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Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 March 1999 Issue No. 419 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 March 1999 Issue No. 419
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Lessons in humiliation
By Mohamed El-Sayed Said *
When I saw the pictures of Abdullah Ocalan blindfolded, exhausted by his exile in a vicious world, and surrounded by the well-trained animals who had abducted him, I was overwhelmed by shame and humiliation. Original sin, then, is simply unadulterated treachery, and eagerness to speak the language of brute force. The world's sole superpower has no compunction about working as a mercenary. The countries that helped the Turks kidnap this man felt no shame; yet he demands only freedom for his people.
Ocalan was hunted down, led blindfolded to slavery and oppression just as, in America, not so long ago, escaped slaves were strung from the tallest trees. They were burned to prevent them from fleeing their oppressors ever again, to prevent them from even dreaming about freedom.
The Israelis were proud of the Entebbe operation; the "heroes" of the Apartheid regime remember with satisfaction their killing campaigns in Mozambique, Angola and South Africa. Ocalan's hunters, too, would have liked to display their feats live, on TV.
All kidnappers enjoy showing off their trophies. Having achieved their purpose, they would like to generalise the captive's degradation and humiliation, to burn the images of defeat into the hearts of all those who aspire to freedom and dignity. But I, and many others who respect human dignity, are now far more supportive of the Kurdish people's cause than before the hunting expedition.
* This week's Soapbox speaker is deputy director of the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.
