- The subject matter is bound to make everyone wonder what the sentence attempts to convey. Repeating the sentence with some intent would reveal how the same is proving its unquestionable relevance since time immemorial. While history is replete with innumerable instances of forging alliances, friendships, kinships, and acquaintanceships of diverse nature, the basic tenet of the characteristics of the subject matter continues to prove irreplaceable. Studying some of the most fascinating stories of yore would showcase how an enemy’s enemy becomes a friend when faced with the most challenging circumstances to survive. The modern-day is not averse to witnessing such bonding either as recent geopolitical happenings reveal.
PC:Enlightened Project Management
- Of course, historical figures have been replaced by modern-day leadership battling out the emerging narrative in ways that are not dissimilar to earlier practices. People’s uprising against inhuman despots is not new either. Several such instances have been unfolding in the last few years and the ex-Syrian despot leaving the shores for safe sustenance for the rest of his life is one among the many happenings. Reportedly, Moscow has openly welcomed Bashar Al Assad after Syria was ravaged by the marching aggressors hell-bent on deposing the despot from his perch. Unsurprisingly, it is part of an old story of political elites looking after each other during dire times unwilling to let go of even if it is contrary to global opinion.
PC:Mint
- Little wonder, Assad has found asylum in Russia, escaping the bloody fates of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi. Expect details of his last-minute flight from Damascus to land on one of the many OTT platforms soon to stir varied emotions. It makes for a gripping watch for sure. Meanwhile, his survival shows the timeless compact of the ruling class to watch each other’s backs is alive. Down ages, asylum has been a privilege of the elite. Let’s look at some. Mughal king Humayun sought refuge in Persia and was well treated. French and Russian royal exiles were accommodated by other European powers. India granted the Dalai Lama asylum in 1959, and a safe house to the recent exile Sheikh Hasina from Bangladesh in August this year. The list goes on.
PC:The Federal News
- For all their crimes against humanity, fallen dictators aren’t pursued with the same zeal as Nazi war criminals. Some of them have gone on to lead lives of luxury. Idi Amin was variously held responsible for 80,000 to half a million killings in Uganda, but when his regime collapsed, he found refuge in Saudi Arabia, a villa in Jeddah, and a choice of cars. Not just dictators, Russian oligarchs qualify for the West’s hospitality with their wealth, and the odd political fugitive, like Julian Assange or Edward Snowden, makes the cut on my-enemy’s-enemy-is-my-friend basis. The bottom line for asylum is political utility, something three-year-old Alan Kurdi didn’t have and whose body washed up on Turkey’s shore. He was a victim of Assad’s war. Where is justice?
