Abdullah Hamidaddin: Nasser’s legacy: Ideologies of expansive visions/Yara al-Wazir: Water and electricity must not be killing weapons

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Nasser’s legacy: Ideologies of expansive visions
Abdullah Hamidaddin/Al Arabiya/Saturday, 25 July 2015

It is July 23, 1952. A white coup topples Egypt’s monarchy and a new republican Egypt is born with dreams for itself and all the Arab countries. But instead it has been sixty three years of one disappointment after another for citizens of this region, especially those who followed Egypt’s revolutionary footsteps. There is of course the exception of the monarchial countries, the ones that survived Nasser’s ambitions; those seem to be faring much better.

A new way of thinking about politics and defining interests was born in 1952. The seeds were there much before, but it was 1952 when ideologies of discontent and political authority merged. The region was gradually coming out of colonial control, the air of freedom was still fresh and the possibilities were quite endless. But coups need to legitimate themselves by developing a discourse of discontent; by claiming that everything was bad, that all were oppressed, exploited, abused, worthless and insignificant. Before the coup there was nothing, and after it, or because of it, everything will come about. But that was tied to one condition: unite. But according to Nasser’s preaching, unity meant that the people must have one will, one faith, one heart and must become one man. And under that state of oneness the people must fight a concerted war against their enemies and make a long march to the bright future that awaits them. God Almighty will be with them, supporting them all the way and guiding their path, and Nasser will lead them in their struggle.

A new way of thinking about politics and defining interests was born in 1952
The ideology of discontent by now had new partner; a messianic political world view, where the leader will bring out his people from the desert to the Promised Land: A free Palestine and a United Arab State. The consequence of ideologies of discontent and messianic politics would be revolutions and/or instability across Arab countries: Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan all had their share of either revolutions or political chaos because of Nasser’s messianic dreams. The monarchies that survived Nasser did that at a high cost to their political and economic development. Another consequence of messianic politics was to deflect Arab populations from micro concerns to grand dreams. You can easily imagine someone living in a remote village – with no electricity, schools or roads – using up his emotional bandwidth on the grand causes of Arab unity or freedom of Palestine.

Spirit of Arabism and Islamism
In 1967, the humiliation would only affirm ideologies of discontent and messianic politics. The real message was that we lost. The message the people preferred to say to themselves was: ‘we are indeed victims, everyone conspiring against us; all is now bad but there will be someone will lead us out of this, and we must find him. The difference after 1967 was merely in the language used. When Islamism came about, it did not uproot ideologies of discontent and messianic politics, it just spoke about them differently. The spirit of Arabism and Islamism are the same. Both believe in a messianic political world view where God would support them from the heavens above and a wise big brother would lead from below. The promise of a Caliphate is not too far from the promise of one Arab country from the Arabian Gulf to the Atlantic Ocean. Both have an ideology of discontent where everything past or present is bad and only the promised future will be good. The ‘Now’ for both ideologies is bad. 1967 could have been the moment when we broke away from messianic politics and ideologies of discontent. When Nasser resigned he was essentially admitting defeat. A moment badly needed to start afresh. Who knows if the fresh start would have been better? But we should have done it. Instead the ‘people’ marched to the streets and insisted that Nasser stay. Denial is less painful than utter and complete disillusionment.

Today – sixty three years on – ideologies of discontent and messianic politics still thrive. Many in the region still believe that there is nothing in the ‘now’ worth preserving, that it is all bad, that the only solution is to revolt. And those are still waiting for that leader who under God’s care and guidance will bring about unity and freedom for Arabs and Muslims. Whether it was Khomeini, Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Hassan Nasrallah, Mulla Omar or Al-Baghdadi; there is this deep yearning from a significant number of Arabs and Muslims who have been fed ideologies of discontent and messianic politics for three or four generations. This is in my view the most persistent legacy of Nasser.

Water and electricity must not be killing weapons
Yara al-Wazir/Al Arabiya/Saturday, 25 July 2015

In July’s scorching summer heat, electricity and water supplies are being used as bargaining tactics in the conflicts in both Syria and the Gaza Strip. This past week, these supplies have reached a critical state, yet very little international attention is being given to solve the issues at stake. Whether the international community likes to admit it or not, electricity and water supplies are being restricted, and in some cases completely disconnected, as a method of control in war-plagued cities, such as Aleppo and Gaza. Access to electricity and fresh water is a human right, and these supplies must not be used as weapons of war.

Gaza: living in blackout
As if electricity supplies to Gaza weren’t constrained enough as it is, with residents receiving a maximum of 12 hours of electricity a day, the only remaining functioning electricity plant in Gaza has shut down this week. Whether the international community likes to admit it or not, electricity and water supplies are being restricted to Aleppo and Gaza. This is primarily the result of the heavy bombing that the plant experienced during the Israeli bombardment of Gaza 12-months ago, causing severe damage. The Israeli-imposed blockade on Gaza means that the companies and supplies required to repair this equipment are unable to enter the besieged strip. Israel has claimed ‘security concerns’ against Israeli firms going into the Gaza Strip to help provide electricity to the city’s population.

Electricity supply is not a bargaining tactic, it is not something that can be played with, attacked, or turned on and off. Human life is very much dependent on electricity. Hospitals, schools, and virtually every industry depend on electricity for power. From life machines to surgeries to food storage and water heating for cooking and showering, everything requires electricity. Instead, the (mostly unemployed) population now relies on independent generators. Restrictions and prevention of repair efforts are nothing but a bargaining tactic that is used against desperate people in dire situations. It is used to weaken the people of Gaza and damage their livelihoods. This goes on with minimal international attention, because after all, cutting electricity supply isn’t nearly as brutal as bombing civilians and schools.

Aleppo: A bargaining chip
In Syria, Al-Nusra Front shut off the water supply to government-controlled districts within the City of Aleppo during the early weeks of Ramadan, forcing Syrians, including children to drink untreated water. After four weeks of limited (to no) water supply in certain districts in Aleppo, water supply was finally restored this week. At what point did Al Nusra Front decide to reinstate a basic human right to human beings? When it decided that it needed electricity in the districts that it controls, as the electricity supply is controlled by government-controlled districts. Electricity was exchanged for water, but only after 3000 children in Aleppo became victims of diarrhoea, which is the second leading cause of death of children under the age of 5.

Sadly, Gaza doesn’t have a chip to bargain with. Gaza has nothing but people. And right now, these people have nothing to offer the Israelis in exchange for a functioning power plant. There is very little that can be done, and while NGO’s are trying to help villages in Africa connect to the grid, Gaza, once a beautiful modern hub, is now trailing in the stone ages. Since the people of Gaza do not have a chip to bargain with, international pressure on Israel may be the only alternative.