An eye for an eye will get us nowhere

What are the chances of returning to one’s humanity after a life spent far removed from human values, inflicting pain upon people? Moreover, after indulging in brutalities under the banner of national security or party security or under any other pretext, will a new political regime established over the ruins of a despotic regime be able to act in a humane manner? Decades of totalitarian rule in Iraq and other Arab countries produced an unmistakable phenomenon for the governments that replaced them.

Past totalitarian regimes established a huge security apparatus to protect themselves. They also set up repressive security services, which recruited a huge number of personnel to collect data on people’s affiliations, political inclinations and other details regarding their lives. Those despotic regimes made a point of implicating as many people as possible in the work of the security establishment that used inhuman methods — like torture — when dealing with those who opposed the regime.

Over the years, countless crimes were committed against innocent people and as a result, many were displaced and impoverished. Many others lost their lives for no reason whatsoever. Hence, after the fall of the former regimes, there were justified calls to hold those who participated in the torture and had blood on their hands accountable for their past actions. Dealing with this is not easy. Making amends with history and coming to terms with oneself is in fact a positive act at both the individual and community levels. It also needs a special sort of courage, which everyone may not possess.

Forgiveness and re-evaluating one’s own deeds give us the chance to take care of this phenomenon through legal means which, in turn, open the door for those who want to return to the community.

The issue is very complicated in Middle Eastern communities with the prevailing rural and tribal traditions, wherein revenge is a norm. Government officials may also think and function in the same manner, which can lead to serious problems because the state is a bigger entity than a tribe or sect. Thus, acts of vengeance must not be tolerated; such sentiments enhance segregation and can lead to people questioning the concept of the state itself.

It may not be right to put all those who worked for security agencies into the same basket. There were those who were forced into working in these departments and they inflicted the least possible pain upon others. However, there were also those who chose to work in these agencies with great enthusiasm, wanting to hurt and harm others. In the world of politics, there are variables and constants. The most important constant is the sustainability of the community’s unity. This task cannot be achieved without the values of a civil state that resorts to laws and distinguishes between political and criminal matters. This sort of state does not resort to tribal norms of the society wherein the country comes second.

In trying to solve major issues, we have to remember those who succeeded in solving such problems. Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, is a model of a person who has overcome his personal suffering after spending 27 years in a tiny prison cell. He overcame the racism and abuse he was subjected to and contributed to re-building his country in a highly commendable manner. The world was in awe of the selfless way in which he dealt with the issues he was faced with.

Here also we must remember the great Mahatma Gandhi, who chose peace and forgiveness as a strategy. He did not use peace as a temporary banner, instead he used it to be able to live and let live. As a result, his name has been immortalised not just in India but throughout the world.

However, the forces that came to rule Iraq and other countries, that have witnessed change, did not make use of these two leaders’ experiences. The hunger for power made these forces lose so many of the values they used to champion when they were in the opposition. As witnessed last week, Iraq’s army shot dead a number of peaceful demonstrators in Hawejah. This in a country claiming to have adopted democracy.

As it seems, the oppression faced by members of these governments in the past has been an agitating force for revenge today at a time when they are in power and hold grave responsibilities. The danger of the situation is that the vengeance today is not only directed at past foes, but also at a wide segment of the population. Hatred and exclusion have become a vital part of the agenda. Those forces have to understand that without the spirit of reconciliation and forgivingness, no country can be built. Hatred fuels a vicious cycle of revenge, tension and separatism in any society, especially in Arab countries that are false democracies.

Democracy in such countries is temporary, wherein the new regimes soon become a replica of the old ones they had worked so hard to topple.

Dr Mohammad Akef Jamal is an Iraqi writer based in Dubai.