Rejecting extremist dogma after seeing it in practice

In a way, its a good thing that the extremist nutters hijacked the Syrian revolution. Don't get me wrong, I abhor those groups and all the suffering they have inflicted on the Syrian people, as I abhor what the regime has and continues to do to its political opponents. But, I respect strength and I hate weakness. The Free Syrian Army and its disjointed political wing has contributed in no small part to the political and security vacuum that has allowed the extremist groups to flourish amid a crumbling national State infrastructure. But, in an unexpected and welcome turn of events all the kidnappings, the beheadings and random executions of anyone who does not agree with extremist dogma, have all served to unite the Syrian people against the extremists who are by now universally hated in Syria and for good reason. What any insurgency should never do is piss on the grass roots that empower it, the people who provide it with material and moral support and the general population from which such insurgency recruits. Granted, many of the extremist groups use foreign fighters, but that is hardly sustainable.

Before the Syrian civil war, Arabs had always whined about how Arab Nationalism had failed them which contributed to a weak sense of national identity. This environment was fertile ground for the rise of militant Islam in the early 90s, which offered a far more compelling and attractive option to nationalism. There are a few exceptions, of course, like Egypt, where people generally have a strong sense of national identity, and the Palestinians, who remain united by a common national tragedy. But they say that the best way to discredit an ideology is to see it in practice. Every rigid ideology eventually fails in practice whether faith based or based on other political ideology, from communism to fascism. People embrace a system of government that best resembles them, that is flexible and understanding, that is human and less contrived and mechanical. This is one reason Lebanon remains rather stable even with no government at the helm. Over here, people are generally free to do as they like, bend the laws a little, arrive at compromises, make deals, both in private life and in public life, all the while we have numerous steam valves like Tabane and Jabal Muhsen which release pent up anger and frustration every now and then. Yes, we fuck up pretty much everything we touch and nothing really works the way it is supposed to, but we some how manage to muddle through, with or without the formality of government.

The future of the Arab World is in a system of government that looks more like us, one which is responsive to people's needs, both commercial and political. It is an Arab World that unites behind an unshakable opposition to the existence of the so-called State of Israel. It is one where its various national components work towards some form of economic union, one where people's basic life needs are addressed first, where politicians go down to the poorest neighborhoods, roll up their sleeves and start to work for the people the way they should have done all along. It is an Arab world where State institutions are strengthened at the expense of tribal and feudal institutions, it is one where the State has to work hard to restore the people's confidence in the State through actions rather than empty promises. This Arab World is not impossible to achieve simply because it is in everyone's interest to achieve. Most importantly it is in the best interest of the moneyed elite to achieve which usually means that it will be achieved before long. The only stumbling block as I see it is a question of trust. Trust needs to be restored between the governed and the governing, between the various faiths, between the wealthy and the struggling, between the various national entities that make up the Arab World. Once that is done, all else follows.