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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 April 1999 Issue No. 425 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 April 1999 Issue No. 425
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters People's principles
Are the NATO strikes on Kosovo prompted by a principled stand against Serb atrocities, or by political considerations and the attempt to protect European and US interests?
To say that interests are crucial is not to negate the extraordinary power of humanitarian ideals, say, in shaping the course of historical events. Without principles, I believe, the world would be a very static place. For example, if we look at the Second World War, it is clear that Britain and France sought to preserve their respective empires. Hitler, however, did not only represent a threat to their territories; he was a threat to their very essence, to democratic principles and Christian values. The French and the British mobilised, it is true, to protect their colonies; but the citizens who went to war were motivated by principles in their opposition to the Nazis and the resistance they organised.
The same may be said of the Crusades. Of course there were political interests at stake, and the wars against the Muslims were beneficial to the Pope, since they allowed him to minimise regional conflicts; but the monks who convinced the peasants to go and fight did not speak of politics or feudal interests. The Islamic conquests, for the mujahidin, were also based on the defence of human ideals and religious values, although securing the jizya from the conquered peoples was no doubt a crucial motivation for the nascent state.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
