The era of the giants...

The era of the giants... Anwar Abdulrahman | Arab News

History will probably define the 20th Century as the "Mother of All Centuries". This was an era when great changes swept our planet in every sphere of life, from medicine to industry and technology to outer space. The first of its two decades also witnessed major political upheavals dominated by World War I, the collapse of the German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires, and the fading of Britain's global domination. It also saw the rise of national heroes. Valadimir Lenin in Russia, Sun-Yat-Sen in China, Mahatma Gandhi in India, Saad Zeghlool in Egypt, Kamal Atta-Turk in Turkey and Reza Shah Pahalavi in Iran. Most of them left their mark with great social changes and reforms. However, one stands out in a totally different perspective. During the autumn of 1902 a column of 40 men mounted on camels left the town of Kuwait and rode westward into the desert of Arabia. They were led by an ambitious 21-year-old man inspired by great dreams he thought so unlikely to be fulfilled that he did not tell anyone what was on his mind. For he intended, with the help of his 40 loyalists, to recapture his father's kingdom. No one but himself would have believed that he had the slightest chance of succeeding - but he did against all odds. Yet even at such a very young age he knew that if he succeeded, his people would expect three key things from their ruler: To keep order with a strong hand, to protect the poor from the rapacity of the rich and to defend his subjects from foreign invaders. When he attained power he never forgot or overlooked these three basic tenets. That young man was Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, son of a royal house in exile. Saudi intellectual and diplomat Fahad Al Mark, who later grew very close to King Abdulaziz, wrote in his three-volume book "The Magnanimity of King Abdulaziz", that the king was kind with the weak, solid with the stubborn, all ears with the wise and deaf with fools. He possessed the firmness of a fighter and also the forbearance of a father. His struggle to unite Arabia in the face of daunting challenges gave birth to the Kingdom in 1932. Although culturally conservative, the king initiated fast-track modernization, wisely deploying his country's natural resources, and aided by a charismatic personality, keen intelligence, insight and knowledge of his people's needs. Indeed, he was a remarkable nation-builder. In the words of British explorer John Philby, who traveled through parts of Arabia during the second decade of the last century on a special mission for the British foreign services said: "When I met Ibn Saud I felt that I was standing in front of a man born to be a king". The king's historic meeting in February 1945 with Franklin D.Roosevelt, in which they discussed the then Jewish-Palestinian issue, is documented by Col. William A.Eddy, US Marine Corps, who was fluent in the Arabic language. I quote from his book "FDR Meets Ibn-Saud" (Selwa Press): "After discussing the progress of the war, and expressing his confidence that Germany would be defeated, FDR stated that he had a serious problem in which he desired the King's advice and help; namely the rescue and rehabilitation of the remnant of Jews in Central Europe who had suffered indescribable horrors at the hands of the Nazis: eviction, destruction of their homes, torture and mass murder. He, FDR, felt a personal responsibility and indeed had committed himself to help solve this problem. What could the King suggest? "Ibn Saud's reply was prompt and laconic:'Give them and their descendants the choicest lands and homes of the Germans who had oppressed them.' "FDR replied that the Jewish survivors have a sentimental desire to settle in Palestine and, quite understandably, would dread remaining in Germany where they might suffer again. "The King said that he had no doubt the Jews have good reason not to trust the Germans, but surely the Allies will destroy Nazi power forever and in their victory will be strong enough to protect Nazi victims. If the allies do not expect firmly to control future German policy, why fight this costly war? He, Ibn Saud, could not conceive of leaving an enemy in a position to strike back after defeat. "In a few minutes, FDR returned to the attack, saying that he counted on Arab hospitality and on the King's help in solving the problem of Zionism, but the King repeated: 'Make the enemy and the oppressor pay; that is how we Arabs wage war. Amends should be made by the criminal, not by the innocent bystander. What injury have Arabs done to the Jews of Europe? It is the 'Christian' Germans who stole their homes and lives. "Let the Germans pay." In fact President Roosevelt, after that meeting, addressing Congress, said: "I learned from His Majesty in a few minutes, much more than volumes of papers, letters and speeches." Unfortunately the President passed away two months later on April 12, 1945. The book's author, Col. William Eddy, observed: "King Abdulaziz is one of the great men I have met in my professional life." Between 1932 and 1953, in just 21 years, he forged an economic powerhouse by his statesmanship. Sir Winston Churchill described him as "a warrior and a statesman". Yet we all know that the final test of a true leader is not only what he has achieved, but whether he has left men behind him to carry on his noble mission. He certainly has. The impressive succession of kings following him have all pursued the same philosophy and traditions, ensuring that today the Kingdom is not only flourishing for its citizens, but also millions of expatriates from the highest to the humblest are able to share in its wealth. Just a few days ago the King Abdullah University was inaugurated in Jeddah - one of the largest in the world, where boys and girls share the same campus. This is evidence of the vision, strategy and determination of King Abdullah toward great evolutionary developments still to come, and was a fine example of continuity to crown this year's National Day celebrations.