Whatever the truth behind Abdul Halim Khaddam’s statements, which he affirmed in a way that leaves no room for doubt, has been echoing in the Syrian street for a long time. It is known to every objective observer. The focus should remain on its real essence, which is that traditional authoritarian regimes, regardless of the history and intentions of their leaders, can only lead to comprehensive moral and material ruin. It is unfortunate that the Syrian and Iraqi regimes, which were initially seen by many as modern systems, have become models of this devastation due to their long-standing monopoly on power. This devastation is manifested in several aspects:
First: The inability to liberate the land (Northern and Southern Iraq outside the state’s sovereignty even before the 2003 invasion, and the Golan Heights under Israeli occupation since 1967), while boasting about nationalism and defeating imperialism day and night.
Second: Invasion of other Arab territories (the Kuwait invasion and Syrian practical control over Lebanon) in the name of Arab unity and its party.
Third: Proliferation of corruption, economic collapse, and demanding that the people endure while only a few enjoy an imaginary standard of living.
Fourth: Marginalization of the party (even a single-party system) and transferring decision-making to the family and tribe.
Fifth: Subjecting ordinary citizens to daily humiliation due to economic and security pressures while intensifying propaganda about dignity and honor.
Sixth: Pushing the intellectual and psychological state of the elites and popular circles to drown in the whirlpools of raw and irrational religious extremism in search of tranquility and psychological comfort due to high pressures (Iraq turning into a fertile environment for violent religious extremism, with signs appearing in Syria as well).
This miserable reality was accompanied by massive and continuous propaganda campaigns that praised the wisdom of the leadership while attributing deviations and disasters to external enemies, especially the United States and Israel. They exploited the accumulated Arab hatred towards them, especially regarding the Palestinian cause. In other words, the practical policies of both regimes led to weakening the country in all aspects, making it an easy prey for these enemies themselves. This means that those who adhere to this kind of thinking and dictatorial behaviors, whether in power or outside it, do not possess the moral and ethical right or the effective ability to confront external threats. The democratic path, despite its difficulties and twists, is the only one leading to the goals of construction, national and independent sovereignty.
The Syrian authorities’ reaction to Khaddam’s statements was expected, accusing him of aiding the American-Zionist plot against Syria, continuing the game practiced by these types of regimes and mentalities. It would be deeply unfortunate if some Arabs continue to respond in any form or degree to the ideas and methods advocated by leaders like Assad, Saddam, and their likes in parties and other ideologies after the truths affirmed by Khaddam, regardless of his motives. After all these bitter experiences that nations have undergone due to the democracy crisis, such a response, even if it appears to be opposed to the positions of these leaders, will inevitably lead to the result desired by non-democratic mentalities, systems, and parties. It is the diversion of attention and efforts away from the priority of democracy and the importance of placing it above all other priorities. Democracy is both a goal and a means, and anything conflicting with it is a proven recipe for failure and destruction, whether in terms of internal construction or resisting strategies that contradict the interests of our peoples and nations.
Kamal Marouf National activist from Sudan
