Oh you who claim to be manly, do not turn away from your honor
The jungle is no longer ruled by the lions we once knew
The master is now a serpent, throwing lambs’ remains,
To hounds that guard him, forever ravenous
The poetic lines above attempt to highlight the difference between the old face of imperialism and its new, more cunning, deceitful, and treacherous form. Just as a lion’s leadership of the jungle differs from that of a serpent that has seized the throne under shifting rules of power, so too has global domination evolved into a different game. It is a kingdom where only the strongest survive.
But does this traditional animal kingdom differ greatly in its governance and philosophy from the way humans treat one another? History—both ancient and modern—suggests otherwise. Let us, at the very least, entertain the notion that the world indeed worships power alone, granting the strong absolute authority.
A lion and a serpent—both are animals. And to be classified as such would be an honour to any human who chooses to respect the divine instinct of mercy between nations and tribes, as commanded in the holy book. A true human being rises above the laws of the jungle because he is God’s steward on Earth. But many have refused this path, opting instead to rule over the weak with the logic of the wild—be it the philosophy of a lion or that of a serpent.
Britain, the bygone colonial power, epitomised the tyrant with the mind of a lion—enslaving, oppressing, and ruthlessly crushing those weaker than itself. Yet, it always did so openly, never hiding or sugar-coating its schemes. Even at its most cunning, Britain’s deception was never veiled. When it deliberately carved up the Arab world into politically defined mini-states, it did so brazenly, ensuring the creation of border disputes between brothers to prevent their unity. Britain never concealed this; in fact, it prided itself on ‘protecting the world from the savagery of desert barbarians’. That was the jungle of the last century.
Now, however, under America—the heir to Britain’s expired empire—the world is ruled by the logic of the serpent. The jungle’s sheep and lambs are its victims, and financial dominance at any cost outweighs even the primitive instincts of the wild. There is no dignity, no honour, no shame.
America has mastered the game of manufacturing hatred: Iran is the axis of evil; the threat of exporting the Islamic Revolution must be contained; Iraq must be pushed into war against this enemy of humanity. Then, Iraq itself must suffer the same fate, invaded and occupied. Yet Iran remains the greater threat. But what of America’s poor Arab allies, left to face this impending Iranian doom across the Gulf?
Dear Kuwait, you have no choice! We must stand with you and protect you from this looming menace. And so, President Barack Obama’s administration informed Congress of its intent to sell Kuwait the latest version of the Patriot interceptor missile—209 units for a total of $900 million (a Ramadan bargain)—to strengthen its integrated defence network against what the US deems a threat to Kuwait. In other words, Iran. But ‘diplomacy’ prevents serpents from openly declaring their true intentions in official statements.
Following this grand strategic move, the heroic President Barack Obama—the champion of Arabs and Muslims—issued a statement from the White House in honour of the holy month of Ramadan, filled with such heartwarming phrases as: ‘Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for its diversity and equality among races.’ It continued: ‘It reminds us of the principles we share, of Islam’s role in promoting justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all people.’ And finally: ‘Ramadan reminds us here in the United States that Islam has always been a part of America and that American Muslims have made great contributions to our nation.’
So, have the people—trapped in the jungle of beasts—grasped the difference between a lion and a serpent?
This article is originally published by AlBorsa in Arabic and later AI-translated by South Push.