Historical Leadership of Al-Zaidi!

Patriotism is not a slogan we raise, nor an unbridled emotion that sweeps us away from truth and justice, nor words we compete to recite to prove our love for the homeland. Rather, it is behavior, practice, and stances that reflect sincere belonging and fairness. Some believe that patriotism means defending decisions and actions under all circumstances, whether right or wrong, and that acknowledging mistakes or criticizing a decision is seen as diminishing the homeland and showing weakness in patriotism, as if loving the homeland and perfect patriotism require us to shut down our minds, close our eyes, and suppress our consciences. On the other hand, there are those who disagree with the executive authority or oppose its policies, turning their disagreement with it into hostility toward the homeland itself. They see no good in it except to turn it into evil, no achievement except to belittle it, and no mistake except to exaggerate its magnitude, as if the homeland and the authority are one and the same, so that if one disagrees with one, he becomes an adversary of the other. Neither of these positions reflects true patriotism, because the homeland is greater than governments, more enduring than decision-makers, and higher than political disputes. Patriotism is not about wearing rose-colored glasses so that everything appears beautiful, nor does opposition mean wearing black-tinted glasses so that everything appears ugly. True patriotism is seeing things as they are: praising achievements because they are achievements, and criticizing mistakes because they are mistakes, without letting our stances be dictated by our relationship with the decision-maker or the degree of our agreement or disagreement with him. Perhaps the most dangerous thing facing homelands is that type of flatterers who see nothing in the decisions of officials except wisdom, nothing in their positions except correctness, and nothing in their mistakes except achievements worthy of praise. These individuals, although they appear as lovers and loyalists, may cause more harm to the homeland and to the decision-maker than their opponents do, because an opponent may expose mistakes even out of spite, whereas a flatterer conceals them even if doing so leads to disaster. An official who hears only praise gradually loses the ability to see his own mistakes and becomes a prisoner of a false image created by those around him, until he believes that his opinion is absolute truth and that anyone who disagrees with him is either ignorant, resentful, or an enemy of the homeland. Here lies the danger: when criticism transforms from a right and duty into a charge, and praise transforms from deserved appreciation into a means of gaining favor and achieving personal interests. However, this does not mean that every opponent is reformist or that every criticism is constructive. Just as there is hypocrisy in praise, there is also hypocrisy in opposition, when dissent becomes an end in itself, and one’s stance toward a decision is tied to who issued it rather than to whether it is right or wrong. True patriotism is balance in thought, fairness in judgment, and courage in speaking the truth. It means that our love for an official should not prevent us from criticizing him, nor should our disagreement with him lead us to deny his achievements. It is criticism that seeks reform and does not settle for vindictiveness, praise that stays within the bounds of truth and tact, opposition that does not turn into hostility toward the homeland, and loyalty that does not become subservience to individuals. Homelands are not built by constant applause, nor do they advance through constant objection; rather, they are built by conscious minds, living consciences, and fair stances that place the homeland’s interest above all else. Patriotism is not always supporting the authority or always opposing it, but always supporting truth, justice, and the homeland’s interest. And to you, peace.