The noose around the neck of Iraqi dictator on the penultimate day of 2006 marked the end of an era and heralded the beginning of a new era with a noose around the constitution and law of Iraq.

The presidential authority has been bypassed for executing a citizen and the final act of melodrama has been staged in haste on a religious holiday that is celebrated in the whole Muslim world. Execution is constitutionally forbidden on religious holidays. It appears that Saddam's execution was the victor's justice, if not lynch-hanging. Emerging details of the chamber scene at the time of Saddam Hussein's execution contradict any image of justice or rule of law.

Well, one must be deluded to dream of rule of law in the middle of blood shed that started with an illegal invasion of Iraq, tortures at Abu-Gharib prison and alliance of some of the sons of Iraq with invaders. Circumstances like that can only lead to chaos and justifying illegal acts with some more.

No saint; Saddam Hussein was a brutal man who held on to power with an iron fist. People say that he allied with the US while fighting against Iran, not to mention Arab-Persian Muslim in-flight is rooted in antiquity. Iran-Iraq war whether waged with or without blessings of the US, was a misadventure. It left both countries deeply wounded and with huge scars.

There are several conceptions in the Muslim world about movement of history. The world is perceived as Dar-ul-Harab (Battlefield) and Dar-ul-slam (A Peace Abode). Lots of intellectuals foster such interpretations without clarifying as to how to look at the world when Muslims are fighting among themselves?

The worldview that imperial powers would like to promote is that of an ongoing animosity and violence and more so, a violent consciousness. That is the only way to sell arms. Every bullet that is manufactured is meant to shear a chest of living and breathing human-target. The game of power, greed and violence has a long history.

On that fateful night in outskirts of Baghdad, mocking of Saddam Hussain when he was about to die and dancing scenes in Iraq and Michigan after his death are good to fuel sectarian fire even though he was a secular dictator who hardly cared about religion while dealing with his enemies. He could hardly be called a religious-sectarian ruler. He did not make any distinction whether an enemy was Sunny, Shiite or Kurd – three groups that are being promoted to describe diversity among Iraqis, if not animosity.

Whether there is animosity or diversity within the boundaries of Iraq that was chalked on the world map during early part of 20 ^th century, there is most certainly a need for unity at this juncture of history. Saddam Hussein's trial, verdict and execution have not helped the cause of unity at all.

World had been patiently waiting to see the proof of US and Britain's involvement in the use of chemical and biological agents against Iranian army. He also gassed his own countrymen to subdue a rebellion. With the death of Saddam Hussein, it would be hard to see that proof for now. It will eventually see the daylight.

The US administration is conspicuously trying to distance from Saddam's execution. The crime for which he is executed was carefully chosen as a trial by the US because there was no possibility of mentioning chemical agents provided by the US and Britain. However, the world is well aware of that fact. The US is showing a distant and muted response to Saddam's execution as if it was totally an Iraqi affair. It is being done in an attempt to absolve of any responsibility in the conviction and execution. Such tactics never work.

The passionate youth in Muslim countries are going to perceive it as yet another insult to Muslims. They are going to care less for any reasoning and explanation put forward by Iraqi government or Americans for all of the events of past few years in the Muslim world, specifically Iraq. There is already a perception of injustice that is going to fire up quickly and Saddam who was a tyrant is going to become a saint for the last word being "Mohammad" on his lips when trapdoors opened. He ruled with brutality in his time. His brutality is going to transform into symbolism for violent resistance. He was hanged as a criminal. This identity is not going to stick. He has already assumed martyrdom. His metamorphosis from a man in flesh and blood to a mythical figure in history is not too far away.

Muslims, who have been waiting for a magical transformation of their condition in the world, have obviously waited for long. In such a state of mind, it is not difficult to see that they may take on the myth of Saddam Hussein for motivation and inspiration - A mythical leader, dead or alive, who could be the savior for their dwindling status and sealed destiny in the world. Saddam's influence was limited to Iraq in the past. His potential for becoming a source of inspiration for resistance has overnight become global because he stood up to brutality unwavering till death. Far out into the history Saddam Hussein as a dead-man, more inspirational is he going to be in the hearts of people because he was the only one in the Muslim world who stared modern Imperialism in the face and bravely took hangman's noose around his neck. The world in the Muslim-mind that may or may not have been a Dar-ul-Harab (Battlefield) can slowly transform into an ever expanding war zone.

Myths hardly ever change anything but never die. Frustration in the minds of Muslims, perception of injustice, exploitation and aggression is going to be augmented by Saddam's execution, for which there may not be an outlet other than more violence. Mythical Dar-ul-Harab (Battlefield) within Muslims along sectarian fault lines and against Christians and Jews for being the western aggressor that defeated Muslim ummah, can border on violence. The fissures of mistrust can easily turn into a big gulf.

Specifically, blood shed of Iraqi civilians is a daily event. The loss of human life in Iraq currently stands at more than half a million since war broke out. Can a nation ever recover from such a huge loss of human-resource even when led by the strongest among strong and the wisest among the wise?

"Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them. There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous (Nahum – Chapter 3)".

Author's e-mail for feedback: tahir.qazi@yahoo.com