There is a terrible criminal in Germany; a dangerous perpetrator. He cannot be tolerated. His staying in his position threatens the state's image, the institutions' safety, and values and morals. It sends the wrong message to the younger generations. It is impossible to be neglectful. He that will steal an egg will steal an ox. He that will kill a child will kill a people. Incidentally, the criminal is a minister of defense. A man in his late thirties, he is brilliant and the most popular minister in Mrs. Merkel's government. The story began as a spark, then turned into a fire. The media pounced on the man, and a scandal threatened the government. He had to learn lessons. He did so yesterday and resigned. The headline was: “German Defense Minister Resigns Amid Scandal”. My Arab imagination went loose. He could be an agent for the Russian or American intelligence, involved in some exceptional corruption, or in a Berlusconi-style sex scandal. I went even further. Perhaps he poisoned his opponent in the party, or lured a dissident into his house, injected him with a lethal substance, then hid him in the freezer. When I read the news item, I realized that my Arab imagination had gone too far. The matter is simpler, or more serious. Mr. Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg holds a PhD. in law, and the blow came from there. He was accused of stealing the work of others while working on his doctorate, without mentioning his sources. In other words, he was accused of plagiarism. And the storm hit. How can a minister who lied in his dissertation be trusted? He had no other choice but to resign, sufficing himself with recognizing that his dissertation was error-filled, but never admitting to plagiarism. Poor Guttenberg. I read the news and laughed. If only the entourage of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali had sufficed itself with this kind of errors. The same applies to Habib Adli, Ahmad Ezz, and their companions. As bad as it is, intellectual fraud remains less dangerous than the fraud that drips blood. If only that Libyan leader was accused of stealing ideas for his doctorate instead of being accused of detonating a plane filled with passengers. If only he was accused of violating academic ethics rather than being accused of liquidating “the lost dogs” in the capitals of the world. Imagine, dear reader, if an Arab minister was caught red-handed for plagiarizing his dissertation. He would have considered it the opportunity of a lifetime, and contacted local and international TV stations. He would have accused the Mossad of spreading a rumor to taint his glory, and the US enemy of attempting to strike a blow to the Arabs' scientific rebirth. He would have despised science, universities, and public opinion, and assured that he will remain in his office and will not leave it except by force. God forbid. Guttenberg was not accused of seizing power and abusing it, or of treating citizens with contempt and killing as many as he could. He was not accused of killing prisoners who committed the crime of protesting, or drugging dissenters abroad then secretly importing them to meet their fate. He was not accused of exporting explosives, masterminding assassinations, involving his country in costly adventures, or violating international laws and regulations by land, sea, and air. He was accused of lying, and Merkel did not attempt to save him. Had she done so, she would have been under fire. Public opinion rejects the cover-up of such perpetrations. I read the news item and turned back to the TV screen. He is the same man; he has been there for four decades and four eternities. He said that his country is calm and accused the media of fabrication and exaggeration. He said that his people love him and are ready to die defending him; that he is a partner in the war against al-Qaeda; and that America betrayed him. He did not apologize or admit any mistake. He expressed no regrets. Should we be surprised after hearing these successive explosions? They are the fruit of a long period of contempt towards people, logic, truth, and justice. Arabs are entitled to ask how many light years does the Arab world need until a scandal in it becomes of the same fabric as that of the German “criminal”.
