She Won't Be There... A Final Sigh!

History recounts that Abu Abdullah al-Ahmar, the ruler of Granada, fought his uncle Abu Abdullah al-Zughl (the Brave), the ruler of Malaga, for many years until he defeated him and expelled him across the sea to North Africa. Thereafter, al-Ahmar found himself besieged by the Spanish kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, and he realized that by defeating his uncle al-Zughl, he had lost his strongest and most important supporters. Consequently, the Emirate of Granada fell after the siege, and its emir was expelled, just as al-Ahmar had expelled his uncle. The emir then turned his attention to his own realm and uttered what is known in Spanish history as the “last sigh of the Arab,” weeping bitterly. His mother replied with her famous words: “Weep like women over a lost kingdom you failed to defend like a man.”

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To the haters, the hired hands, the schadenfreude-seekers, the abusers, and the disillusioned critics who mistakenly believe they will witness the “last sigh of the Gulf Arab,” despite the fact that these foolish, envious individuals and their countries are the first and greatest losers from any political, economic, or security harm befalling the Gulf states. Politically, the Gulf states are the most prudent, rational, and moderate in resolving internal disputes and striving to reconcile the various components of their societies and with their neighbors. Economically, they are the primary, and sometimes sole, supporters of their national economies and peoples, rebuilding what is destroyed by their endless internal divisions. Moreover, the Gulf states serve as a safe haven for them and for peoples worldwide amid severe global unrest that has left no nation immune; the protests in Europe alone are strong evidence of this.

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Final point: The wisdom of Gulf leaders, their cooperation and solidarity in times of crisis, their close regional and international relations, and the network of interests linking Gulf states with major global countries and influential corporations, combined with the absolute trust of their peoples in their leaders and the soundness of their decisions—tested over past decades and centuries—guarantee that the “last sigh of the Gulf Arab” will never be seen. Yet, we are witnessing, in at least ten Arab countries—and even greater numbers to come—repeated instances of the “last sigh of the Arab,” and a highly regrettable recurrence of the conflicts between Abu Abdullah al-Ahmar and his uncle Abu Abdullah al-Zughl. Our beloved Arab homelands are erupting in endless civil wars among their own people, while enemies surround them from all sides, plundering their wealth and supplying them with arms to kill one another. Reform your conditions, halt your wars, and rebuild your countries. Leave us to our own affairs, for we are capable of handling our enemies, if God protects us from... our “friends”!