When History Becomes a Narrative Serving Power
The falsification of history is not a recent phenomenon. Our civilization has, since early epochs, witnessed attempts to rewrite the past to serve the interests of those in power and the victors, framing crimes, enslavement, torture, and captivity under glamorous labels such as "conquests" and "right of ownership," as if changing the name alters the nature of the act. Even more dangerous than the falsification of history is the transformation of this distortion into a culture passed down through generations, to the point where failure is portrayed as victory, defeat as heroism, and destruction as glory.
How did Egypt’s defeats during the era of Gamal Abdel Nasser become victories in the eyes of some? How did Iraq’s defeats, along with the wars and destruction it suffered, turn into material for glory and heroism? How was what happened in Libya under Muammar Gaddafi, and the conflict, division, and destruction that followed, presented as resistance and victory? And how can the destruction of Gaza and the displacement of its people be framed in political discourse as resistance or victory, while the United Nations documents the massive damage inflicted on its homes and infrastructure?
The issue does not end here. Even when cities are reduced to rubble, infrastructure is destroyed, civilians are killed, and people are displaced, there are those who reframe the scene in the language of victory and glory. Here, we must ask clearly: Where do these mindsets want to lead the nation? Does destruction become victory simply because we call it victory? Does defeat become a conquest simply because the victor writes the narrative?
The present century has borne witness to the danger of tailoring history and reality to fit political preferences. Therefore, our responsibility today is to teach the generations that history is not an anthem glorifying power, nor a narrative written solely by the victorious party. Rather, it is a set of facts that must be read with a critical mind, with sources compared, and with things called by their true names.
This topic has been addressed in depth and clarity. Therefore, educating the generations must shift from rote memorization to critical thinking, from sanctifying narratives to examining them, and from justifying mistakes to acknowledging them. Nations do not rise when they turn their defeats into illusory victories, nor when they transform destruction into glory and suffering into heroism. Nations rise when they possess the courage to look at their history as it was, not as they wish it to be. The truth may be painful, but it is more merciful than a falsified history that bequeaths defeat from one generation to the next.
