Courage and integrity are rarely mentioned in the same breath when it comes to discussing Arab rulers and what are essential qualities of leadership. The current crop at the top tend not to measure up in terms of either of them.

As if the war in Gaza wasn’t a daily reminder of the lack of moral fibre across the Arab world, I was given a sharp reminder today upon learning of the death of Liamine Zéroual.

Unlike most Arab rulers who are so addicted to power that they cannot walk away from the job, Zéroual had no such qualms when he quit as President of Algeria in April 1999.

This man was defined by the Algerian Revolution; his spirit burned fiercely during that dark period in his country’s history.

To outsiders he was simply a former president, but to millions of people across the Arab world he will always be remembered as the mujahid who delivered liberty to his people.

Sadly, his passing has been largely ignored by the Arab media and not even deemed worthy of a mention in the Western media. That is why I feel compelled to salute and remember the man from the Aurès Mountains who has returned to the soil of Algeria soaked by the blood of its martyrs; the soil that forged him.

They escaped Gaza:........

© Middle East Monitor