time, effort and money. Yet, in reality, it is worse when a society’s identity and culture collapse. It is not easy to rebuild because it requires goodwill, good relations among members of these societies, and the construction of a new civilization based on safety and peace. To achieve this, we first need to start raising a generation with new and authentic values.

The Syrian issue

The Syrian regime practices the worst forms of torture and murder and uses all kinds of weapons against civilians; Arab countries in particular and the rest of the world in general must confront this criminal regime. It has displaced its people, damaged the components of the nation, especially the children, and invited political and economic problems into the country. This regime has joined hands with foreigners who have regional and historic ambitions. It also ignited strife and sectarian wars and turned the country into a fertile ground for radical terrorist gangs. Such dictatorships definitely contribute to the growth of terrorism; therefore, this regime must be overthrown and the people be left to rule themselves through honest, nondeceptive elections.

The Iraqi issue

Iraq must carry out national reconciliation and reunite Iraqis of various races and sects, whether they be Sunnis, Shias or Kurds. To spare Iraqi blood, the nation must search for means to stop terrorism, cut its roots and create social tolerance in the country. This requires a long-term approach and a clear strategic plan. It requires the creation of equality by giving opportunity to all, regardless of sect. Inequality is one of the reasons for the emergence of radicalism. The non-Arab nations with an objective to shake Iraq’s security through interference in its affairs must be stopped. The Iraqi case belongs to Arab nations and the Islamic world as a whole.

The Yemeni issue

Security of the Arabian Gulf and Yemen cannot be separated because Yemen is considered a natural link for the Gulf states and part of one strategic block. These societies overlap to a large extent. Therefore, the Gulf states must return legitimacy to Yemen to achieve stability and to confront the aggression and rebellion of Houthi militias and their quest to control the state. Also, a non-Arab nation’s interference in Yemen’s affairs has its own strategic dimensions, due to the intellectual and doctrinal closeness between the Houthis and that nation. That just adds to the complexity of the matter and threatens national security for all the Gulf states. Therefore, the Gulf states must start to think seriously about the future of Yemen, especially a plan to include it in the Gulf Cooperation Council to benefit from its geographic location. Yemen is considered a link between the Gulf states and Africa. Gulf states would also benefit from Yemen’s human resources, because population size is considered a source of strength for the state. It is also possible to benefit from the natural resources that have not been invested in because of failed Yemeni policy. If all of that is to be achieved, there will be a good opportunity for investment that would benefit all Gulf states.

Every cloud has a silver lining

We hope that what is occurring in the region helps restore health to the Arab world, which has suffered greatly for decades from the problems of despair and poverty. We also hope that these current troubles represent a “toll” that the current generation is paying so that future generations enjoy security and safety. The problems we face today are the result of the previous dictatorial rule that extended for approximately 40 years. So these countries need inspirational leaders who can make sacrifices and are capable of strengthening the social and moral fabric and instilling confidence in their people, leaders who do not think about how to maintain power, wield absolute authority or achieve personal interests.