[Opinion] Tikrit

The most noble conqueror of the world and ruler with mercy and tolerance: those are the words dedicated to Saladin, the ‘Islamic Hero’ of the Crusade. The Crusade is known as the slaughtering war that the Christians in Europe of the Middle Age has incited to conquer the Islamic, which lasted insipidly for two centuries. However, the war has its counterparts. Saladin who has proclaimed Jihad against the King of England,‘Lionheart’ Richard I has recaptured the city of Jerusalem that was ruled by the Christians and governed wisely showing a true leadership and knighthood. His family had to borrow money when he passed away since he was too giving of a Sultan, as Stanley Lane-Pool says in his biography of ‘Saladin.’ His hometown is the very city of Tikrit, situated near the River Tigris where the Mesopotamian civilization has emerged.

There are not many peoples in the world who react as sensitively to the issues of history as the people in Tikrit. They have believed that they have been succumbed to the ‘oil politics’ since the Crusade’ and always have been craving for a new leader to revive the Arabic glory. Sadam Hussein was born in the poor village of Tikrit in 1937 and did not fail to recognize this fact. He posed himself as a descendent of Saladin and declared that he would clear of the Americans in the ‘new Crusade’ to become a protector of the city of Jerusalem. He felt deep for the Arabic nationalism while he was studying while being mistreated by his stepmother since he was young. It was Tikrit that has been his strong political foundation through all times. After seizing the power, he thanked for the favors of his hometown by building a luxurious president’s palace, a huge temple, and militarily strategic facilities.

With this at the background, psychology of the people in Tikrit is peculiar. They treasure honor, pride, and revenges when those things get hurt for they have been consolidated with strong sense of bond and kinship more than in any other regions. It was the people of Tikrit who have provided their closest people as well as the strong foundation to the Hussein’s regime, from important positions in the governing party of Ba’th to secret police. There are quite a large number of his followers as one can see the signs that read, ‘Hussein exists’ on every big street in the town. Hussein seems to be hiding out somewhere, but people in Tikrit will not tell where it is even if they were given with million dollars for it. “That is our Arabic tradition,” they say.

In that city, two of our innocent civilians had lost their lives. It is such a tragedy that their proud tradition and honor had turned to pain to others and terrorism against others. However, they might be the victims themselves. I mean that they are still being manipulated by the people in power for the purpose of supporting the regime with regionalism. What would Saladin, who said ‘The greatest nature of the paradise is mercy’ and protected the war prisoners of the enemy states, say of Hussein and the people in Tikrit who burns with revengeful minds?

Editorial Writer Kim Soon-duk, yuri@donga.com