In this homeland... I am not afraid of tyrants

Author: Shadi Ayad

In this homeland… I am not afraid of tyrants

I am not afraid of tyrants…

For tyrants are an ancient fate; they pass like storms, their noise rises a little, then they are swallowed by silence.

But what truly frightens me…

Is that man who sells his conscience every morning, then stands before the mirror to adjust his tie, convincing himself that he is still respectable.

What frightens me…

Is not the one in power…

But the one with a conscience who has resigned.

And not the one who makes decisions…

But the silent one who saw the truth, then decided to live with it as if it never existed.

I discovered late…

That homelands are not only defeated by rifles…

But they are defeated by offices where principles die in silence.

And they are defeated by pens that know the truth, yet write the opposite.

And they are defeated by faces that smile at every ruler, no matter who, because for them, a smile is not a virtue… but a job.

In every homeland…

There are men who build bridges.

And there are men who build walls.

And there is a third type…

Who builds nothing…

But spends his life explaining to people why walls should not be torn down.

This type is more dangerous than destruction itself.

Because destruction is clear…

As for him, he wears the robe of wisdom.

And speaks in the name of interest.

And carries in his pocket a thousand justifications for every mistake.

When the position becomes more important than the human being…

The fall of the state has begun.

And when loyalty to individuals surpasses loyalty to the truth…

Then know that the homeland has entered the intensive care unit.

I am not afraid of the poor who dreams of a dignified homeland…

But I fear the rich who sees the homeland as just a deal.

And I am not afraid of the ignorant who seeks knowledge…

But I fear the educated who uses his knowledge to give oppression an elegant language.

And I am not afraid of those who disagree with me…

But I fear those who sell their convictions whenever the wind changes.

Because homelands do not fall all at once…

But they fall each time a conscience concedes a word.

And each time a witness remains silent.

And each time an opportunist applauds.

And each time a hypocrite convinces people that silence is wisdom, and flattery is loyalty, and that the truth must wait.

History does not hate anyone…

But it only respects the brave.

As for those who lived their lives between bending and justifying…

Time folds their names just as it folds old newspapers.

And the homeland remains…

Waiting for men who are not afraid of the truth…

Because the truth, no matter how delayed…

Is the only thing that always arrives on time.