Revenge and the History of the Arabs
Turki Al-Hamad

The strong smell of sectarianism, spite, and revenge surrounded the footage of the late President Saddam Hussein’s execution. In brief moments, the footage sums up a long history of the nature of human relations in this afflicted part of the world, from the pre-Islamic period through to the history of Islam and the modern ages. It was clear that those carrying out the execution were not doing so on the basis of a law that ruled as such (as he had been sentenced to death before he was sentenced to death), or pursuant to the fact that the penalty was the natural consequence of the man’s crimes. Rather the underlying motivation was ultimately retaliation and the sectarian position. Yes, Saddam Hussein’s crimes against humanity afflicted many factions, sects, ethnic groups and communities; however, once he fell, he was executed in revenge for his crimes against one sect rather than in pursuit of abstract justice and this is where the mistake lies, whether through the manner or timing of his execution or those who oversaw the execution. Actually, the issue of Saddam Hussein’s execution is not the point here insofar as this image reflects a reality and history that overflows with violence and blood, driven by the principle of revenge between Arab tribes, clans and parties, causing one to lead to the conclusion that time has stopped at a particular moment of Arab history – whilst forms change, the content remains the same.

In the modern history of Iraq, the concepts of retaliation and revenge made up politics. Politics is presumably the framework of what has happened and is happening; however, inner feelings come first. On July 14, 1958, for example, the army carried out its bloody coup in which young King Faisal and the royal Hashemite family members were liquidated and some of the men of the royal era were needlessly dragged along the streets and this was motivated by a thirst for blood and revenge…

Al-Hamad, a Saudi writer and political analyst, takes this dim view of Arabs past and present, finding that even the unifying force of Islam was unable to contain the Arab propensity toward violence and vengeance. Instead, he says, the violence has contained Islam. He highlights his story with examples from pre-Islamic Arabia and the earliest days of Islam as well as the contemporary Arabic world. Sad, but useful reading.