Syrian President Bashar al-Assad seems to be surviving the escalating civil war in his country, and has even been able to get the upper hand in Damascus and Aleppo. But the Syrian president has already realized that even if he manages to hold on to his regime, he would have to make do with a divided country, where entire territories will be free of his rule. Syria is already a divided country. Over 80,000 people have been killed since the bloody conflict erupted in March 2011, and over 1.5 million people have fled their homes, effectively splitting Syria, unofficially of course, between Kurds, Druze, Sunnis, Christians and Alawis. Cantonization seems to be spreading in the Arab world -- Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen -- and even neighboring Jordan is not immune. This division in the Arab world, be it geographic, cultural, ethnic or religious, is not the only thing to become abundantly clear since the Arab unrest erupted. The Arab Spring was supposed to prove that what is good for the West -- democracy -- is also good for the Arabs, but all we were left with were the chilling images of our neighbors' inconceivable cruelty. Syria has turned out to be the worst of them all. The Baath rule established by Hafez al-Assad was supposed to foster a republic that would make the sectarian differences fade away in favor of Mother Syria, but that did not happen. Loyalty in Syria in not necessarily to the flag, which may explain the unbearable lightness of killing -- on both sides. The reports of Assad's use of chemical weapon on civilians and the butchering of rebels forces, and the reports of equal cruelty by the rebels are appalling to the West, but the Arab world does not seem as rattled by them. Why- In "A Nation of Hatred and Blood," Dr. Basil Hussein, who lives in Iraq, explains: "It is difficult to deny the fact that the level of hatred is increasing among Arab societies. Moreover, we have an industry that has turned hatred into an art. I was amazed, and it could be that many intelligent people were shocked together with me, at the level of hatred, resentment and hostility which exists in the political, religious and cultural arenas and at all levels, so much so that moderation has become a fault, the voice of wisdom has become treason, excessive hatred has become a good thing and it has become desirable to trade in it." "Indeed, we are a nation of blood," explaining, "This one is Sunni and that one is Shiite, this one is a Kurd and that one is an Arab, this one is Muslim and that one is Christian, this one is Druze and that one is Berber, this one is a Copt and that one is Nubian, this one has citizenship and that one does not, this one is a city dweller and that one is a Bedouin, this one is an infidel and that one is something else, this one is white and that one is black.
But the important thing is 'kill, kill, because you will only enter paradise by shedding blood,'" he wrote. It is hard to speak of a feeling of unity in the Arab world. The flag may hold some symbolism in soccer games, but beyond education and the economy, the Arab leaders have failed to create a legitimate framework of government, which has indirectly contributed to the barbarism we are witnessing today. Tarek Heggy, an Egyptian liberal intellectual, wrote a scathing essay titled "The Arab Mind," where he blasts "the defects in the Arab mind-set," which he said stem from three main sources: "The repressive climate that prevails throughout Arab societies; a backward educational system that lags far behind modern educational systems; and a mass-media apparatus operated by those responsible for the climate of political repression to serve their interests." Heggy said Arab society is plagued by "limited tolerance for the other, limited tolerance for criticism and the virtual absence of self-criticism; and a lack of appreciation for the value of the bond that links the human species together, which is their common humanity. For most people in the region, the only bonds that count are either tribal, sectarian or nationalistic, although humanity is the most exalted common denominator of all." It is still unclear, he says, what is the sense of national identity in the Arab world: Is it Arab, Muslim, Asian, African or Mediterranean? In other words, they are forced to share their land with those they perceive as "different" and the lack of tolerance makes it impossible to speak of any shared sentiment. In the lack of sentiment, in the lack of a common denominator, all that is left is blood -- a lot of blood.
If only for his contribution to this situation, even if Israel finds it convenient, Assad cannot be allowed to have a future. Arab societies deserve more. They deserve better. It will be better for us, as well.
